Studebaker

Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana with a building at 1600 Broadway in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Studebraker was founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. The firm was originally a coachbuilder, manufacturing wagons, buggies, carriages and harnesses.

Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles and in 1904 with gasoline vehicles all sold under the name "Studebaker Automobile Company". Until 1911, its automotive division operated in partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio, and after 1909 with the E-M-F Company and with the Flanders Automobile Company. The first gasoline automobiles to be fully manufactured by Studebaker were marketed in August 1912and over the next 50 years, the company established a reputation for quality, durability and reliability.

After an unsuccessful 1954 merger with Packard (the Studebaker-Packard Corporation) and failure to solve chronic postwar cash flow problems, the 'Studebaker Corporation' name was restored in 1962. When this happened the South Bend plant stopped automobile production on December 20, 1963, and the last Studebaker automobile rolled off the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, assembly line on March 17, 1966. Studebaker continued as an independent manufacturer before merging with Wagner Electric in May 1967 and then Worthington Corporation in February 1968 to form Studebaker-Worthington.

The ancestors of the Studebaker family descend from Solingen, Germany. They arrived in America at the port of Philadelphia on September 1, 1736, on the ship Harle, (see Exhibit B) from Rotterdam, Netherlands. (see Exhibit A, p. 11) (Original manuscripts now in the Pennsylvania State Library at Harrisburg). This included Peter Studebaker and his wife Anna Margrethe Studebaker, Clement Studebaker (Peter's brother) and his wife, Anna Catherina Studebaker and Heinrich Studebaker (Peter's cousin). (see Exhibit A, p. 11) In 1918, Albert Russel Erskine, Studebaker Corporation president, wrote the book, "History of the Studebaker Corporation", including the 1918 annual report, "Written for the information of the 3,000 stockholders of the Studebaker Corporation. The 12,000 dealers in its products living throughout the world, its 15,000 employees and numberless friends." (see Exhibit A, p. 9) This book was verified by lawyers, accountants, and all board members, and was a legal document. (see Exhibit A, p. 7) In the same book, Albert Russel Erskin, accurately wrote that Peter Studebaker was the "wagon-maker, which trade later became the foundation of the family fortune and the corporation which now bears his name." (see Exhibit A, p. 11)

John Studebaker's sons, Henry and Clement Studebaker, started the wagon business in 1852 which later became the foundation of the family fortune and the corporation which now bears their name. John Studebaker, father of the five brothers who began the Studebaker Corporation, was the son of Clement Studebaker Jr. John Clement Studebaker (son of Clement Studebaker and Sarah Rensel) was born February 8, 1799, in Westmorland, Pennsylvania, and died in 1877 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana. John Studebaker (1799–1877) moved to Ohio in 1835 with his wife Rebecca (née Mohler) (1802–1887).

The five sons were, in order of birth: Henry (1826–1895), Clement (1831–1901), John Mohler (1833–1917), Peter Everst (1836–1897) and Jacob Franklin (1844–1887). The boys had five sisters. Photographs of the brothers and their parents are reproduced in the 1918 company history, which was written by Erskine after he became president, in memory of John M., whose portrait appears on the front cover.

In 1740 Peter Studebaker built his home on a property known as “Bakers Lookout.” The first Studebaker wagon factory was built in the same year. On Bakers Lookout, Peter, master of the German Cutler Guild, built the first Studebaker home as well as the first Studebaker wagon factory where he began forging and tempering steel and seasoning wood in the colonies. In this factory, Peter manufactured everything, all necessities including products he made in Solingen, Germany, and naturally wagons. Peter owned property on both sides of the Conococheague Creek, so he built a bridge over the creek in 1747. In 1740, the Bakers Lookout 100-acre land patent in Hagerstown, Maryland, was the first of many land patents to be acquired by Studebaker. Peter purchased approximately 1500 acres in what is now known as the state of Maryland. The home still stands today. (see Bakers Lookout Peter Studebakers 1740 home website)

In 1747 Peter Studebaker built a road across his owned properties known as Broadfording Wagon Road. The road he built carried heavy traffic to Bakers Lookout's wagon and forging services that were instrumental to expand the west. The Maryland Historical Trust WA-I-306 writes 04/03/2001, that this road was "One of Washington County's earliest thoroughfares, Broadfording [Wagon] Road was already in existence in 1747." (see Exhibit I) The wagon transportation industry boomed. On the property, Broadfording Wagon Road built in 1740 by Peter Studebaker, went directly through the property to allow access from the home to the factory and to the mill.