Hammett Motors at the time this photo was taken, appears to have had a good cross section of various brands and models of fifties cars for sale. The location where this photo was taken is not known and after some searching we are unsuccessful in finding out where they were located. There are a few modern day companies that share this name but we could not find any positive link. The photo is courtesy Frank Barnes who would like to know the location along with the years and makes. Tell us all you know.
In order from the left:
1. 1957 Cadillac
2. 1955 or 6 Dodge
3. 1957 Ford
5. 1958 Chrysler
6. 1955 Buick
7. 1954 Chevy
The 2nd car is a 1955 dodge, for sure. Both the Dodge and the Chevy are convertibles.
Wow…Nice place looking good cars standing in sequence.
Dashiell’s less famous brother?
Nope…not Dashiell’s, there are no Falcons in the parking lot!
Several things I noted and a question:
There appears to be ice/snow/frost between the cars
There are no leaves on the trees
Architecture of homes suggests midwest maybe
There appears to be a school building visable between the gas station across the street and the first house
The name of the gas station owner is posted above the door
Hammett may not have been the original owner of this lot. Note the different fonts used fro the name “Hammett”
The newest car is a 1958 so the photo is likely taken between 1958 and 1962
There are no front license plates so this is either a state with only one plate or a state where the plates stayed with the car owner
Finally, where is the photo poster from and where did he find this photo?
All of the above are clues that will yield an answer
He bought the photo at a flea market with no information.
But where was the Flea Market?
City,State, County
That information provides a place to start from
He bought it at Hershey from a vendor that did not know anything abut it.
There was a Hammett Motors in Parsons, KS about that time. My wife is from there. She thinks this may be on Central looking northeast. But almost any town in the US could have looked like this. The housing architecture is appropriate for the time and the town.
Good luck in your search.
There was a Hammett Motors in Parsons KS begining in 1956. They were located at 1721 Washington in Parsons.
The site was formerly owned by Moss Motors. Moss was a Nash Dealer.
In 1972 the US Army Reserve took over the building to do maintenance on 200 vehicles from the 243rd Supply & Service Battalian. This would suggest a much larger building than in the photo.
It’s possible this building was part of a much larger operation on the site or it was located at a different site nearby.
There are some remaining homes of this size in the area.
I believe I have located this site. It is the SE Corner of Central Ave and Clark Ave in Parsons KS. This would be in the 300 block of N. Central. The building is no longer there but the gas station and houses across the street still remain.
It is just a couple blocks away from the main Hammett Motors building at 1721 Washington in Parsons KS.
The school building is St Patrick’s Elementary
Kansas removed their license plates
Parsons does get occasional snow or ice
Moss Motors originally had this lot so it explains the different font used for Hammett
Hammett took over the property in November of 1956
Thanks to all for for your comments
I think the reason info for this lot can’t be found because it was probably one of those “fly-by-night” dealers who sell high mileage junkers. It is not really a reputable dealer, as you can see there are various makes on the lot. BTW, the car beside the Chevy(which was cut off) looks like about a ’57-’58 Plymouth.
Ed, The readers have found out where it was located.
List of cars at the top is correct except It’s not a Chrysler but a 1957 Desoto
It’s not a 1957 Chrysler or DeSoto, but rather an Imperial!