Browse Items (192 total)

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A man shoveling the snow around a car.

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Changing a tire. The roads of 1910 - 1920s were unpaved and often rough putting a lot of wear on tires. Tires were fairly thin and were expected to last about 1000 miles.

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Convertible in a parade driving on the side of the Winnebago County Courthouse and County Jail near Elm and Court Streets. Two passengers in the back seat are possibly Shriners.

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Possibly a Model T automobile. The photo is printed on an AZO photographic postcard that were produced by Eastman Kodak.

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Changing a tire. The roads of 1910 - 1920s were unpaved and often rough putting a lot of wear on tires. Tires were fairly thin and were expected to last about 1000 miles.

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Rockford Furniture Company, located at 1009 West Jefferson Street.

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An unidentified woman with two men. An early 20th century automobile is at left and a trolley is in the background at the right.

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Possibly an electric car. The first small scale electric cars were invented in the 1830s with the first practical electric car being built in the 1870s and becoming popular by 1900. Electric cars at this time were quieter and cleaner than the gas…

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Early motorcycle racing. Motorcycles were first introduced in 1901 and Harley Davidsons in 1903. Early races were held on horse tracks with wooden tracks specially built by 1909. This image is a photographic postcard produced by Eastman Kodak.

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Early motorized bicycle or motorcycle. Bicycles began to be motorized with steam engines in the mid 1800s. Motorcycle manufacturing in the United States began in 1901. This image is a photographic postcard produced by Eastman Kodak.

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The "Wate-A-Wyle" Club was a group of young men who had fixed up old automobiles with imitation racing bodies with no machine costing over $100. These vehicles were used for a comedy race which was at a snail's pace due to the cars often stopping or…

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Looking from Nelson Bridge in Rockford, Illinois. Nelson Bridge was also known as the 15th Avenue river crossing. The bridge was declared unsafe for heavy traffic and was closed in 1929, reopening in 1930. A new bridge was built and opened in 1934.

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Illinois first required car owners to register their vehicles in 1907 with owners providing their own license plates until the state issued them in 1911. Front and rear plates were required each year along with an aluminum dashboard disc with the…

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Early automobiles had limited storage space. The running board was often used to carry containers for storage.

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Mr. T.J.M.S. poses in his automobile. Before 1908, almost every car built in the United States had the steering wheel located at the right side of the automobile, following the practice of horse drawn carriages. When the Ford Motor Company launched…

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One of the first cars available to the general population was the Ford Model T. Its cheap cost made it affordable for many to have an automobile. Americans adopted this method of transportation very quickly, replacing their horse drawn carriages.

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This early automobile has a similar body design as a horse drawn buggy and is similar to cars made in 1902 - 1906. Illinois license plates were first issued in 1911. There is a safety bar that extends across the width of the vehicle for passengers to…

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The vehicle pictured is the same as in image number 85.109(I).905.96. The vehicle model appears to be a very early car that mimics a horse drawn buggy.

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A photographic postcard of Percy Ford. Percy Ford (March 15 1888 - March 8, 1962) was a national amateur race car driver from Chicago, Illinois where he was an automobile sales manager. He started racing in 1915 at the Chicago Speedway and raced in…

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A photographic postcard of Bob Burman in a Peugeot car. The Peugeot family started manufacturing cars in France during the 1890s. They were an early pioneer in car racing. Robert Burman (April 23, 1884 - April 8, 1916) was an American race car…

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A photographic postcard of Kurt Hitke in the "Roamer" car. Kurt Hitke (December 1, 1889 - February 23, 1979) was a German born, naturalized American race car driver. He became one of the best known race car drivers in the United States. He was an…

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Motorcycle Racing

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Motor sports were popular since the invention of automobiles and motorcycles in the early 1900s. Early races took place on public dirt roads.

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Motor sports were popular since the invention of automobiles and motorcycles in the early 1900s. Early races took place on public dirt roads. Goggles protected the driver's eyes from airborne dirt from the roads.

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Automobile racing on a dirt road. It is possible that this is a track rather than a public road.

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Automobile racing on possibly a public dirt road. Many spectators line both sides of the road.

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Bus fleet for Illinois C. C. They appear to be school buses.

