This automobile license belonged to Honor Youngs of Chicago, Illinois around 1901. In Illinois, vehicles were registered on a city level until 1907. Illinois began to require statewide vehicle registration in 1907, but did not issue plates until 1911.
As the number of motor vehicles reached tens of thousands, state and local governments assumed a new power: authorizing vehicles and drivers. In 1901, New York became the first state to register automobiles; by 1918 all states required license plates.
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