Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Co. of South Bend, Indiana - circa 1900's Stock Certificate

Unissued Stock, Printer-Goes Lith. Co., Chicago. Great Vignette! Rare!

The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Co. of South Bend, Indiana, began as a family blacksmith shop in 1852 when brothers Henry and Clement Studebaker pooled their resources. By 1868, with all five brothers involved, it was officially incorporated and quickly grew to become the world's largest manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles, producing wagons, carriages, and harnesses. The company's success was significantly boosted by contracts to build wagons for the Union Army during the American Civil War, and later by supplying vehicles to settlers migrating West. This early reputation for quality and durability in horse-drawn transport laid a strong foundation for their eventual transition into the age of motor vehicles.

Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with the production of an electric car, followed by its first gasoline-powered automobile in 1904. The company eventually ceased all horse-drawn vehicle production in 1920 to focus entirely on motorized vehicles, building a reputation for innovative designs like the "bullet-nosed" cars of the 1950s and the striking Avanti sports coupe in the 1960s. Despite producing popular and well-regarded cars, Studebaker struggled to compete with the "Big Three" automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) and faced persistent financial problems. The South Bend plant, a major employer for generations, closed in December 1963, and the last Studebaker rolled off the assembly line in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in March 1966, marking the end of the company's 114-year history as a vehicle manufacturer.