South Bend was the home of Studebaker from the beginning. The plant survived 3 major fires in the 1800's, and was in its day a state-of-the art manufacturing facility. Ultimately, as Studebaker faced mounting financial pressures in the 1950'2 and 1960's, the South Bend works became a liability, as the company was not able to operate profitably at reduced volumes.

The story of South Bend is much more than the story of a manufacturing facility. It is the story of a company and a city who grew up and, for many years, prospered together. It is a story of personal and family loyalty to a once-great company that provided unmatched opportunities to generations of craftsmen.

We will be telling that story here in words and pictures over the coming months. While we're working on that, we recommend this excellent website on the subject, "The Studebaker Works," as well as this one devoted to the stamping plant.

Judging by which buildings are still standing, this photo was probably taken around 2005. Courtesy Google Earth.