Local expert sheds light on living history
In 1913, the “horseless carriage” was just beginning to sputter down the streets of Kansas towns. Cities had identification plates required for the drivers the vehicles, made out of leather or tin. SORENSON has a collection of over 250 plates, which he calls meager compared to many other collectors in the state.
On July 1, the state created the first-ever license plate for Kansas.
Now, on the license plate’s 100th birthday, some of those who care most about this ever-changing piece of history are chiming in on the importance of the registration of a vehicle over the years.
“A license plate shows a lot of history,” Paul Sorenson, a local expert and member of the Kansas License Plate Collectors Association, said. “If they could talk, they could tell a lot of stories.”
The law, mandated by the signature of Gov. George H. Hodges, stated motor vehicles required to be registered included, “all vehicles propelled by any power other than muscular power, excepting, however, traction engines, road rollers and any vehicle which runs only on rails or tracks.” According to information from KLPCA President Duane Johnson, the first-ever plate went to W.W. Web, Topeka; the second plate went to J.R. Burrow, Topeka.
Sorenson said license plates were changed every year, until metal shortages in the second world war. Then, states adopted stickers for registration and didn’t force Kansans to rebuy plates yearly. Prior to World War II, plates were colorful and more decorative than successors.
“The 1916 plate is more decorative than any other year,” Sorenson said. It is a black plate with a raised Kansas insignia that has interlocking letters.
The plates originally were labeled with a number assigned to each counties; Allen County’s was 26. In 1930, the counties were assigned letters, which now represents the county as AL.
Sorenson said the KLPCA served as a historical catalog of license plates, mainly because the Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t take as much interest in preserving plates.
“It’s not much of a state thing,” he said. “They don’t seem to be interested in that kind of thing.”
He said the organization even receives calls from Highway Patrol investigators, looking to identify plates on a vehicle. They are experts on the color, design and layout of plates for any year.
“Some of the big collectors in Kansas have 30,000 or 40,000 plates in their collections,” he said.
He said he had a much larger collection before he moved from California in 2000, but downsized during the move. He has plates from every year in Kansas, starting in 1913 and ending in 2004. His most prized plate, however, is a 2005 plate that has “KANSAS” as the vanity letters.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s pretty difficult to get ‘KANSAS’ on your license plate,” he said.
The first plates manufactured for a new set are sent to Allen County, since it is the first county alphabetically. He said he has seen someone in Iola, whom he refrained from naming, who has “000-AAA” — the first of the newest plates manufactured.
“I hope to own that one someday,” he said.
The KLPCA meets two or three times a year, Sorenson said, in either Lawrence or just outside of Dodge City. Members meet to talk about their plate collections, and trade with other members. They also like to help out those who are looking to start collecting.
“The older guys like to help out some people who want to get their collection started,” he said.
Some common collections include yearly plates from a certain state, a license plate from each state and plates from the collector’s birth year. Some, however, are working to get every place from each county in Kansas, for each year. Others, the serious ones, are attempting to collect each yearly plate for every state. It’s quite an undertaking, Sorenson said, but “some of them are getting pretty close.”
Quick Facts:
— Walter E. Wilson, a senator from Washington County, introduced Senate Bill 239, which proposed license plates. — The 13th plate given to a citizen, Dr. J.C. McClintoc, was returned because it was “an unlucky number” and he did not want his family riding in a vehicle with that plate. — The first motorcycle license plate was mailed to C.E. Hollenbeck, R.F.D. 1, Leavenworth. — Other states that implemented their plates in 1913: Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, North Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. — 39,889 cars and trucks were registered in the first 12 months of license plates. Of charges, $168,315.75 went for county roads, and $33,631.75 stayed in the state general fund. — According to Forbes Magazine, a 1921 Alaska license plate sold for $60,000. Values of license plates vary according to the state (some states, like Alaska, had fewer plates manufactured), condition and year.
