A November 20, 1951, article in the Tallahassee Democrat highlighted Ellis and Horrie Culpeppers’ special hunting jeeps (only Ellis’ is pictured).
Old News Articles Research Archives
National Guard’s Red Feather “Flying Squadron”
In 1948, the Massachusetts National Guard used two jeeps adorned with giant red feathers to aid community communications as part of a community Red Feather Campaign. This news was reported in the November 06, 1949, issue of the Boston Globe. Unfortunately, I could not track down a color image of this jeep.
Aug 1948 Jeep Stand-Off at Potsdamer Platz
An August 23, 1948, article in the Tampa Times shared the news of an American and Soviet jeep standoff in Potsdamer Platz as tensions ran high between the East and West. I’d say tensions were high!
The above photo was part of this larger story:
1946 Article on Lincoln’s New Police Jeeps
This February 9, 1946, article shares the news of the Lincoln, Nebraska, police department’s new surplus jeeps. These war surplus jeeps out of nearby Fort Crook were equipped with radios obtained from the Omaha police department.
Angles National Forest’s New Fire Jeeps
A March 30, 1947, article in the Metropolitan Pasadena Star-News introduced the Forest Service’s ten new CJ-2As to California readers. These vehicles were equipped with two-way radios to aid fire control.
The article notes that a Weasel was being tested, along with the development of a four-wheel-drive vehicle that would be better for forest fire fighting, but I could find no references on the internet to an offload vehicle designed by Ira Funk.
1942 Article on the Jeep-Of-All-Work
This July 09, 1942, article out of the Pomona Progress Bulletin (Pomona, California) highlights the ‘Jeep-of-All-Work’ tiny, versatile car. It includes some interesting illustrations.
1956 Report on the 6th Annual Jeep Trip to Lake Tahoe
The July 19, 1956, issue of the Auburn Journal reported on the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s sixth annual jeep trip to Lake Tahoe.
1942 Photo of Soldiers in Jeep
This June 03,1942, photo shows some men taking a ‘peep’ at the Will Rogers theatre to see if it suited their needs for a show. Whether the writer of the cutesy headline was aware that some folks were calling jeeps ‘peeps’ isn’t clear.
Maynard Roberts’ Two-Year Jeep Trip Through South America

Maynard Roberts pictures on the left in San Paulo, Brazil, from the January 23, 1950, issue of the Pomona Progress Bulletin.
In 1948, 34 year-old Maynard Roberts, from La Verne, California, traveled south into Mexico and spent the next 18 months exploring Central and South American. He wrote a series of articles for the Pomona Progress Bulletin detailing his trip. He’d hoped to write a book, but I have been unable to locate one. If he didn’t, it’s too bad, because I think he was a very good writer.
His skill is evident early on when he wrote a phrase that caught my attention, “About seven years ago I was keeping company with my last twenty-dollar bill …” His attention to details and telling a few small stories make his tale worth reading. It’s unfortunate that these articles only share snippets, for it seems he’s got a good story to tell and the skill to tell it.
His idea to travel germinated prior to WWII. He was born in Lima, Ohio, in 1914. As a child, his parents moved to California, Near the start of WWII he got the idea to travel to South America, so he began saving money. During WWII he was a draftsman, perhaps a skill learned during his college days at Chaffee college? Finally, by 1948, he saved up enough money to buy a jeep and afford to travel.
Part one of his adventure appeared in the January 09, 1950, issue of the Ponoma Progress Bulleting, split into two sections.
Part II: This is the second installment of Maynard’s adventure. It appeared in the January 16, 1950, issue of the Pomona Progress Bulletin.











