Coachbult.com - Milburn Wagon Co.



Milburn Wagon Co. - 1873-1923 - Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio wagon manufacturers who started to built production bodies for regional (Willys & Pope) manufacturers in 1909. Milburn built electric vehicles from 1915-1923 called the Milburn Light Electric. 1912 Ford Model T Delivery Wagon Bodies were built by O.J. Beaudette and Milburn. Introduced in late 1911. These were initially painted red, with the standard blue fenders. In January Ford announced that fenders would be black and the bodies unpainted. A poor seller, production was discontinued early in the year. The last were sold in December 1912.

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Designer George H. Woodfield began his automotive career in 1904 as an apprentice at Burr & Company, coach builders at 209 W. 48th Street, New York City. He graduated from the Mechanics' Institute in New York as a carriage draftsman, and soon became engineer and floor manager for Burr & Company. While there, he designed custom bodies on imported car chassis for such notables as Diamond Jim Brady and Isidor Straus, the Macy magnate. The latter never took delivery of his car; he and his wife were drowned in the Titanic disaster.

Mr. Woodfield left New York City to work for the New Haven Carriage Co., and from there went to the Milburn Wagon Company in Toledo. It was there that he became involved with mass production, and had to change his automotive design methods to conform to changing techniques. At about this time he was credited with designing the first window-lifter, and the adjustable driver's seat.

After the sale of Milburn to GM in 1923 , Woodfield found work at Brunn & Co. in Buffalo, NY.

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George Milburn (1820-1883) was born in Alston, England (June 3, 1820), from where he emigrated to Canada. After but a short residence in Canada, he moved to Goshen, Indiana, in 1835. Soon after marrying Miss Barbara Stauffer of Goshen on April 8, 1841, they located upon Bone Prairie in Kosciusko County and engaged in farming. In 1846, they moved to a farm in St. Joseph County, about three miles southeast of Mishawaka, Indiana. In 1847, Milburn brought his family to Mishawaka, Indiana. A daughter, Ann, became the wife of Clement Studebaker.

In 1848, Milburn started George Milburn & Co., which owned a prosperous general store at the corner of Main and Vistula Streets. He invested money in the Mishawaka Hydraulic Co. and bought a one-third interest in James Oliver's first plow company. On August 23, 1869, the Milburn Wagon Company was incorporated, with a capital of $100,000. Milburn also owned a hotel and a city block, and still had the Joseph County farm land.

In 1873, George Milburn moved the the complete operation of the wagon company to Toledo, Ohio. The factory opened in the spring of 1875 and soon became the largest manufacturer of farm wagons in the world. The Milburn Wagon Works, with its completely mechanized production, required workers only to operate the machines.

In late September of 1914, the Milburn Wagon Company began the manufacture of their "1915" Milburn Light Electric automobiles, based on a design by Karl Probst, who later designed the Bantam Jeep. During their eight years of production, from 1915 to 1923, they turned out over 7,000 cars.

The 1915 Milburn Light Electric Coupé (Model 15) sold for $1,485 and the Roadster (Model 151) for $1,285; both were built on the same chassis with a 100-inch wheelbase. The Milburn was the lowest-priced electric of the time and much lighter than its competition. The 1915 Milburn had four forward speeds and two reverse speeds. It had a range of about 50 miles on a charge and could attain a speed of about 15 MPH as a Coupé and about 19 MPH as a Roadster.

In 1916, Milburn introduced a Brougham and, in 1917 added a Touring style (advertised as a Limousine or a Town Car) to the line; this style featured an open front driving position and an enclosed rear passenger compartment (also with a driving position, as noted below). Also offered was a Light Delivery truck style for $985 (with various bodies for it starting at $100), discontinued after the 1918 model year.

In 1918, Milburn offered a Sedan that looked more like its gasoline-burning competition and which boasted a top speed of 30 MPH and a range of 100 miles on a charge. Also in 1918, Milburn put the batteries in wheeled boxes to facilitate rapid exchange of spent batteries for charged ones at "central power exchanges."

