by Pete Zizka
3-19- 2022
Between the years 1910 and 1920, there was a tremendous yearly growth of automobile registrations in Connecticut. In 1919, the state’s Motor Vehicle Department published its first motor vehicle manual which contained information and statistics about the department as well as charts showing numbers of accidents and violations. Diagrams were printed showing rules of the road, proper use of headlights, proper hand turn signals, emergency brake use etc. Starting in 1920, all Connecticut license plates were produced in the Connecticut prison system. They were steel plates with embossed numbers. Letter prefixes were added in 1924. Perhaps some of you will remember that “W” was the common prefix in this area. In 1920, Willimantic joined other major cities in Connecticut and hosted an auto show. Elaborate plans were made for the show, which was to be held in the Drill Shed at the Pleasant Street Armory. (The Pleasant Street Armory had a sizeable “drill shed” and this space was often used by community groups. Many local groups, for example, held dances there.) Only local automobile and auto accessory dealers were allowed to have exhibits. The committee in charge of the show consisted of Eugene Lewis, Maurice Leonard, Amos Lewis, Murray Tighe and Edward Morrison. The three-day program which ran from February 26-28 also included plenty of entertainment. The Peerless Orchestra furnished the music and the advertisement promised “singing and dancing. Edward Connelly will be heard in tenor solos”. Connelly was an Irish Tenor, a vaudeville entertainer and a silent movie actor. On the first day of the show, there were two dozen exhibitors and their stalls, as well as the drill shed, were elaborately decorated. The evening opened with the orchestra playing “The Stars and Stripes March”, several other selections, and ending with “The National Emblem March”. Edward Connelly of Norwich “was at his best” and sang, “That Wonderful Mother of Mine”, Carolina Sunshine” and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”. There were calls for encores. Similar musical programs were presented at the show each day. The list of local exhibitors presents an interesting look at how rapidly the sales of automobiles and supplies had grown in the area and also the brands of cars and supplies produced at that time. Edward Cotter Motor Car Supplies showed the latest model of the seven passenger National touring car, as well as an assortment of Big Miller tires and tubes. The auto service station of Wilson and Anthony showed an International Harvester truck, South Bend tires and Zenita carburetors. The Leonard Brothers garage was by far the largest exhibitor. Their display included three models of Essex cars, three models of the Reo make and three styles of Hudson cars. The “auto trucks” displayed by Leonard Brothers were a ¾ ton Reo with a canopy top, a two-ton Mack and a 1 ½ ton Republic truck. The Jordan Auto Company provided “a pretty display of the makes of cars it handles”. The display included Coles, Buicks, and Dodge Brothers autos. Their “Cole Aero Eight” was the most expensive car at the show. They also displayed a two-ton Federal truck. The Ames Motor Company showed several models of Oakland and Scripps-Booth automobiles. Exhibitors of accessories had some interesting items. Gilman’s Auto Supply was showing “the Kobzy Safety Signal”, a device to prevent rear-end collisions. Such a device must have been a curiosity or a need at that time because “Mr. Gilman was kept busy showing how the device worked”. Gilmans was also showing a very popular auto paint called “Murphy’s Da-Cote Enamel”. The Alling Rubber Company was showing rubber auto accessories as well as Diamond and Norwalk tires. The company had an interesting slogan – “If it’s made of rubber, we have it”. The Windham Cycle Shop displayed not only Indian Motorcycles, but also Columbia and Oxford bicycles, U.S.L. batteries and Firestone tires. The Chronicle reported that, “The show is a remarkable one for the Thread City and according to one out of town man who was present is second to none in the state outside of Hartford”. The organizers estimated that 5,000 people attended the show over its three days. They also said that all local dealers had improved sales and so they hoped to repeat the show in 1921.
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