1907
\n12,000 passenger cars are registered with the Illinois Secretary of
\nState\u2019s office. The Motor Vehicle Act, requiring motorists to register with the
\nSecretary of State\u2019s office, becomes law. For a one-time $2 fee
\nper vehicle, a motorist receives a circular aluminum seal with a
\nregistration number to affix to the vehicle, known as a dashboard
\ndisc. It is the motorist\u2019s responsibility to furnish license plates.
\nFrom July 1, 1907, to June 30, 1909, Illinois registers 20,224
\nautomobiles.<\/p>\n
Sidney S. Gorham of LaGrange is issued license plate number 1,
\nand Henry W. Austin of Oak Park is issued license plate number 2.
\nTo satisfy the demand for low numbers, plates with one letter and
\na number up to 20 are issued. Numbers A1 and A2 are issued to
\nRobert D. Clarke of Peoria.<\/p>\n
1908
\n18,500 passenger cars are registered with the Illinois Secretary of
\nState\u2019s office. Due to the 1907 Motor Vehicle Act, all m9orotists must file a
\ndescription of a vehicle with the Secretary of State within ten days
\nafter ownership of the vehicle. The information includes vehicle
\nmake, factory number, style and engine power. The information is
\nstored in a wheel book. The first ten years of the wheel book,
\nexcept 1911, are currently housed in the illinois document collection
\nof the Illinois State Library.<\/p>\n
1909
\n25,000 passenger cars are registered with the Illinois Secretary of
\nState\u2019s office. The one-time vehicle registration fee is changed to an annual fee.
\nAn aluminum seal is issued annually. Motorists are required to
\nprovide license plates for their vehicles.
\nVehicles are re-registered. The numbers assigned are only
\nnumeric.<\/p>\n
1910
\n27,500 passenger cars are registered with the Illinois Secretary of
\nState\u2019s office.
\nThe 47th Illinois General Assembly appropriates $35,000 for the
\npurchase and sale of automobile plates and aluminum seals. An
\nadditional $5,000 is appropriated for the salary and expenses
\nrequired to implement the chaffeur law, including the purchase of
\napproximatedly 15,000 chauffeur badges. An Automobile Department,
\nconsisting of four employees, is
\nestablished within the office of the Secretary of State.
\n1911
\n38,269 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nThe Secretary of State\u2019s office creates an Automobile Department,
\nwhich registers the state\u2019s 38,269 vehicles and collects
\n$105,344 in fees.
\nThe General Assembly directs the Secretary of State to supply
\nand deliver two numbered license plates for each vehicle and one
\nnumbered plate for each licensed motor bicycle. The plates are
\nto change color combinations every year and the abbreviated
\nname \u201cILL\u201d is to appear on the plates.
\nAluminum seals continue to be issued. The number matches that
\nof the plates. Sidney S. Gorham of LaGrange is issued license plate number 1,
\nand Henry W. Austin of Oak Park is issued license plate number
\n2. They had also been issued these numbers in 1907.
\nFor the first time, motorcycles are required
\nto be registered. The Illinois Chauffeur Law is amended to require mechanics and
\nchauffeurs to pay a $5 registration fee and a $3 annual fee to
\ndrive. Chauffeurs are issued a paper driver\u2019s license consisting of
\npersonal information about the driver and his picture. The license
\nmatches each year\u2019s license plate color.<\/p>\n
1912
\n68,000 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office. The front Illinois license plate is perforated, much like a screen, so
\nair can flow through it and cool the car\u2019s radiator. The rear plate
\nis solid. For the first time, dealer license plates are issued.