The Coupé or Brougham driver controlled steering and speed by levers (tillers) which hinged down onto the lap of the driver from the left side. The Roadster and the Sedan had steering wheels, and the Limousine had both kinds of steering, a wheel up front and a tiller in the rear.

In 1920, Milburn produced a taxicab. At some point (we have not determined in which years) Milburn also produced a line of electric trucks -- a ½ ton chassis selling for $1,585 (Model 43) and a 1 ton chassis for $1,985 (Model 40). The buyer could select from a full line of cab and bed styles at various prices to complete the truck according to their needs.

The Milburn plant was destroyed by fire in 1919, with losses totaling $900,000, including 30 completed electrics and even more automobile bodies. In January, 1920, production continued in a building on the grounds of Toledo University. In 1921, Milburn Wagon Company capitalization was increased to $1 million; at that time, the company's 800-man workforce was comprised of 200 men building cars and 600 building automobile bodies, largely for Oldsmobile. In February, 1923, General Motors purchased the plant for $2 million; Milburn workers remained in the plant for the two months following, finishing up cars and bodies previously under contract. Then, Buick moved in and the Milburn Electric was no longer produced.

The Milburn Electrics were among the most popular and elegant cars of the time and were used by President Woodrow Wilson's secret service men. President Wilson, himself, owned a 1918 Milburn Electric, which he drove around the White House grounds.

www.milburn.us

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1912 Ford Model T Delivery Wagon Bodies built by O.J. Beaudette and Milburn. Introduced in late 1911. These were initially painted red, with the standard blue fenders. In January Ford announced that fenders would be black and the bodies unpainted. A poor seller, production was discontinued early in the year. The last were sold in December 1912.

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Milburn Wagon Company - Toledo, Ohio - MILBURN ELECTRIC - Toledo, Ohio - (1915-1923) - The Milburn Wagon Company, which had been in the vehicle-building business in Toledo since 1848, announced its entry into the automotive field in late September of 1914. One thousand cars were built in 1915; 1,500 In 1916. The Milburn product was a lightweight electric with a speed of 19 mph in roadster form, 15 mph as a coupe. Initially, a Milburn had to be recharged every 60 to 75 miles, but by 1918 the company had eliminated the delay that recharging usually involved. "In the Milburn the batteries are now on rollers that operate on tracks," advertising stated. "Simply roll out the discharged ones and roll in the freshly charged set ... It makes charging as easy as driving." Although the Milburn Electric Charger did help to spur sales, the electric vehicle as a genre was on a decline by this time. The Light Delivery that had been an early offering was discontinued early as well; a taxicab was offered in 1920. In December of 1919 a disastrous fire at the Milburn plant resulted in losses totaling $900,000, including 30 completed electrics and even more automobile bodies. Production continued in January 1920 in the building on the grounds of Toledo University, which had been used to train Motor Transport Corps recruits during the First World War. In 1921 Milburn Wagon Company capitalization was increased to $1 million, and it was revealed that of the 800-man workforce, 200 were building the cars, 600 were building automobile bodies (for Oldsmobile most prominently). In February of 1923 the Milburn plant was purchased by General Motors for $2 million. Milburn workers remained in the plant for the two months following, finishing up cars and and bodies contracted for - but then Buick moved in. And the Milburn Electric was no more.

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George Milburn & Co. were the successors to A Eberhart & Co. Milburn employed over 100 men by the late 1860's. His shop was located near the St. Joseph river, a likely power source for this large factory; Mishawaka, Indiana, circa 1860's-1890's

Milburn Wagon Co. - Carriage, wagon, buggy and phaeton dealer, Tel. 206, 407 E. 6th; Austin, Texas, circa 1887-1900.

Milburn Wagon Co. - Carriages, buggies, phaetons and wagons, 40 Soledad, 10-12 W. Houston, M.V. Cumins, manager; San Antonio, Texas, circa 1887-1888.

Milburn Wagon Company - manufactured a full line of carriages and buggies, farm wagons and commercial vehicles. In addition, they built the Milburn Hollow-Axle Wagon; Toledo, Ohio. They offered a full line of vehicles at their branch office in Memphis, TN, circa 1870-1920's.

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For more information please read:

www.milburn.us

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