Notable Items

Thanks to a generous donation by life member Wallace London our Studebaker Buggy has been restored. It was unveiled at the 2010 State Fair.

The Studebaker business was founded in 1852 by Henry and Clem Studebaker of South Bend, Indiana. Originally the brothers were primarily blacksmiths who also did wagon-making. Another brother, J. M. Studebaker, went to California during the gold rush, but instead of prospecting, he spent his time building carts and wagons for others who had come west. He was able to sell them at a good profit. When he returned he invested his earnings in the family business and taught his brothers everything he had learned about wagon making. They became the largest wagon-making company in the world after moving the bulk of their operation to St. Joseph, Missouri, where the Studebaker Company became the primary suppliers of wagons for westward bound pioneers. Their buggies were sold throughout the country, in rural and urban areas alike. In 1908, the company switched from wagons and buggies to motorcars. The Studebaker Motor Company continued to produce automobiles until 1966.