Hudson Motor Car Co. factory on Beaufait question

[Bcscott]

Looking at old pictures I determined the Hudson factory [[old Aerocar factory) on Beaufait is the one on the north side of Mack Ave. Does anyone know what the similar factory building directly across the street is? Was it also part of the Hudson or Aerocar plant or something entirely different?

[renf]

There is a picture of the plant you mention on the Detroit1701 website. I did a little work on the history of this building but I found out little. Maybe someone can provide much more information.
http://www.detroit1701.org/Everitt-Briggs-Columbia.html

[renf]

Here is a url that shows a picture of and provides some informaiton about the Hudson plant
on the Detroit Terminal line at Beaufait and Mack. 2009 is the 100th anniversary of the production of the first Hudson. Did the Motor Cities National Heritage Area group have a celebration this summer. One Hudson dealer remains open - in Ypsilanti. Yesterday he has a very highly polished 1933 Terraplane in the showroom along with some Hudsons from the early 1950s.
http://www.detroit1701.org/Aerocar-Hudson.html

[Bcscott]

Thanks a ton renf. I've got another one on McKinstry to figure out. In the old H.O.F thread it was speculated to be the sixth Paige plant but then it looked like it might be Detroit B & C and I have no idea what that stands for. Its right across Jefferson from the Harbor Terminals building. Any ideas on that one?

[turkeycall]

When I worked at Budd in the 70s, there was abuilding we called "The Hudson Building." The Budd property was bounded by Charlevoix, Conner, Mack, and Conner Lane.

The "Hudson Building" was located on the east side of the plant, between the plant and Conner.

Sometimes the name of a former owner stays attached to a building they once owned. Did The Hudson Motor Car Company once own that piece of property?

[MikeM]

The red brick factory on the south side of Mack at Beaufait was the Young Brothers Sheet Metal Oven Manufacturers. Later is was used by a used machinery dealer. See pages 13 & 22 of the OCF thread.

Detroit C&B = Detroit Copper & Brass

[Bcscott]

Okay, now I'm confused. The Beaufait St. factory on the South side of Mackwas a sheet metal oven facility? On page 316 of "How Detroit Became the Automotive Capital" the author mentions the Columbia Motors Co. moved into a plant formerly occupied by the B.F. Everitt Co. at Beaufait and Mack.

[MikeM]

The factory on the north side of Mack was used by several different manufacturers. I think the order went: Aerocar -> Hudson -> Everitt -> Columbia -> ?

As far as I can tell, the building on the south side was never occupied by an automobile company. There was speculation that it was a Briggs factory, but I don't think it ever was.

[Bcscott]

Okay, I thought they [[Hudson and Columbia) were in different buildings. According to the book Hudson moved in in 1909 after Aerocar went kaput in 1907. Columbia occupied the building starting in 1917. So Hudson couldn't have been there too long if Everitt was also in there prior to Columbia.

Thanks for the info Mike

[MikeM]

Yeah, that book has some good info, but it's not organized well. You really have to hunt around and piece together the information to get a clear picture. Hudson was only there a couple of years. I think they moved to the Jefferson Avenue factory around 1912.

[Hornwrecker]

This is the info that I have for that bldg:

Aerocar 1906-08
Hudson 1909-10 [[moved to Jefferson and Conner)
Everitt 1910-12 [[auto, not part of the coach business)
Columbia 1916-23 [[bought Liberty in 1923, moved to Conner & Charlevoix)

For more in Everitt: http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/e/everitt/everitt.htm

The Graham-Paige bldg at 262 McKinstry and Fort was for export preparation and service parts, as best as we determined in the OCF thread, pg 2 for photo, pg 18 for Sanborn map.

[MikeM]

Yup. Although I thought I read that Hudson bought the land on Jefferson in 1911. And the Liberty location on Charlevoix is the now closed Budd plant. Strippers or weather along the north side are slowly revealing the old brick underneath the siding.

[MikeM]

I've got another one on McKinstry to figure out. In the old H.O.F thread it was speculated to be the sixth Paige plant but then it looked like it might be Detroit B & C and I have no idea what that stands for. Its right across Jefferson from the Harbor Terminals building. Any ideas on that one?

Detroit Copper & Brass.

Attachment 3936

Attachment 3937

[Bcscott]

Thanks again Mike. Is the building with the rounded corners on the left in the post card the remaining building on McKinstry across from the harbor terminals building? If so, where is or was the Paige plant?

[MikeM]

Yes, that is the remaining building. Paige was just north of Detroit C&B, on Fort between McKinstry and Clark. From the DTE aerial collection at Wayne State, 1981:

Attachment 3941


And on W Jefferson, just east of Detroit C&B, are the partial remains of Studebaker.

[Bcscott]

Awesome, thanks! I love trying to piece this stuff together.

[FloridaFred]

And here is a picture of the Hudson Motor Car Company from my dad Adam Hubert Lievertz 1903 1987. His first auto industry job after coming to the US in 1929. He told me that they used to test drive the cars on the streets of Detroit until they broke down and had to be towed back!

[renf]

Although I put information on the Detroit 1701 website, I never thought that I understood
the origin and use of the building across Mack from the original Hudson plant. It is
impressive that the Hudson plant remains standing long after Autocar and Hudson
reached the end of the line. Is there anyone using that Hudson factory at Beaufait
and Mack at present?

[stasu1213]

The Oldsmobile plant structure still stands on Mack near Mt Elliot. Someone should make a museum with antique cars inside that building. Take a tip from the TPlex Ford museum on Piquette and John R.