Story for the Day … Snow!
Early motorists weren’t afraid to drive in the snow simply because they didn’t have 4-wheel drive and electronic assistance; they just got out and did it. In 1920, the year that Lewis Reed took this photo, automobiles were equipped with windshields, but they did not yet have windows—you know, those pieces of glass above the doors of the car that keep stuff out. So snow removal was a back-breaking exterior and interior job. The radiator badge on the front of the car in this phto identifies it as a Hudson. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1921.
In the spirit of yesterday’s snow, here is a photo that gives a good look at how Reed Brothers Dodge got its new model cars from the rail yard back to Rockville — they drove them — caravan-style through the snow. These new cars all with dealer license plates, are stopped along a snowbound Goshen Road in rural Gaithersburg on their way back to the dealership.
Circa 1920 Hudson Six with Maryland Dealer License Plate No. 618 on front. There weren’t heaters in these old cars, so motorists had to really bundle up. Photo by Lewis Reed
Who would dare go out in these conditions today without an AWD SUV and heated seats?
1920s: Dodge Dealers Tackle Snowy Goshen Road in Gaithersburg
Circa 1920 Hudson Six with Maryland Dealer License Plate on front. There weren’t heaters in these old cars, so motorists had to really bundle up. Photo by Lewis Reed
These previously unpublished photos from Lewis Reed’s album are what appears to be a caravan of circa 1920s cars all with Dealer license plates slowly making their way along a snowbound Goshen Road in rural Gaithersburg. The radiator badge on the front of the car in the above image identifies it as a Hudson. The only indication of where these photos were taken was a small piece of paper tucked behind one of the photos that was labeled “Goshen Road – outside Gaithersburg”.
Early motorists weren’t afraid to drive in the snow simply because they didn’t have 4-wheel drive and electronic assistance; they just got out and did it. In the spirit of the upcoming weekend snow storm, here are a few photos that recall the beauties and trials of winters past, from Lewis Reed’s collection.
Dealer car stopped (stuck?) on snowbound Goshen Road. Note the trailing cars slowly making their way up the hill. Although no tire chains are in evidence, they might have been useful coming up that hill. Photo by Lewis Reed
Line of Dealer cars stopped on Goshen Road. The car at the rear appears to be getting a helping hand to change a flat tire. Photo by Lewis Reed
Dealer in a circa 1920 Oldsmobile stopped along Goshen Road outside Gaithersburg. Photo by Lewis Reed
Lewis Reed’s Rockville Garage sold more than just Dodges. During the early years, Reed Brothers represented several franchise nameplates along with Dodge, including Oldsmobile, Hudson and Essex. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1921.
Who would dare go out in these conditions today without an AWD SUV and heated seats?
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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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