Yesterday, I enjoyed a great day at the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association Retreat for board members and guests in Ligonier, IN. In the morning, we took a walking tour of downtown and discovered some Indiana automotive landmarks.
Reo Cars Ghost Sign
in Ligonier Indiana
Copyright © 2012 Dennis E. Horvath
As we walked north on Cavin St. (the former N. Lincolnway) someone noticed a ghost sign for the Ligonier Garage on the south façade at 106 South Cavin. A little while later, we visited the Ligonier Historical Museum on Main Street. The folks there were very helpful in providing reference materials to attempt to date the sign. A 1914 Sanborn map noted that the first floor of the building was a garage with a cement floor, but no proprietor was listed. A 1916 Chautauqua program had a Reo advertisement with the same address.
Mier Carriage & Buggy
in Ligonier Indiana
Copyright © 2012 Dennis E. Horvath
Earlier while driving around town, I noticed a three story building with a crumbling west façade at 104 North Water St. While perusing the same 1914 Sanborn map, I discovered that this was the former site of the Mier Carriage & Buggy Company. The map provides a description of how materials and finished vehicles flowed through the building. Sales, body making, wood working, and wheel shop were on the first floor; with painting, varnishing, axles, and rubber tiring on the second floor; and body finishing and upholstering on the third floor.
The Mier Carriage & Buggy Company had the distinction of building the first three-story building in town. A.B. Mier joined his father Solomon Mier in the buggy business at the turn of the twentieth century. They ventured into the automotive field in 1908, when they added a two-cylinder engine with a friction transmission and double-chain drive to their buggy offerings. They sold about 100 of these high-wheeler runabouts with solid rubber tires and right-hand drive controls for less than $600. Longer wheelbase motorized runabouts, stanhopes, and surreys were offered for 1909. Thereafter, the Miers returned to exclusive manufacture of horse drawn carriages and wagons.
Unfortunately, with the deteriorating condition of this structure, it looks like we will soon lose another Indiana automotive landmark. I understand that currently, there are no plans to save this building.
It’s time to get out and enjoy some Indiana automotive landmarks along the Lincoln Highway, Dixie Highway, National Road, and the Michigan Road. In the future, I’ll share upcoming events along these highways. Visit the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association website for more information.
