October 2022 • Nebraskaland 37
above. John A. Reuling of Wymore had this number from 1911
to 1915 for his 30-horsepower Halladay auto. Reuling was
a local jeweler, and later a bank president, who was elected
mayor while he owned the car.
It's no surprise that the car belonged to one of the wealthier
citizens. Auto ownership was still expensive and exclusive,
but the mass-produced Ford Model T was starting to change
that.
Like license plates, early driver's licenses were simple. It
took many years for the driver's license to take on its current
role as a universal form of identifi cation. The 1916 license
shown above was a "Motor Vehicle License" that was issued
annually and functioned both as a driver's license and proof
of registration.
By 1930, Nebraska was one of 24 states that required a
An "auto livery" in Merna (Custer County) apparently didn't bother with license plates in 1910. History Nebraska RG2608-0-2381
John Reuling's 1911 license plate. History Nebraska 9320-2
A 1916 license contained only the most basic information.
History Nebraska 8910-44
