I came across the published version of a familiar image --- from the Lucas County Historical Society collection --- while scrolling through Herald-Patriots from October of 1913 earlier this week. It's rare to find a photo in Chariton newspapers from that date. It was expensive and complicated to have a photo taken, then send it away to have an engraving made. So portraits show up now and then; more informal shots like this, infrequently.
There's no story with the published image on Oct. 2; just a caption that reads, "A Group of Overland Autos sold, parked and photographed by the Blue Grass Auto Station." I'm assuming that this was a promotional event of some sort for the Auto Station --- a frequent advertiser in both The Herald-Patriot and The Leader.
The original image is stamped "McCarthy Studio, Chariton, Iowa" and isn't in that great of condition --- it wasn't fixed properly to begin with so has faded. But considering the fact it's been around for more than a century, it's not doing that bad.
The Blue Grass Auto Station, housed in the two-story building on the immediate right in the photograph, was formed during March of 1912 when Frank and Forrest Youtsey and Bert Vaughn purchased an automobile sales and service operation from the Schreiber family, whose original carriage manufacturing plant is to the north, on the corner, across the street south of First Methodist Episcopal Church.
At the time of the purchase, the firm sold Chalmers, Overland and Buck automobiles although other brands were added as time passed. The company remained in business until about 1918.
It was named Blue Grass Auto Station because North Main Street was on the route of the Blue Grass Road, a route developed during 1912 to promote travel through southern Iowa. The map here of the Blue Grass route through Chariton is taken from a 1912 guide book.
And here's a copy of the Blue Grass Auto Station advertisement that was published inside The Herald-Patriot of October 2, 1913.
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