Owensboro Wagon Company

Company History

Years of Operation: 1883-1951

The origin of this company dates back to the 1860's with a blacksmith shop in eastern Owensboro owned by James P. Troutman and Peter Rarick. The Owensboro Wagon Company formally began in 1883 on the east side of Leitchfield Road, north of East Forth Street. Up to one hundred wagons per day were produced with signs on the sides and back that simply read, "The OwensborO." These wagons were known as the "Rolls-Royce of farm wagons" and were sold in 22 states and in Cuba, Mexico, and South America. A top-of-the-line "OwensborO" wagon sold for $826 at the turn of the century.

The first couple of years, the company averaged about 325 wagons per year and employed between 100-125 people. During its peak in 1910, the company was producing 30,000 wagons and 10,000 buggies a year. It employed 350 men and 14 traveling salesmen for a line of products that included farm wagons, spring wagons, four- and eight-wheel log wagons, dump carts, drays, buggies and surreys.

Workers were among the best paid in Owensboro, historian Lee Dew says, earning $1.37 for 1/2 a day in the 1890's for a 60-hour week.

The factory had the first time clock in Owensboro. And its employees formed the city's first workers' mutual aid society in 1891.

By the 1940's, the company had converted to manufacturing trailers for trucks. By the time it closed in 1951, the plant was making "coolie carts" for China.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 million "OwensborO" wagons rolled off the line there in nearly 70 years of production.

Newspaper Articles

Messenger-Inquirer - Aug 11, 1915:

Robert Brodie was elected to the post of general manager and secretary of the Owensboro Wagon Company. Mr. Brodie will take general charge of the business of the company on Sept. 1, succeeding the position made vacant by the resignation of W. A. Steele, who has taken the position of general manager of the Owensboro Ditcher and Grader Company. Mr. Brodie has been with the Owensboro Wagon Company company for 12 years. He has been treasurer of the company for several years.

Notable People

Longtime Owensboro Mayor, James H. Hickman, was an original officer, and Josh T. Griffith was the company president for many years.

Demolition

In April of 1999, the 1880's two-story brick warehouse was razed to make way for a parking lot.

Gallery

• 
  Owensboro Wagon Company photo from a 1938 Owensboro brochure.
• 
  Owensboro Wagon Company conceptual plant operations aerial
• 
  "The Owensboro" wagon
• 
  Photo by: AP Imagery
• 
  Owensboro Wagon Co - 1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
• 
  Owensboro Wagon Co - Aerial from 1938 including Owensboro Buggy Co in NE section
• 
  Owensboro Wagon Co - Aerial from 1951
• 
  Owensboro Wagon Co - Aerial from 1967

Deed Information

Year	Grantee	Grantor	Type	Book	Page	Description
1883	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	Articles of Incorporation	Article	40	197	Article of Inc
1883	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	M. V. Monarch	Deed	40	251	3.13ac
1883	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	J. C. Terrill	Deed	40	550	14.7ac near City Limits
1883	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	James P. Troutman	Deed	40	241	Lots Leitchfield, 4th St, Breckenridge
1883	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	James W. McDonald	Deed	40	248	1.45ac on Ohio River
1886	Amelia Montgomery	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	Deed	42	594	Lot Halls Add
1888	Owensboro Wagon Co	Articles of Incorporation	Article	47	279	Article of Inc
1888	Owensboro Wagon Co	Owensboro Wagon Mfg Co	Deed	47	476	Lots 4th & Leitchfield
1888	J. N. Courtney	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	47	638	Lots 4th & Leitchfield
1894	Owensboro Wagon Co	W. S. Hayes	Deed	65	78	1.54ac Ohio River
1896	Owensboro Wagon Co	John A. Hays	Deed	65	76	1ac Ohio River
1899	Owensboro Wagon Co	Polly Font	Comr D	F	100	Lot 16 Sycamore St
1899	O. G. K. Barrett	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	73	306	Lot 16 Sycamore St Mortons Add
1904	Owensboro Wagon Co	Donia Rarick	Deed	77	140	Lot 11 Hathaway Add
1904	Owensboro Wagon Co	Donia Rarick	Release	80	472	Lot 11 Hathaway Add
1904	Owensboro Wagon Co	Mary S. Mitchell	Deed	78	271	Lot Hardinsburg Rd
1905	John A. Freyberger	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	80	19	Lot Hathaway Between 2nd/3rd
1905	R. E. Morrison	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	81	27	Lot 2nd & Hathaway
1906	Owensboro Wagon Co	Illinois Central RR Co	Contract	81	56	Contract
1908	W. S. Hazel	Owensboro Wagon Co	Comr D	G	514	50 acres
1912	Owensboro Wagon Co	Illinois Central RR Co	Contract	92	120	Right of Way
1915	Owensboro Wagon Co	United Equipment Co	Contract	95	333	Agreement Contract
1916	W. F. Rapier	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	97	132	.187ac Lot Ohio River
1917	Owensboro Wagon Co	W. F. Rapier	Deed	98	96	Lot Ohio River
1920	Rapier Grain & Seed Co	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	105	79	Lot IC RR & Ohio River
1923	Owensboro Wagon Co	Louis I. Iglehart	Contract	110	607	12ac 12ac 5ac Murphy Rd
1925	Owensboro Wagon Co	Dell Salmon	Deed	115	145	8ac Timber Rights
1928	Continental Supply Co	Owensboro Wagon Co	Lease	119	380	Lot
1928	Owensboro Wagon Co	L. N. Bristow	Deed	121	59	Timber Land N Panther Creek
1929	Owensboro Wagon Co	T. F. Hardesty	Deed	121	431	126ac Timber Rights Whitesville
1930	Owensboro Wagon Co	James H. Hickman	Quit Claim	125	552	Lots E O'boro Ohio River
1930	Owensboro Milling Co	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	125	567	Lot Ohio River East of Oboro
1940	William M. O'Bryan	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	147	235	Lot Leitchfield Rd
1946	St. Louis Terminal Warehouse Co.	Owensboro Wagon Co	Lease	171	465	Lot 4th & Leitchfield
1947	St. Louis Terminal Warehouse Co.	Owensboro Wagon Co	Lease	181	88	Lot Leitchfield Rd
1947	Commonwealth of KY	Owensboro Wagon Co	Right of Way	182	208	2nd & Hathaway
1949	W. A. Stinson	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	194	145	Lot Hwy 60 Extension
1949	St. Louis Terminal Warehouse Co.	Owensboro Wagon Co	Lease	195	550	Lot Leitchfield Rd
1951	Glenmore Distilleries Co	Owensboro Wagon Co	Deed	208	344	Lot 4th & Leitchfield

References

Source: Owensboro: Postcard History Series, Terry Blake, David Edds Jr., Arcadia Publishing, 2007

Source: Messenger Inquirer, article by Keith Lawrence, April 20, 1999.

Source: The Hartford Republican, April 19, 1895.