Studebaker National Museum

Wagon built for 1893 Columbian Exhibition

Today was our first real day of touring. Yes, we drove about 300 miles, but we stopped at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.  Here we learned about the Studebaker family, who were originally blacksmiths but then began building wagons in 1852. The museum has a collection of Presidential carriages from this era: Lincoln, Grant, Harrison, and McKinley. In 1902, they started building automobiles, some of which we recognized as classics. The wagoner was unique – it was a station wagon, but the top could be removed to haul loads like a truck (assuming you wanted those items on a carpeted floor). Unfortunately, Studebaker didn’t keep up with the times in the 1960s and went bankrupt.  

Bullet Nose Studebaker from the 50's

The museum had a special exhibit on Lincoln's Final Journey including the buggy that delivered Lincoln to the Ford Theater where he was shot. The exhibit continued with the story of John Wilkes Booth and his fellow plotters, the search for the assassins, and their eventual hanging.