Location of gate #2 at the old Stude plant?

[PACKERBACKER]

Does anyone know the location of gate #2 at the old Studebaker plant in South Bend? I have a sign that is supposed to have been removed from it when they shut down. The sign is 74" long and 20" tall. Andy at the museum archives does not have any known info on it or of the locations of the various gates, though he told me that he would email me if he came across anything by accident while looking up some other item.

[Chris_Dresbach]

If memory serves me correctly, I think that was the gate that went into plant# 1 next to building 53/58 (N&A). I have some plant maps at home, I,ll check them.

I looked, and I'm wrong. The gate I'm thinking of is gate# 10 and the one directly accross from it is gate# 1.
I agree, that sign looks way too nice.

[stupak]

Greg: If the sign you mention is the sign you are showing in your thumbnails, it appears WAAAAAY to nice to be that old, and, to have hung outside for any length of time. I would guess it is a reproduction sign. stupak

[8E45E]

Greg: If the sign you mention is the sign you are showing in your thumbnails, it appears WAAAAAY to nice to be that old, and, to have hung outside for any length of time. I would guess it is a reproduction sign. stupak

For argument's sake, Studebaker intoduced that signage style in 1963, so we'll say it got hung up outside in the late spring of 1963. The factory closed some 7 months later, and the city got the buildings. Supposing the building where Gate #2 was one of the fortunate ones that got leased in early 1964, that sign could have been expsoed to the elements for less than a year.

Craig

[Welcome]

Does anyone know the location of gate #2 at the old Studebaker plant in South Bend?<<<

Just a wild guess; GATE 2 (Bldg. # 99) was directly across Sample St. from GATE 1

http://tinyurl.com/24rxzfr

[Chris_Dresbach]

Just a wild guess; GATE 2 (Bldg. # 99) was directly across Sample St. from GATE 1 (Bldg. # 100).

For some reference go to …

http://tinyurl.com/24rxzfr

…then scroll down to photo of Gate 1

No, that's the one I was thinking of and I looked it up. The one directly across from gate# 1 is gate# 10 which was next to building #53/58 and would have had a fence line to building #74.

[PACKERBACKER]

I bought the sign off of Ebay about 2 years ago and picked it up from a lady in Mishawaka, Indiana. She told me a friend of hers many years before borrowed some money from her and he gave her the sign as collateral. He is the one that supposedly took it from the Studebaker plant. She also told me that he was offered $2000 for it then but didn't want to sell it so that is why he borrowed money from her instead. I don't know if he died or if something else happened between them but she decided to sell it. I have no reason not to believe her since I was told most of this when I went to pick it up and the deal was done. She lived in a nice neighborhood that had smaller, fairly new side by side duplexes or condos. The sign looks a little better in the pictures than in real life and does have some small holes in it about the size of a masonry nail. When I went to talk to Andy another guy was there that he knew and he told us that he has a book similar to the Studebaker uniform identity program that shows dealers how to arrange their showrooms and standardized signs to use. His book shows the signs that were used around the plant and where they were located. He told Andy that he would find it and Andy said he would let me know if the sign showed up in his book.

[StudeMichael]

What does the back look like? Does it have the name of the sign manufacturer anywhere in the lower right of left hand side?

[PACKERBACKER]

I don't remember seeing anything on the back, and of course it is mounted on the wall of my garage now so I would need to take it down to see. I would not be able to do this untill tomorrow. This is a garage at one of my rental properties and not just behind the house that I live at.

[Welcome]

I bought the sign off of Ebay about 2 years ago and picked it up from a lady in Mishawaka, Indiana. She told me a friend of hers many years before borrowed some money from her and he gave her the sign as collateral.

Just curious, was her name "SUE"???

[Welcome]

No, that's the one I was thinking of and I looked it up. The one directly across from gate# 1 is gate# 10 which was next to building #53/58 and would have had a fence line to building #74.

This is getting even more interesting!

On the Studebaker Corporation map of Plants 1 & 2, drawn July 20, 1951, it only shows a total of 9 Guard Houses. One would think there should be a “Guard House” wherever there was a “Gate.” Is it possible Gate # 2 was re-named Gate #10 sometime AFTER they stopped trucking all the bodies from one Plant to the other through those very Gates???

Most likey someone on this Forum can clear this up …Richard Quinn, where are you???

[PACKERBACKER]

Just curious, was her name "SUE"???

I don't remember if she ever told me her name. At work she sent me an email about picking it up, if I wasn't on lay off from my job I could look it up. She was very friendly and wanted to tell me all about the sign when I was at her place to get it.

[PACKERBACKER]

I took it down and looked at the back this afternoon, no sign manufacture name on it. I can't believe this sign is some kind of reproduction but, who knows? I do believe it is a real Studebaker sign but I don't know from where. I do find it interesting how it calls out "Automotive Division" on it, that tends to make me believe that it could be from the factory itself and the fact that I picked it up in Mishiwaka.

[PACKERBACKER]

Just curious, was her name "SUE"???

I am also curious, why do you ask if her name is "SUE"?

[Welcome]

I am also curious, why do you ask if her name is "SUE"?

Well, if you must know...

...2-3 years ago a lady in Mishawaka wanted to sell two Studebakers and a bunch of "Stude stuff." A friend & I went to look over one of the cars, but decided not to buy it. We were not interested in the other "Stude Stuff" so don't know if that sign was or wasn't there ...OR even if we are referring to the same lady ...but her name is SUE !!!

Since that time she decided to keep one of the Studes and joined SDC ...perhaps she is even reading this post and will jump in and add any info she may have