50 years later, South Bend aims to respect the past while building anew.
"When Studebaker closed in 1963, it left a gaping hole in the town, where unemployment is at 10.4 percent, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now, the city is working hard to create a second act for the commercial life of South Bend."
Hear the full article on NPR.org.
My two favorites: Studebakers and pizza.
"Young chefs discover the schedule of a brick-and-mortar restaurant is not conducive to new families, so the benefits of a food truck were enticing: low overhead, flexible schedule, mobility, interaction with customers, and oh ... no laws in their town prohibiting it." (source: The Chicago Tribune)
Click here for the Rolling Stonebaker website.
I happened upon two impressive photos today. One is of the interior of Studebaker Foundry Building 85 in 2006. The other is of Building 85 in 2007. This building was demolished in order to make way for Ignition Park, a tech hub. The scale of the building as well as the soft light within the dire environment is striking.
Links:
- 2007 Building 85 photo
- 2006 Building 85 photo
A few photographs from the Studebaker National Museum (SNM) design contest - titled "Designing a New Studebaker: A Project by the League of Retired Automobile Designers" - are on the SNM Facebook page.
Visit the SNM Facebook page here.
Below are a few pics of Studebaker International's South Bend Showroom, front door, trailer, and sign.
Here's a one-of-a-kind ...
"The photo shows a restored 1965 Studebaker Ambulette at the St. Joseph County jail, apparently a beloved local rescue vehicle. Before today's fancy paramedic vans, the Ambulette was called a 'grab and go:'"
Read the full article here.
Image by: By Barbara Allison/South Bend Tribune via AP
"More than one million Studebaker parts hit the auction block Tuesday as the assets of Studebaker Autoparts Sales Corporation, or SASCO, were bought out by South Bend based Teacher's Credit Union."
"Tuesday's sale marked the end of an era in South Bend, as TCU became the sole bidder on what South Bend city leaders described as more than a million dollars in SASCO assets. SASCO moved into the former Studebaker Engineering Building 92 nearly a decade ago, after many years of sales on the other side of Sample Street."
Read the full story here.
"The Studebaker car company died nearly 46 years ago. But just saying the name brings back memories of malt shops and good times for some residents of South Bend.
For more than a hundred years, Studebaker made all kinds of vehicles there at the company’s sprawling production campus. Everything from horse drawn carriages to the stylish automobiles like the Lark and Avanti.
Today the town is a very different place."
Hear the story on Chicago Public Radio.
The Canadian National Post has a very brief op-ed about the history of Studebaker - noting that Studebaker entered the automobile business with an electric car in 1902.
"Styling remained unchanged except for trim and grille treatments until 1950 when the "bullet nose" models arrived. By this time, the rest of the industry had caught up, and Studebaker no longer held the styling advantage.
In spite of some excellent designs such as the Hawk series and the futuristic Avanti, Studebaker suffered the plight of other independent automakers and disappeared from the scene in 1966. It built its last cars in its Canadian plant in Hamilton, Ont.
But for those few years following the Second World War, the audacious little company from South Bend had led the industry in styling."
Read the National Post Op-Ed about Studebaker here.
South Bend, Indiana understandably wants to create new industry and tax streams. That said, one must not forget its past ... and in this case, its soul.
"SASCO is a parts business for Studebaker automobiles, which took over for Newman & Altman Inc. several years ago. Its inventory includes parts such as fenders, hoods, chrome bumpers and engines. It is considered the last remaining supplier of Studebaker parts for cars made by the automaker, which closed in 1963."
Read the full article.
The sad story of prosperity and then decline.
"In its heyday, the west side was the bustling center of life for many workers at the Studebaker Corporation who made their homes on the west side and also supported neighborhood businesses. But after Studebaker Corporation closed, the west side began its decline."
"Despite its challenges, Davis says there are many bright spots in the 2nd District, such as the Studebaker National Museum, Center for History and a future Civil Rights Heritage Center at Indiana University South Bend. Davis says the Monroe Park neighborhood near downtown also shows a lot of promise."
Read the full article on the South Bend Tribune website.
Please take a moment today to recall that the very last Studebaker was built on this date in 1966, in Hamilton, Ontario. This was the sad end of a long and proud line of great American cars. Fortunately, there are many people keeping the Studebaker name alive; click here for the Studebaker Drivers Club.
Regardless of one's political views, I found this article by James Matthew Wilson both a prescient warning and a timely reminder of what the US and automakers need to consider; to look to long-term economic growth in America; to save the next "Studebaker."
Excerpt:
"Rather, I would argue that South Bend is just like every other city in the United States, only more so. Perhaps that makes it not-so-nice, but it remains no less typical for all that.
For example, South Bend has been in a state of economic contraction for much of the last quarter century. The steel industry became extinct here about two years ago. That makes South Bend an exemplary American city. After all, now that the Bush administration has removed the tariff on steel under pressure from the E.U. (violating the policy of, among others, the Reagan Administration), very few remnants of that industry will survive in the U.S. as a whole. We are destined to become a service economy where the working class consists no longer of blue-collar laborers in manufacturing and farmers in agriculture, but of uniformed masses in the various service industries. They will tend deep-fat-fryers, make change, and experience the freedom and satisfaction that the job security of fast food franchises alone can provide. South Bend is simply ahead of its time."
Read the full article here.
Photo from www.opacity.us
Another piece of Studebaker history will be lost as one of the remaining Studebaker buildings is demolished.
"The building that once housed the engine plant of the Studebaker Corp. in South Bend will start to come down in the next few months. The building is the most visible remnant of the Studebaker complex and was built in 1917. Studebaker went out of business in 1965, and that's when South Bend Lathe moved into the structure."
Read the news article about the Studebaker building demolition.
See pictures of the Studebaker complex.
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