Old Photo - Brass Era Conrad Bros. Ford Dealership

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Old Photo - Brass Era Conrad Bros. Ford Dealership
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jay - In Northern California on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 12:09 am:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 02:33 am:

That looks like one of the 900 or so early '15 center-door sedans.
Nice photo. Thank you Jay!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 01:42 pm:

Is that Henry in the window? :-)

It's interesting that the early '15 car has treaded tires on the front. The consensus today is that Ford began putting treaded tires only on the rear sometime in '15, with smoothies used up front until later. I'm not able to make out any info on the license plate -- maybe the car isn't brand-new?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 10:43 am:

Does anyone recognize the year of that license plate? It looks like it might have a state outline at the left, but can't tell for sure.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Everett on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 11:21 am:

Mike, my SWAG is that it's Pennsylvania Keystone, but again, a SWAG! The year, I can't make it out.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 02:02 pm:

According to page 13 of the January 1909 "Ford Times", the Conrad Bros dealership was in Scranton, PA.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dale L Myers on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 02:17 pm:

Looks close.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 02:35 pm:

I've done some digging:

It was located at 245 - 247 Wyoming Ave. The corner of Wyoming Ave and Linden St. The next block to the right as you face the building is St Peter's Cathedral. The Wyoming Lunch is next to the dealership.

Sadly, it's now a parking lot.....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 02:50 pm:

According to the Sept 1908 edition of "The Automobile", Conrad Bros sold Ford, Premier, Reo and Aerocar makes. Other makes in the general area were Thomas (A.R. Gould Wagon Company), Pierce-Arrow and Autocar (Standard Motor Car Company), and then Franklin and Buick (Scranton Garage and Motor Company).

That same publication states there were approximately 350 cars in use in Scranton and the surrounding environs.

Then, when the January 1909 Edition of "The Ford Times" came out, Conrad Brothers had ordered 65 cars, the largest of any of the Ford dealers in Northern Pennsylvania.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 03:10 pm:

They also represented Stoddard-Dayton as well. When the picture was taken, maybe they were a Ford exclusive dealer, or maybe they had different buildings for each brand.

Here's heavily edited information available from the Web:

"Otto R. Conrad was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1871.
He was exclusively connected with the insurance business until 1902, when he became the local agent for the Pierce-Arrow Automobile Company, retaining
that agency until 1904. In 1905 he became a distributor for the Ford Motor
Company, for the counties of Lackawanna, Wayne and Susquehanna. This
agency he has developed into one of the strongest, his sales for 1912 reach-
ing well toward the five hundred mark. The popularity of the Ford is no-
where more strongly manifested than in the territory covered by Mr. Conrad
and his force of twenty-five men in field and garage. His business for 1915
was three times that of 1912 and will probably equal the combined sales of
the other makers. Steel and wood combined, we care not how skillfully,
into no matter how perfect a machine, cannot demonstrate their own perfection, but must have the hustling, energetic business man and selling force to prove their merit and find a buyer. This Mr. Conrad has furnished in his field, and to the man whose brain and energy have placed him in the foremost rank of automobile dealers, all praise is due. He is also a director of Green Ridge Bank, vice-president of the German Building Association, director in the Scranton Board of Trade, director in the Scranton Industrial Development Company, member of the Association of Automobile Dealers, and is
an active member of the Young Men's Christian Association, Schiller Lodge,
Free and Accepted Masons, and the Green Ridge Club. In religious affiliation he belongs to the Green Ridge Presbyterian Church, and is a teacher in
the Sunday school connected with it. Mr. Conrad's entire life has been spent
in the citv of Scranton, excepting the years of 1904-05. During that period
he was manager for the Germania Life Insurance Company for Northeastern
Pennsylvania, with headquarters at Philadelphia, and the following year
after his father's death, he returned to Scranton to look after his many
interests here. "


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 08:22 pm:

I looked at a website showing PA plates in the 'teens, and it looks to be a '15. There are two other years after '15 with white figures, but the backgrounds appear darker. So I reckon the Sedan is new, or nearly so. It is old enough to have acquired a layer of dust, though. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Franklin Brown on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 09:12 pm:

What is the machine to the left of the men? A vacuum cleaner?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 09:22 pm:

It's a Bowser gas pump.


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration