Left: J.B. Monpetit Carriage Shop, Plains, Montana, 1897.
Above: View of the wheelwrighting operation in the carriage works
exhibit. |
By
the end of the 19th century, over 30,000 manufacturers in North America
were involved in the carriage industry. Some produced entire vehicles
while others processed raw materials or specialized in manufacturing
parts, accessories and harness. Small builders turned out as few as
a dozen vehicles annually for local customers. In contrast, Studebaker
Brothers Manufacturing of South Bend, Indiana, produced 100,000 vehicles
per year and distributed them across the continent.
The carriage
works exhibit interprets the major operations: metal working, wheelwrighting,
painting, trimming and assembly. An eight-minute video presentation
offers a guided tour led by the 'shop foreman' of a typical turn-of-the-century
factory.
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