Suicide Doors
Reed Brothers Dodge owned a 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six with rear-hinged suicide doors.
1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six
So why are these doors called suicide doors? Did someone commit suicide with one? What’s suicidal about a door?
The theory is that the forward motion of the car could cause the door to fly open, possibly causing the unlucky person sitting next to the door to be pulled out of the car, or the door itself could be ripped from its hinges. It’s debatable as to whether this was speculation or reality, but cars of this era did not have seat belts, so there was nothing to hold a passenger in the car.
The term “suicide doors” was therefore placed on vehicles with the rear-hinged door configuration, the theory being that anyone inside was on a suicide mission because of the design.
Fill’er Up: Reed Brothers Full Service Gasoline Station
Do you remember full service gas stations? I sure do. As a baby boomer growing up in the 60s, I remember Reed Brothers Dodge as a full service gasoline station. The uniformed attendant would greet the customer by name, fill the car up with gas, wipe the windshield, check the tire pressures and check under the hood. Back then, getting a tank of gas could take up to 10-15 minutes per person. I used to love to hear the bell ding after every gallon pumped. Gulf had orange foam balls you could place on your car’s antenna and they also gave away things like pens, key chains, calendars and road maps.
Reed Brothers Dodge was the first Gulf gasoline dealer in the Washington, D.C. area. In 1915, they began selling gas at their original location in Old Rockville at the triangle at Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike. Their first gas station consisted of a single pump. Later, in addition to gas, they carried a full line of Gulf lubricants, Goodyear tires, Willard batteries, complimentary road maps, free air and water, and many other well known brands of merchandise to meet their patrons needs. Reed Brothers discontinued offering this product line when they relocated to their new facility in November 1970.
Below are two previously unpublished photos of Reed Brothers full service Gulf gas station. Both photos were taken at its original location in Old Rockville at the triangle at Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike. (click on photos for larger images)
Reed Brothers Dodge canopied Gulf Gas Station circa 1936. A closer look reveals the price of gasoline as 15 cents. On the right attached to a telephone pole is a sign pointing the way to Olney. In addition to the Gulf signage there is a small, barely visible sign below that promotes, “Clean Rest Rooms”.
Below is a mid-1960’s photo of the Reed Brothers Dodge Gulf Gasoline station. The famous Gulf “ice box” design dates back to late 1930’s and there were probably more of these built than any single one of the later Gulf designs. A Coca Cola machine is visible in front of the white Dodge Dart parked in front of the service bay. The sign in the grass on the right reads, “We’re Making Deals on Gulf Tires”.
Reed Brothers Dodge Gulf Gas Station circa mid-1960
Not Just a Car Guy
The activities of Lewis Reed outside of his main occupation as a car dealer has always been of interest to me. Social activities, pastimes, and hobbies often help define a person and sometimes those activities can be found in later generations.
Lewis Reed was not only passionate about automobiles, he also enjoyed riding motorcycles and photography. With photography for a hobby, one that began even before automobiles were around, he amassed a large library of photographs of many scenic locations from touring on his motorcycle all over the country. All I know is, as I look at these photos and try to make out the details, my grandfather was ready for adventure. (click images to enlarge)
Lewis Reed sitting on his Harley Davidson motorcycle circa 1915 somewhere outside Frederick MD
Lewis Reed taking photograph (from left: Lewis Reed’s motorcycle, Edgar Reed, unknown person, Bernard Hanshew, unknown child, unknown man) in front of Greenawalt Drug Store on Market Street in Frederick, MD circa 1915
Lewis Reed repairing his motorcycle
Lewis Reed (far left)
Lewis Reed (far right)
Lewis Reed patching up Uncle Bernie Hanshew after he fell off motorcycle
1912 – Second from left are Edgar Reed (sitting on motorcycle) and Lewis Reed standing behind him.
Lewis Reed (back) & Edgar
Lewis Reed: Charter Member, Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department
Lewis Reed was a charter member and Past President (Feb.1933 – Feb 1937) of the Gaithersburg – Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department. The newspaper article below shows the first members of the GWGVFD standing in front of a 1928 Broadway fire truck. The picture was taken in 1929 in front of old Barnett Drug Store where Diamond Drugs in Olde Towne Gaithersburg now stands. (click image to enlarge)
The Gaithersburg – Washington Grove VFD is now a Fire Museum located at 13 E. Diamond Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg.
Past Officers of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department. Pictured left to right: name unknown, Ernest C. Gartner, Charles Fox, Clyde Thomas, Dr. Frank Broschart, Lewis Reed
The wall plaque below displays Past Presidents and Past Chiefs of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department. Lewis Reed was President from Feb.1933 – Feb 1937. His name plate is 5th down on the left.
Final Chapter in Reed Brothers Dodge History
When Lewis Reed opened his car dealership in 1915, he never knew he was starting a family tradition that would be carried out for 97 years and three generations.
After almost a century of serving Rockville – and two and a half years after Chrysler terminated the Reed Brothers Dodge franchise – the dealership property went to settlement on August 30, 2012. The dealership site was sold to a developer whose future plans include constructing a $90M project to include a 6-story residential building with 417 multi-family units and a 517 space parking structure.
Lewis Reed’s legacy, however, lives on in the business ventures that his family grew and continues to grow. In Lewis Reed’s spirit of entrepreneurship, the family has formed RBI Properties, LLC, the private holding company of Reed Brothers, Inc – and the legacy continues.
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Copyright Notice
Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
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