OK did ya know? The Parking Meter

Did you know the very fist parking meter was invented and installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma?

The very fist parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935.

Here's a brief history of that very first parking meter provided by POM Incorporated, Inventor Carl C. MaGee's own company, which is still in business today.

In 1933, the merchants of Oklahoma City were trying to develop a way to increase traffic turnover in front of their stores. Cars would park in a slot and remain there for lengthy periods of time. Business was feeling the effects of low traffic, so the merchants asked the local newspaper editor, Carl C. MaGee, to help them. He sponsored a contest at the University of Oklahoma for engineering students to develop a timing device that would allocate set amounts of time for parking. A grand price of $500 would be awarded to the student who could develop a working model. This first parking meter was called the Black Maria. After the contest, Carl MaGee developed and patented his own design (see original patent #2,118,318), and with a partner started the Magee-Hale Park-O-Meter Company. Their first production run of parking meters was installed on one side of the street in downtown Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935. Business was so affected by the parking meters after only three days, the merchants on the other side of the street demanded that parking meters be installed in front of their businesses as well.
* From POM Incorporated History

Carl C. Magee, credited with inventing the first parking meter in 1934. via POM.com

First parking meter installation in Oklahoma City, 1935. via POM.com

A woman using a Magee-Hale Park-O-Meter in Oklahoma City in 1935. via POM.com

More Information:

• Wikipedia - Parking Meter
• U.S. patent #2,118,318
• POM Incorporated
• POM - Historical Pictures
• Modern Mechanix - Nickel Meter Stops Overparking (Oct, 1935)

Related: OK did ya know? Oklahoma Inventors