This fantastic old truck is a 1918 Republic, and it was part of the annual Old Trusty Antique & Collectors Show in Clay Center, Nebraska:
By the time 1918 rolled around, the Republic plant in Alma, Michigan, was the largest in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of motor trucks. With a thousand distributors in the United States and representatives in other countries as well, Republic had already sold 25,000 trucks throughout the United States and beyond. The company was continuing to expand and set an ambitious goal of 40,000 new trucks to be manufactured in 1918.
The Republic line included seven models of trucks in varying capacities to suit every business, and for every conceivable kind of hauling. This ad has pictures of those seven models, the Dispatch, 3/4-Ton, 1-Ton, 1-1/2 Ton, 2-Ton, 3-1/2 Ton and 5-Ton.
In addition to the dependability of the Republic-Torbensen Internal Gear Drive, Republic also advertised that their truck frames were built stronger, in proportion to size, than a railroad bridge:
Republic struggled in the years after the war and eventually merged with American LaFrance in 1929, so this well-preserved 1918 model is really representative of the company’s heyday.
Sources:
Jaquith Motor Co. Advertisement. The Daily Argus Leader [Sioux Falls], 8 Mar 1918, p. 7.
Prough Bros. Advertisement. Bakersfield Morning Echo, 8 Sept 1918, p. 4.
“Republic Motor Truck Company Give Alma World Wide Fame.” Lansing State Journal, 15 Oct 1917, p. 13.
“Truck Firms Unite.” The Pittsburgh Press, 21 April 1929, p.5.