Women sew upholstery at the Auburn Automobile Co. factory in the 1920s. Photo courtesy of Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum.
By DUANE SCHUMAN of The News-Sentinel
Auburn was not the only Indiana community making automobiles during this century's first decades.
Fort Wayne manufactured the Roach & Albanus (1899-1900) and Economy (1908-1909). Other communities saw buggy makers add engines to their models. There was Columbia City's Harper (1907-1908), Decatur's Decatur (1907-1908), Ligonier's Mier (1908-1909) and Butler's Butler High Wheel (1908). Indianapolis made the Duesenberg and the famous Stutz Bearcat (1911-1935), along with 37 other makes. In all, there were 150 production cars made in Indiana.
While the last Auburn was made in 1936, and the final Cord and Duesenbergs were built in 1937, South Bend's Studebaker Corp. churned out cars until 1963. The Studebakers had begun building Conestoga wagons in 1852, and kept updating their vehicles until the company spanned 112 years.
