Dallas’ Ford Dealerships in the 1920s: Authorized for Your Protection
by Paula Bosse
Authorized Ford dealers, 1922
by Paula Bosse
Dallas has always been a big car town, getting its first look at a “horseless carriage” way back in 1899 when E.H.R. Green sped into town at 15 m.p.h. and startled the citizenry. By 1903, The Dallas Morning News was bragging that Dallas had more privately owned cars than any other city its size in the South (“over 40”). By 1909, the Ford Motor Company had a Model T service center in the city, and in 1914, Ford opened an important regional assembly plant downtown (which later moved to more spacious digs on East Grand).
For many years, there were six — and only six — authorized Ford dealers in town. In several ads of the period, “automobilists” were stringently warned to avoid “bogus” agents offering counterfeit Ford parts. (Accept no knock-offs!) Below, the six authorized Ford dealers operating in Dallas in the 1920s. (All photos are larger when clicked.)
Above, Fishburn Motor Company, 101 N. Houston St. Long gone, Dealey Plaza now occupies this site. Behind the building, at the right, is the Southern Rock Island Plow Company building, better known today as the School Book Depository.
The Flippen Auto Company, 1917 Ross Ave. The building took up part of the block now occupied by the Dallas Museum of Art.
Lamberth Motor Company, 3800 Main St. This building, not far from Fair Park, is at Main and S. Washington and later became part of the Fritos factory. With the building’s renovations over the years, it’s a little difficult to tell, but I think this building is still standing (and is the only one of these six buildings that has survived). To see what this building has looked like over the years, see my previous post, “3800 Main: Fritos Central,” here.
The John E. Morriss Company, 132 North Lancaster Ave., Oak Cliff. I’m not positive, but I think this may have been where Hector P. Garcia Middle School now stands.
Rose-Wilson Company, 1218 South Ervay St. In the Cedars, one block north of the Ambassador Hotel.
J. H. Shelton & Company, 2311 Main St., at the very edge of Deep Ellum. The buildings seen here were right about where Central Expressway crosses over Main.
1922
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
This is such a great blog! So glad we have this for Dallas history.
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Thank you!!
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My dad had a neighbor in Oak Cliff that worked for one of these dealers in the 20’s and 30’s. The neighbor said that the Barrow brothers and others would steel the Fords since they had V8’s to out run the cops. After a hold up, they would drive down to Waco and ditch the cars then take the train back to Dallas. The neighbor would take the train to Waco, find the stolen cars, drive them back to the dealer, and clean them up to be sold.
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That is a GREAT story. I wonder if dealers ever tried to sway a sale by saying a car had been stolen and used by the Barrow Gang?
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Outstanding (the story, not the practice)!
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My grandfather, an immigrant from Switzerland, was a third degree Mason and a master mechanic at the Flipping Motor Company.
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Hi, do you remember Perry Motor company? I had thought it was the first or one of the first Ford dealerships in Dallas. Thank you and
Please email me at Betharella@gmail.com.
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My great grand-daddy is John E Morriss! My mom always said he owned the first Ford dealership in Dallas so on a whim I googled to see what I’d find. I’d live to have a print of the building!
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My great grand-daddy is John E Morriss! My mom always said he owned the first Ford dealership in Dallas so on a whim I googled to see what I’d find. I’d live to have a print of the building!
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My grandfather Harvey Day had a dealership in Dallas pre-depression that was said to be the first full service private dealership. I have a photo of his ten mechanics working on cars. Harvey Day went on to establish churches from south texas to central. His final church was day memorial methodist in San Angelo.
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