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36-650: Byron Forbes "Barney" Everitt was born in 1873 at Ridgetown, Ontario , and learned wagon-building in Chatham, Ontario . In the early 1890s he worked for carriage-maker Hugh Johnson in Detroit. In 1899 he started his own coachwork company, with orders from Ransom Olds , and then Henry Ford . In about 1904 his own first assembled car was the Wayne. The car model bearing his name was the Everitt , 1909-1912. William E. Metzger

72-511: A great deal of enjoyment …. On the outbreak of World War I , John telegrammed president Woodrow Wilson to offer the Studebaker facilities as a site for war material production, and the company went on to manufacture military vehicles throughout the war. John was still serving as honorary president when he died. Studebaker died on March 16, 1917. He was buried at the Studebaker family mausoleum at South Bend City Cemetery . His name

108-401: A line of electricity-generating wind turbines several kilometres to the south of town, along Highway 3 between Morpeth and Blenheim, were in development. This was one of four wind turbine projects approved for Chatham-Kent in 2007. Ridgetown is located in the middle of a low morainic ridge. Originally under water, in the melting of the last ice age, the "Ridgetown island" appeared. The ridge

144-643: A miniature version of an existing car in order to gain notoriety for their skills as automotive engineers. In 1910, they started building a miniature version of an E-M-F 30 Touring Car. The car was exhibited at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1910 and was soon dubbed the "Baby E-M-F". It is considered to be the first scaled-down miniature car ever produced. Studebaker's president Fred Fish (son-in-law of John M. Studebaker ), being unhappy with E-M-F's poor quality and lack of management, gained control of

180-525: A net profit of $ 30,126,600. The Studebaker Company merged with Packard in 1954. In Ashland, Ohio, a bronze plaque honoring Studebaker is on US Route 250 at the site of the family homestead, "Pleasant Ridge". In 1959 actor Gil Lasky played Studebaker in the episode "Wheelbarrow Johnny" of the syndicated television anthology series , Death Valley Days , hosted by Stanley Andrews . In the story line, Studebaker fails at gold mining because con men take advantage of him. His talent for making wheelbarrows paves

216-425: A tall tree, saw the ridge and the plentiful land and said that was the place to be. Today, with 2,797 residents (2021 Canadian Census), Ridgetown proudly shares the outlying areas that produce major crops such as soybeans, corn, wheat, grains, and field vegetables. The water supply is drawn from a number of deep wells around the town and is not connected to a piped system from a lake or river. The railway tracks of

252-746: A third plant in Port Huron , which was sold to the Havers Motor Car Company in 1912. Shortly afterward, E-M-F was bought out by Studebaker, which formed Studebaker Canada , and rebadged E-M-F's products: the E-M-F as the Studebaker 30 and the Flanders as the Studebaker 20 . Sales of these rebadged models continued through the end of 1912. Brothers Nels E. and Alex Swanson of Stromsburg, Nebraska took it upon themselves to make

288-513: A thousand crankshafts , and Ford was impressed by the response. Then in the early 1900s Flanders again worked with Walburn, this time for Ford at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant at the corner of Piquette and Beaubien Streets in Detroit. Flanders became manager of manufacturing at the plant, where he also worked with the two future vice-presidents in charge of manufacturing, Peter E. Martin , and Charles E. Sorensen . Flanders

324-559: Is approximately 13,000 years old. Ridgetown has 3 schools. The high school in Ridgetown, Ridgetown District High School (RDHS), has just under 300 students in grades 7-12. In recent years, declining enrolment made it difficult for the Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) to ensure a future for RDHS. As a result, vocal community groups have banded together to fight for and ensure the viability of

360-596: Is under the jurisdiction of the St. Clair Catholic District School Board . The former Ridgetown College opened in 1922 as Western Ontario Experimental Farm as a research facility, was renamed in 1951 as Western Ontario Agricultural School and was established by the Ontario Department of Agriculture as a teaching school although courses had begun as early as 1936. It was renamed again as Ridgetown College of Agriculture and Technology in 1968. It has been part of

396-648: The New York Automobile Show in January 1903. Walter E. Flanders was born March 4, 1871, in Waterbury, Vermont . He was a machinist who started with servicing sewing machines during an apprenticeship at Singer Corporation , followed by an association with Thomas S. Walburn in general machining in Cleveland, Ohio , in the late 1890s. An order came from Henry Ford in Detroit to the company for

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432-668: The Studebaker-Garford brand name. By 1907 market gains by cars had begun to overtake those of wagons. The following year, Studebaker purchased a third of the Everitt Metzger Flanders Company and entered into a distribution agreement with EMF which was organized on 2 June 1908 following the acquisition of the automobiles companies known as Northern and Wayne. By 1909, Studebaker had made $ 9.5 million by distributing horseless vehicles manufactured in co-operation with other companies, and acquired

468-695: The University of Guelph since 1997 and is now University of Guelph , Ridgetown Campus . It is a venue for OAC- the Ontario Agricultural College . About 600 students presently attend 2 and 3-year courses on agriculture, veterinary technology, graphical information systems, horticulture and environmental management. Ridgetown has a thriving manufacturing industry, mainly serving the automotive market, which employ hundreds of local and area people. Martinrea, KSR International, Waltron Trailers, Trak Tool Machines, and Challenger Pallet are

504-526: The gold rush . After arriving, he realized that much mining employment in California had been taken, and he accepted an opportunity to manufacture wheelbarrows for miners, earning himself the nickname of "Wheelbarrow Johnny". The site of John's business is now number 142 of California's Historic Landmarks. John went to South Bend, Indiana in 1852 and contributed $ 8,000 (equal to $ 292,992 today) he had made in California to his brothers' funds to expand

540-571: The Canada Southern/Michigan Central/New York Central and Detroit River and Lake Erie/Pere Marquette/C&O railways used to run through Ridgetown, though these are both gone now – the last steam train through Ridgetown was in 2005. The railways formed an important part of Ridgetown's heritage, because there had been competition between Ridgetown and Morpeth (now a small hamlet on Highway 3 - Talbot Trail) to get them. Ridgetown 'won' and expanded, to

576-595: The Chatham Cultural Centre. Out of 12 high schools from across the district, Ridgetown moved on to the Regional level for the first time in nearly 20 years. The elementary schools (St. Michael Catholic School, Naahii Ridge Public School) serve a wide area of eastern Chatham-Kent, with many students being bussed in from the countryside. Naahii Ridge Public School is also operated by the LKDSB. St. Michael

612-561: The Detroit plant of the De Luxe company and began production of E-M-F cars. E-M-F produced several models of its own design and contracted to sell them through Studebaker wagon dealerships. At one point, E-M-F vehicles outproduced all but Ford in the American market. Late in 1909, E-M-F established a Walkerville, Ontario , branch plant to produce the E-M-F 30 and Flanders 20 . E-M-F had

648-519: The Ridgetown Historical Society. The Ridge House Museum is now a living history museum that gets many visitors. The name of Ridgetown came from it being situated on a gravel ridge, a remnant of the glacier age. The families Marsh, Mitton, Watson, Scane and Colby were the first settlers. William "Daddy" Marsh, who was known for making up far-fetched stories, once said that at York (now Toronto) where they were from, he climbed up

684-809: The Studebaker Wagon Corporation. They began to supply wagons for the Union Army in the American Civil War , becoming the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in 1868, with John as its president . In December 1901, at the age of 68, John was the last survivor of the founding family and, after a visit to a motor show in Chicago , he began to accept the urging of his son-in-law Fred Fish that electric cars, initially, would be

720-400: The assets and plant facilities (at Detroit and Walkerville, Ontario ) in 1910. To remedy the damage done by E-M-F, Studebaker paid mechanics to visit each unsatisfied owner and replace the defective parts in their vehicles at a cost of US$ 1 million to the company. The E-M-F name continued into 1912 with the Studebaker name becoming more and more prevalent on the cars. In 1913, the E-M-F name

756-424: The everlasting cost of Morpeth which had to that point been advantageously situated on the major east-west highway in the area. The climate is mild, being moderated by Lake Erie which is seven kilometres to the south. Summer days can be hot and humid. In winter, Ridgetown is not in the snowbelt which begins near London, Ontario , hence snow accumulation is generally less in comparison. In 2007, plans to install

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792-469: The first Model T . Ridgetown, Ontario Ridgetown is a community located in south-east Chatham-Kent, Ontario , Canada . It is home to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. It has a 2021 population of 2,797 and is one of many small farming communities in Chatham-Kent. The town motto is, "Agriculture at its best”. Named for the ridge where the town is located. The ridge divides

828-435: The future of the Studebaker company. In 1902, five battery-powered-models were made, and 20 were sold, including one which John owned personally. Fish, who married John Studebaker's daughter Grace in 1891, joined the company and provided the impetus for the production of "horseless carriages". In 1904 he and John negotiated a deal with Garford of Elyria, Ohio to put Studebaker bodies on gasoline-powered chassis, creating

864-587: The high school. If the high school were to close, students would have to be bussed to Chatham city schools. In 2006, RDHS became involved with a trial of video schooling - tying three area high schools together with one teacher. RDHS made history in 2005 when the Drama Club entered the Sears Drama Festival with the play "The Empty Chair" written by Tim Kelly. The Drama Club worked from the summer of 2004 until performance night in February 2005 at

900-520: The larger plants. Tens of smaller service businesses thrive in the area, including many long-established and unique stores in the downtown area. Though no longer headquartered in Ridgetown, L.H Gray & Son was founded in Ridgetown in 1969. The following year, its brand Gray Ridge Eggs was created. 42°26′26″N 81°53′3″W  /  42.44056°N 81.88417°W  / 42.44056; -81.88417 John Mohler Studebaker John Mohler Studebaker (10 October 1833 – 16 March 1917)

936-478: The north and south watersheds of the area. Post office dates from 1853. Ridgetown was incorporated as a village in 1875 with just over 2,000 citizens. In 1975, with well over 3,220 residents, Ridgetown celebrated its centennial. Residents celebrated by dressing in 1875 costumes, conducting beard-growing contests, barbecues, and other activities. The Rotary Club of Ridgetown bought the Galbraith house and formed

972-622: The remainder of E.M.F from J.P. Morgan & Co. in 1910, thus taking over the company. In 1911 the company refinanced and reincorporated as the Studebaker Corporation, producing gasoline-driven automobiles , discontinuing electric vehicles but retaining production of wagons and carriages. John stated: The automobile has come to stay. But when a man has no business, it is a rather expensive luxury, and I would advise no man, be he farmer or merchant, to buy one until he has sufficient income to keep it up. A horse and buggy will afford

1008-521: The year. In his history of E-M-F, Anthony Yanik stated Studebaker built its strong automotive base "on the shoulders of E-M-F", having "purchased the entire company for an outrageous price in 1910". However, the E-M-F production figures had been underpinned by Studebaker's vast resources, and sales were largely dependent on Studebaker's reputation and marketing network. Flanders also ran the short-lived Flanders Automobile Company , which produced cars wholly based on previous E-M-F designs. The Flanders company

1044-479: Was absorbed into Maxwell Motor Company (Incorporated) which was reorganized out of the assets of the United States Motor Company in 1913. On June 20, 2005, the E-M-F (and previously Wayne Automobile) Detroit plant on Piquette Avenue and John R. Street caught fire and within a few hours it was gone. The five-alarm fire nearly spread to the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant where Henry Ford built

1080-648: Was added to the Automotive Hall of Fame. John Studebaker, one of the founders of the Studebaker Corporation, resided in Ashland, Ohio from 1835 to 1850. He and his family moved from Pennsylvania to Ashland, Ohio in 1835. Upon arrival, they named their new homestead on U.S. Route 250, "Pleasant Ridge," which was his mother's maiden name. John and his two older brothers Henry and Clem helped their father with their family blacksmith and carriage shop at their home. Economic times were tough for 19-year-old John. His dream

1116-650: Was born 1868 in Peru, Illinois . He was one of the first car salesmen, a buyer and reseller and, in the late 1890s, established possibly the first United States automobile dealership, in Detroit. He was a key figure in the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers , and also promoted early races at Grosse Pointe . In 1902 he became affiliated with the Northern Motor Car Company and the same year helped organize Cadillac before taking orders at

E-M-F Company - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-479: Was replaced by Studebaker. Problems aside, E-M-F vehicles had sold well in the growing marketplace. In 1909 E-M-F placed fourth (producing 7,960 vehicles) in total US automobile production, behind that of Ford Motor Company , Buick , and Maxwell , with Cadillac fifth. In 1910 the firm built 15,020 vehicles and again held on to fourth place behind Ford, Buick, and Overland . In 1911, the firm placed second in overall assemblies with 26,827 automobiles produced for

1188-506: Was replaced by those two when he resigned abruptly on 21 April 1908. Flanders' skill was in setting up and effecting timesaving procedures and methods at the plant, where engineers had developed the Model T in late 1907, which then began production in 1908, and led eventually to invention of the new moving assembly line to meet skyrocketing demand for the Model T in 1910. In 1909, E-M-F bought

1224-804: Was the Pennsylvania Dutch co-founder and later executive of what would become the Studebaker Corporation automobile company. He was the third son of the founding Studebaker family, and played a key role in the growth of the company during his years as president , from 1868 until his death in 1917. John Mohler Studebaker was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to John S. and Rebecca Mohler Studebaker, and moved to Ashland County, Ohio with his family in 1836. While his two elder brothers Henry and Clem became blacksmiths , John went to Placerville, California , lured by stories of

1260-580: Was the largest producer of horse-drawn vehicles. It was so successful that President Lincoln and General Grant both owned Studebaker carriages. In the late 1890s the Studebaker Company converted from horse-drawn vehicles to gasoline-propelled automobiles. In the next seven years, the company sold more than 2,481 passenger cars and trucks. The Studebaker Company operated seven plants in South Bend, Detroit, Chicago, and Walkerville, Ontario, with

1296-458: Was to mine for gold and became aware of the gold rush taking place out west. John built a custom carriage and traveled to California , which took five months. Upon arriving in California, he was offered a job as a wagon maker, but turned down the offer to mine for gold. He decided to build wheelbarrows for miners, and sold wheelbarrows for ten dollars each. He saved and invested $ 8,000 in his first company which built carriages. Studebaker's company

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