Babcock Carriages
Brand
The Babcock was an American automobile made by an 1882 carriage company in Watertown, New York by Henry Holmes (H. H.) Babcock beginning in 1909. The Babcock line included a Runabout, as well as a Touring Car, Landaulet and Limousine.
In the 1890's the company bought up Watertown Spring Wagon Company, and then in 1909 the Watertown Carriage Company.
Subject ID: 959
MoreThe Babcock was an American automobile made by an 1882 carriage company in Watertown, New York by Henry Holmes (H. H.) Babcock beginning in 1909. The Babcock line included a Runabout, as well as a Touring Car, Landaulet and Limousine.
In the 1890's the company bought up Watertown Spring Wagon Company, and then in 1909 the Watertown Carriage Company.
His sons continued the business after his death. George Babcock becoming the next president and then later Henry's grandson and namesake Henry H. Babcock.
From around 1908 to 1914 the company began making bodies for motorcars and trolleys, as well as their own motorcars. Their cars of the earlier years were basically horse carriages with engines but in 1910 they started building what would be considered a true motor car.
The engines and transmissions, as well as some other mechanical parts, were bought from other manufacturers; a common practice at the time. The company continued to manufacture bodies for other companies including the Dodge Brothers, and for Model T frames.
Around 1913 Henry Ford started mass producing cars on the assembly line and the Babcock Company concentrated more on making car bodies for other manufacturers. During World War I the company devoted the factory to making ambulance bodies and stretchers for the military. The US War Department declared the ambulance bodies the best and they were used exclusively on the front lines. After the war the ambulances and funeral cars sold quite well based on this prior reputation, and they created some enclosed and other special car and truck bodies. The company also formed a division that specialized in upholstering and painting and trimming of car bodies.
But two large fires, one in 1920 and one in 1921, devastating the factory. After that they had to cut back and split their company to specialize, expanding the kind of bodies they built. By 1924 the company was expanding again but by 1925 the manufacture of auto bodies took a turn for the worse with the large manufacturers of the Midwest becoming the major car makers in the US. The contracts were no longer forthcoming and the company began to sink into debt.
In 1928 the factory was completely closed, and many of the manufacturing rights and equipment were sold to the Arcadia Truck Body Company of Newark, N.Y.
Subject ID: 959
Subject ID: 959
