The Roaring 20's
Kindred Chevrolet & Olds, the oldest Chevrolet Dealership in Missouri, was started in 1922 and is now operated by his Granddaughter. The founder, C.C. Kindred was our town’s postmaster and started selling Chevrolets after work during his years as postmaster. Smithville is directly north of Kansas City and until the Kansas City Chevrolet plant opened in 1928, drivers had to be taken to St. Louis to drive the cars back.
During the winter of 1926 on the return trip from St. Louis, our area experienced a severe snowstorm closing our road which was US Highway Number 1. This road was the first road from the Gulf, New Orleans to Canada, Winnipeg. The men had to walk through the pastures and woods for the last 6 miles as the roads were drifted full. They set out on foot to Smithville as the snow filled the road from fence to fence. They walked the six miles through field’s single file, breaking through drifts and falling in snow filled holes. When they got to the Bud Wood’s house they were given a large meal before continuing the 3 miles home.
Chevrolet also shipped cars to us by freight cars during the 1920’s. The freight cars that we first received would have 3 cars and later they would place 5 cars in them by raising each end car by A frames built by 2X4’s. My brother, with friends, took the 2X4’s and made tracks down the hill back of our house. We took the chocks the tires set in, nailed a board across two of them and made our seat for the sled. We oiled the tracts with old crank case oil and then we had a slide. The cars were shipped without water, gas or oil. The cars were unloaded from the railroad cars using pulleys and chains attaching them to the roof of the box car. Removing them from the box car to the ground required making tracks using 2X8’s. The cars were pulled the 5 blocks to the dealership for servicing. My brother, who was about 10, was allowed to “drive” the cars as they were being towed.
C.F. Kindred
Kindred Chevrolet
Smithville, Missouri
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