[irnsrgn]

I hate to rain on your parade Nett, but the Studebakers were building wagons before the one brother went to Calif. The Shop built a wagon for the wagon train and traded it for the brothers passage on the train, The Studebaker wagon had no break downs on the way but many others did and the brother kept a record of the breakdowns and sent them back to the family shop, so that the wagons could be improved.

When the train got to Calif, Someone asked if there were any wagonmakers among them, the brother said he was, and was offered the job of makign wheelbarrows, he said no he came to hunt gold, and older gentleman told him to take the job as very few ever got rich hunting for gold, whereas making wheelbarrows was the way to go as it would assure him of making money. He took the advice and the rest is history.

Did you know that the British Army picked a stock Studebaker Wagon as their military wagon of choice and they sent a representitive to the US to OK the design and supervise there construction, by the time he got here, there were only a few wagons needed to be made to complete the order and he accepted them on the spot.