Photograph of 1909 Good Roads Tour

Title

Photograph of 1909 Good Roads Tour

Accession Number

2025.8.1

Accession Date

2025 May 23

Accession Creator

Julia Grant

Depositor

Found in Collection

Description

At the beginning of the 20th century, the newfangled automobile caught the attention of America. The focal point became an annual race in New York: the Vanderbilt Cup. After the 1909 Cup ended, another race began: the New York Herald – Atlanta Journal Good Roads Tour. The Tour intended to mark out a new national highway between New York and Atlanta. Thirty-eight cars left New York, some of them racing each other to their destination, others just parading down the route. Their course took them right through downtown Greer before continuing on toward Anderson.

This photo shows the moment that the ALCO car that had just won the Cup roared past Greer’s Wood-Mendenhall Company on what was then the Trade Street extension of Hill Street, now East Poinsett. In the background stands Planter’s Savings Bank (a miniature version of the Bennett Building which would replace it) and Drace’s photo studio and store.

Date

1909

Storage Location

Box 2 General Archive, Folder 12