The early 1930s had seen a significant increase in the number of automobiles in the United States. As a result, finding parking spaces in busy downtown areas became increasingly difficult. In Oklahoma City, business owners and city officials were concerned about the impact of limited parking on local commerce. Many cars remained parked for extended periods, preventing turnover and limiting the availability of parking for other customers.

To address this issue Carl C. Magee, a newspaper publisher and member of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce traffic committee, proposed a parking meter. After producing a prototype that was patented in December 1932, he sought the help of engineers H. G. Thuesen and Gerald A. Hale from Oklahoma State University to develop the ParkOMeter. Its simple mechanism required drivers to insert a nickel that activated a timer, allowing the car to remain parked for a set period. When the time expired, the meter displayed a warning to indicate that the parking period had ended.

The first parking meters were installed along the southeast corner of First Street and Robinson Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City, and charged 5 cents per hour. Initially, there was scepticism and resistance from the public. Many drivers were reluctant to pay for parking, which had previously been free, and some even attempted to take legal action to stop the installation of the meters. However, the meters proved effective in regulating parking spaces and ensuring a higher turnover rate, which benefited local businesses. By the end of the 1930s, thousands of parking meters had been installed across United States.