\nRecords for the number of plates made in 1912 have not been
\nfound.<\/p>\n
1913
\n94,600 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office. The front plate in 1913 is unique. It has no background and is
\nwhite. The areas around the numbers are cut out and held in
\nplace by a steel border. The rear plate has white letters on a
\nblue background. This is the only time when the front and rear
\nplates are two different colors. Greenduck Co. of Chicago, \u201cMetalcrafters in Metal,\u201d receives a
\ncontract to make the first 70,000 passenger plates. Printed on the
\nback of the rear plates are instructions for mounting the plate and
\nthe manufacturer\u2019s name. In May, a second contract is awarded to the S. G. Adams Stamp
\nand Badge Company of St. Louis. It makes plates beginning with
\nnumber 70,001. The specifications are the same, \u201cexcept to be of
\nsuperior materials and workmanship.\u201d The cost is 45 cents per
\nset of plates. This is the first contract of its kind that has been
\nlocated, although license plates have been made since 1911.<\/p>\n
1914
\n131,100 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office. It is thought that six-digit plates would be too large. After 99,999 is
\npassed, plates with H, K, P, and R prefixes are issued.
\nDealer license plates have DEALER as a prefix.
\nFront plates have slots between the numerals, while rear plates
\ndo not. License plates have these features through 1918.
\nS. G. Adams Stamp and Badge Company of St. Louis, Missouri
\nreceives a contract to manufacture all the registration materials.
\nThe unit prices are: automobile and dealer plates, 40 cents per
\nset; motorcycle plates, 12 cents; aluminum seals (dashboard
\ndiscs), 5 cents; chauffeur badges, 20 cents.<\/p>\n
1915
\n180,800 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nPlates have no more than five characters. After 99,999, passenger
\nplates are issued with prefix letters H, K, P, R, T, U, X, Y, and Z.
\nS.G. Adams Company of St. Louis again receives the contract for
\nmaking Illinois license plates. However, shortly before the 1915
\nplates are due to go on sale, an inventory of the delivered plates
\nreveals that 92,550 automobile and 15,000 motorcycle plates
\nhave been painted the wrong colors. The Secretary of State\u2019s
\noffice renegotiates the contract with S. G. Adams and all the
\nplates provided by S. G. Adams, both repainted and new, are sold
\nto the state for 25 cents per set, down from the original order of
\n34 cents per set.
\nIllinois registers more automobiles than Germany, France,
\nCanada and Russia combined.
\nIllinois is one of only seven states to register more than 100,000
\nvehicles.<\/p>\n
1916
\n248,400 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nAll passenger plates have numbers only. Six-digit plates appear
\nfor the first time.
\nCharles W. Shonk Co. of Maywood, Illinois receives the contract
\nfor the production of license plates. The company charges 16
\ncents per set. License plates for 1917 and 1918 are also made by
\nthe company.<\/p>\n
1917
\n340,300 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nThis is the last year the state issues aluminum registration disks.
\nThe disks were first issued in 1907, but the state now prefers to
\nuse license plates as the means to register vehicles.<\/p>\n
1918
\n389,700 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nThe last front license plate with slots is made for the state. Front
\nplates had been made in this manner to allow airflow into the
\nengine to cool a vehicle\u2019s radiator vehicles.
\nIllinois voters approve the first bond issue ($60 million) for the
\nconstruction of a statewide system of hard roads.<\/p>\n
1919
\n478,400 passenger vehicles are registered with the Illinois Secretary
\nof State\u2019s office.
\nThe General Assembly votes to divide vehicles into first and
\nsecond-class divisions, effective in 1920. First-division vehicles
\nare defined as those used for carrying not more than seven
\npeople. Second-division vehicles are defined as those used for
\npulling or carrying freight or carrying more than seven people.
\nGrimm Stamp and Badge Co. of St. Louis, Missouri makes the
\nlicense plates.<\/p>\n
more news at Image Registrations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
1907 12,000 passenger cars are registered with the Illinois Secretary of State\u2019s office. The Motor Vehicle Act, requiring motorists to register with the Secretary of State\u2019s office, becomes law. For a one-time $2 fee per vehicle, a motorist receives a<\/p>\n