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Roy and Carroll Cunningham from Chicago are in the back seat with Roy Betts driving. "Ma" Edith Betts is standing. The car is a Model T with Magneto headlights and kerosene side lamps. A suitcase is stored on each of the front fenders. Roy Betts and…

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John J. Andrews is driving a Sears Buggy. The passenger is Frank Riggs and the little girl standing nearby is Leta Andrews. John J. Andrews was a superintendent of the Knickerbocker Ice Company which bought a Sears Buggy for each of their…

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Five men on early motorcycles. The earliest motorcycles had motors attached to bicycle frames. The center motorcycle is a Harley Davidson.

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Tarkington Motor Car Company automobile. The Tarkington automobile was a two-door, six-cylinder, gas-powered car built in the early 1920s in Rockford, Illinois. Joseph Arthur Tarkington was unsuccessful in getting the car mass produced. The…

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Man on a 1909 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. By 1914 Arthur L. Johnson was selling motorcycles at 130 North Madison Street in Rockford, Illinois. In 1923, Mr. Johnson was ready to retire. The regional Harley-Davidson sales manager contacted Joe Kegel,…

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An early automobile on a street in Rockford, Illinois. The style of the vehicle is similar to horse drawn buggies.

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An early automobile in a hayfield. The steering wheel is located on the right as was the custom for horse drawn buggies. After 1908, car manufacturers moved the steering wheel to the left side to increase safety for passengers getting into the…

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Unidentified adults picnicking between two automobiles. Two women are wearing protective head gear and coats that were typically worn when traveling by car.

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A 'Burlington Trailways' bus from Los Angeles to Chicago. The bus stop in Rockford, Illinois was located at 609 South Main Street. The Burlington Transportation Company was created in Burlington, Iowa by the Chicago Burlington Quincy (CBQ) Railroad…

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The Peoria Rockford Bus Company operated as Central Trailways 1937 - 1942.

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A Rockford, Illinois city bus at the 15th Avenue rail crossing. From 1880 to 1936, a city railway and interurban system provided transportation to city residents. In 1920, paved roads replaced dirt and buses started to replace the interurban rail…

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A battleship in San Diego Harbor, possibly the USS Ward, Destroyer #139, APD - 16. The USS Ward was launched June 1, 1918, visiting California ports such as San Diego in 1919. She was decommissioned July 21, 1921 and placed in "Red Lead Row" at San…

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In 1896, "May Lee" was the second steamboat owned by Theodore C. Largent, who named it after his daughter May and son Lee. The steamboat was cut into two pieces when it proved to be too small to keep up with the demand for passenger travel. A middle…

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The steamboat, "Illinois" with passengers at the rails. The "Illinois" was owned by John T. Buker and former Rockford Mayor Amasa Hutchins, built in 1900. The steamboat quickly became the most locally known and popular steamboat on the Rock River.…

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The steamboat, "Illinois" starting to sink in the Rock River in front of the Rockford Public Library and Vaudeville Orpheum Tent Show

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The steamboat, "Illinois" sinking in the Rock River in front of the Rockford Public Library. An accident that may have been caused by carrying too many passengers, caused the steamboat to partially sink.

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The steamboat, "Illinois" sinking in the Rock River in front of the Rockford Public Library. An accident that may have been caused by carrying too many passengers, caused the steamboat to partially sink.

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An excursion boat.

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Steamboat "Illinois" on the Rock River, possibly near Harlem Park.

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The banks of the Rock River with the excursion steamboat "Arrow" and row boats. The "Arrow" was the first steamboat launched in Rockford in 1885. It sank in 1900. This picture may be of the "Arrow's" maiden voyage on the Rock River.

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An excursion steamboat docked on the Rock River, looking north. The Rockford Waterworks is in the background at left. The Waterworks building was built in 1874 near the Rock River on the south side of Park Avenue. It was the headquarters and main…

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The excursion steamboat "Illinois" with passengers standing on the deck.

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A motor boat under what may be the North End high bridge at Auburn Street. Motor boats came about before the automobile. As automobiles became more popular, boat design began to mimic cars with dashboards, steering wheel and front facing seats. The…
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