Another pic from my Arkansas photos. This one belonged to a Mr. Arthur Upchurch, from the Scotland Arkansas area. Scotland is in the Ozark Mts near Clinton Ark. Im not sure, exactly where he lived at the time but if he lived in the canyons and creek bottoms of the Archey River valley, below Scotland, like I think he did, he needed the chain drive and gearing to just get out of the valley.
Form-A-Truck on a 1914 Runabout with accessory electric lights. Everyone looks dressed up for going somewhere. Could be going to church, a wedding (but I don't see any shotguns), funeral, election (but I don't see no liquor jugs), county fair, a local picnic, pie supper, play party, a dance, a singing, or just headed to grandma's house on a Sunday afternoon. The truck probably hauls lumber or railroad ties through the week.
I do agree on the main use being lumber, railroad ties, or in our area, stave bolts. There was a large stave bolt mill nearby that made stave bolts for wooden barrels. Second use would have been moonshine production. You have to haul the still, sugar, yeast, ect to the manufacturing site and then transport the finished product. I wonder how many gallons this truck would haul. I wonder what the lady in the middle is sitting on to set so high.?? This area of the Ozarks before WW2 was very remote. Roads were bad to non-existant. Familys went to town 2 or three times a year. One of my wifes uncles lived on a 180 acre farm north of Scotland Ark. at Alread Ark and other than his service in WW2 had been to town 4 or five times total in his life. I met him back in the 70s and he was a very interesting person to talk to. In the Ozarks there were not many cars till after WW2 The folks who lived closer to town had some but the bulk of the hill farmers still used horses. The roads were just too bad. If the farmer had a car it almost always was a "used up" Model T. It would have been all he could afford. Im just guessing but this picture could be as late as the late 30s or 40s era. If you have ever watched the "Waltons", they were rich compared to most of the Ozark hill folk.
I think the 'lady in the middle' is a child sitting in the lap of the lady in black.
Hal, I think you are right about the girl sitting on the woman's lap. She is a very big girl to be sitting on her lap. She may be mad at everyone in the back.....