1918 Car Show
This series of photographs appears to be of a single car show in 1918. The date is fixed by comparing the trucks to Google photographs and more solidly to the date on a license place. These photographs may have been taken by Otto Mahrt (age 24). They could also have been take by Nelson Raymer (age 18) to help promote his family business. Since the negatives are in the collection, it is doubtful that was a profession solicitation.
To add a little perspective. This was during US involvement in World War I. Later in the year gathering of this type would have been discouraged as the world was in the Spanish influenza pandemic.
Image 0000 is the unloading truck from end of box car on railroad track. Sewer Lake is in the background.
Images 0004, 0014, 0016, and 0028 are staging cars in front of Raymer's store.
Images 0009, 0012, 0013, 0018, and 0029 show a tractor test in unknown field. Not sure of the make or model of tractor. This may have been a "concept tractor" used to demonstrate its capabilities and to find its short comings before putting it into production. This tractor is similar in traction and steering design to a GMC Sampson, although much smaller and with the engine mounted sideways. There was a similar plowing contest in Davenport between this tractor and a team of horses. The tractor broke down. The horses won.
Images 0023 and 0025 are test drives on Spokane Street near Laural. Image 0002 is a woman in another car. Who are driving these cars? Driscoll's house and original Presbyterian church is in the background. The car appears to be painted some color other than black (perhaps maroon, blue, brown, green?). The Ford Model T was offered in one color, black, until 1926. Painting it another color would void the warranty. They had a dominant position in the car market. GM offered colors, changing styles by model year, and the "ladder of success" in the increasing price ranges of cars in the Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac lines, This was the start of the rise of GM and the end of the dominance of the Ford Motor Company.
Images 0007 and 0020 are GMC/Buick tents near a grove and a long wooden structure. Look at all of the antique black cars! Remember this is 1918, but automobiles became a lot more popular than they were in Otto Marht's 1910-1915 series of photographs. Also note the string of lights between the poles. This may have been an attempt to demonstrate Delco-Light power plants for use in providing electric power to farms.
Where the tents were located is a mystery. The trees are very tall for the area (except maybe the cottonwood trees in Davenport) and must be near a long warehouse structure. This rules out Reardan itself. One possibility is the Pioneer Picnic at Odessa on Crab Creek. <photoswipe>
Unloading truck from railroad car at Reardan (1918) [0000]
Raymer store front (1918) [0028]
Raymer store front (1918) [0004]
Girl sitting in truck in front of Raymer Store (1918) [0014]
Truck with tractor in front of Reardan Farmers State Bank (1918) [0016]
Tractor plowing (1918) [0012]
Tractor plowing (1918) [0013]
Fuel truck and car in a field (1918) [0009]
Tractor technician beside car near field (1918) [0018]
Tractor technician beside car near field (1918) [0029]
Woman in a dark car (1918) [0002]
Woman test driving a car in front of Reardan Presbyterian Church (1918) [0023]
Man test driving a car in front of Reardan Presbyterian Church (1918) [0025]
Cars parking by long shed (1918) [0020]
GMC Northwest Buick tent (1918) [0007]
