Indianapolis' Automobile Row

This article in attachment AutoRow110709 appeared in the Indianapolis Star on November 7, 1909.
 
As early as 1907 the Indianapolis area automobile industry was maturing and the companies involved were getting organized. In 1908 they finally pulled together the Indianapolis Automobile Trade Association (IATA). This article reports on how the local dealerships were coalescing around a physical location along North Delaware Street between New York and Delaware in downtown Indianapolis - an area that had at least since 1907 had become known as "automobile row." The specifically named dealers are listed as follows:

• The Conduitt Company (sold Knox Automobiles)
• The Peck Motor Company (Cadillac)
• The State Automobile Company (Oakland)
• The Finch & Freeman Company (Rider-Lewis, De Tamble, Auburn, and Richmond)
• The Maxwell-Briscoe Company

 
Maxwell-Briscoe Company moved from its old building to temporary quarters at 419 Mass Ave. The plan was to remain there until a final move to a location on North Illinois Street.
 
The Indianapolis News published an article (attachment AutoNews111809) focusing on Automobile Row a few days later on November 18, 1909. The big news was the announcement of plans to construct a "modern two-story brick business block" (building) on North Delaware Street in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. That was where Automobile Row was located.
 
The building was to be leased and occupied by the G.H. Westing Company for an "up-to-date" motorcycle garage and sales room. The company was open to the idea of selling automobiles as well. The building's construction contract was awarded to William H. Baker, described as a pioneer hotel keeper in Indianapolis. Interestingly, the site was Baker's residence at the time. He planned to raze his house to make way.
 
Westing assumed a 20-year lease on the building, which included a basement. His vision was the most complete motorcycle garage "in the west." In addition to bikes and servicing them, Westing planned to offer automobile and motorcycle sundries. 
 
Another item covered in this article was interesting in that it reported that Indianapolis Motor Speedway Contest Director Ernie Moross had "withdrawn his resignation." Moross was with the Speedway only briefly, from about February 1909 (just before initial ground breaking) until July 1910. My guess is that he and track president Carl Fisher - both big idea promoters - probably clashed frequently. This small portion of the overall article also shares that plans were moving full speed ahead with a December time trials event to prove in the track's new brick running surface.
 
The article wraps with observations from the recent New York-Atlanta reliability run. This is the event that baseball legend Ty Cobb was supposed to drive in, but there is no mention of his involvement in this article. 
 
One of the competitors, R.M. Owen triggered discussion about tech inspections. Too many cars were achieving perfect scores and Owen believed new approaches to tech inspection would reveal that many machines had been repaired during the contest. Such repairs should be penalized, Owen posited. His point was that to have most cars finish with perfect scores did little to educate potential buyers about product quality. Manufacturers opposed the more invasive inspection.