metalmonkey47 Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 For those of you that haven't caught on, I'm currently 1200 miles away in South Bend, Indiana this week. I've been exploring, and my dad and I decided to see whats left of the ruins of the 1800's Studebaker plant. We came up, and sadly found it's in stage 5 (what the signs said) of it's demolition. The vast majority of the buildings are gone. It was built in the 1800's where they built wagons and such, until the 1920's where they started in the automotive market. Sadly, they would not let me any closer then the gates. Security was watching me carefully and I wasn't able to approach it. They said at the moment, they were not in a position to let anyone step near the building. I'm going back tomorrow with my Nikon and I'm gonna talk to the head honcho about going in for some pictures. Not sure if I'll get any luck, but heres what I got with my new Droid. I decided to come back to the house and do some research. In the 1920's, the Studebaker company decided to eliminate the manufacturing of horse drawn buggies in favor of producing the rapidly selling automobiles. Originally the bulk of the automobile parts was manufactured in Detroit, but the company decided to build a new foundry in South Bend Indiana, replacing the old buggy factory. In 1923, the six story closed body building opened, which was adjoined to the stamping and final assembly buildings. The plant's design was considered an inefficient one, as single story assembly buildings were better suited to do the job, and as the automobile designs became increasingly complex the situation only became worse. Parts needed to be criss-crossed across the plant, and although building to building conveyors were constructed in 1952, the company was unable to keep their edge whilst using these obsolete buildings. Together with an inefficient work flow, low sales, and poor money management, Studebaker closed the plant in December of 1963, although the space has been rented out to many tenants, such as Chrysler and International-Harvester into the 1970's, and South Bend Stamping has been using the plant until 1999. A few buildings are still being used by other companies as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNrOG4DNqUY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wop2PnwVcsY&feature=player_embedded#at=13 http://www.opacity.u...mping_plant.htm http://www.studebake...60/Default.aspx Moar.... It's really a sad site, seeing it torn down. Some of these buildings have been around since the 1800's since Studebaker was making horse drawn carts and carriages. It's what built the town of South Bend and sadly, is in the process of being demolished. Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Show up wearing a white hard hat. And carry a clipboard. (I didn't really say that, did I?) Quote Link to comment
Dirk Diggler Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 My great great great grandfather designed and built buggies for studabaker in the 1800s in his shop Pennsylvania. He still holds a patent for a hitch system to attach one buggy to another Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 My great great great grandfather designed and built buggies for studabaker in the 1800s in his shop Pennsylvania. He still holds a patent for a hitch system to attach one buggy to another Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 Show up wearing a white hard hat. And carry a clipboard. (I didn't really say that, did I?) lol I'm gonna try some slick shit man. Maybe I'll get in for some oics. Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 lol I'm gonna try some slick shit man. Maybe I'll get in for some oics. lolz not like theres anything else to do in Indiana :lol: Quote Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 Maybe you could try sneaking in all disguised an shit..like these guys Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted April 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) lolz not like theres anything else to do in Indiana :lol: FALSE! I'm touring a nuclear facility tomorrow. Cuz my uncle works there. ////Charlie Sheen Edited April 5, 2011 by metalmonkey47 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 Ledgend has it that Studebaker built Connestoga wagons for the great trek West leading to the "The last great vehicle Studebaker built was drawn by a team of Oxen." Probably a bar bet item but what the hey. Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 I'm touring a nuclear facility tomorrow. Cuz my uncle works there. ////Charlie Sheen that explains alot. Quote Link to comment
pharouh Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 lolz not like theres anything else to do in Indiana :lol: You could stop by and work on my 620.. :poke: Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 You could stop by and work on my 620.. :poke: Im not allowed back into the midwest <_< Quote Link to comment
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