Automobiles Parked on a Street in Des Moines, Iowa, 1913

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Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, 1913

Description

Service vehicles (four Model T roadsters and one Peerless truck) of the Des Moines Gas Company are parked on the street near the Thresher Company. At that time, gas powered many streetlights, businesses lights and home lights. The population of Des Moines in 1910 was 86,368, and the population in 2010 was 203,433.

Source-Dependent Questions

• Is Des Moines, Iowa an urban area or a rural area? Use evidence from the map to support your answer.
• Compare these service vehicles to other service and delivery vehicles such as the ones for Flynn Farm, Farmers Mutual Co-Op Creamery or people loading potatoes onto a train. How does this urban area impact these service vehicle workers?