RHODES: Chatham-Kent’s first motor-driven funeral coaches were Studebakers

Article content

I must apologize for the poor quality of the included photo but the picture is so rare that I was compelled to use it.

It is a simple photo with a story to tell.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

RHODES: Chatham-Kent’s first motor-driven funeral coaches were Studebakers Back to video

Let’s take a look at it.

As you can deduce, the vehicles are motor-driven funeral coaches, circa 1915, and said to be the first in Kent County.

I have been trading emails with Ron Peseski of the Hinnegan Peseski Funeral Home regarding these coaches and with his help I have put together some information.

Ron believes all three coaches were purchased at the same time, with one being bought by John Joseph Hinnegan of Chatham who conducted his funeral business from a building at the northeast junction of Fourth and Llewellynn streets. This building still stands.

The Hinnegan firm was later moved to “College Home”, which was the mansion of Malcolm McLaughlin who was president of the Canada Business College.

The Hinnegan Peseski funeral Home continues on at this William Street location.

Ron told me that he thought the other two coaches were purchased by Bert Ford of Blenheim and J. Masse of Tilbury or William Rube of Dresden.

Once delivered to Chatham, the coaches were lined up in front of the car dealership where they were purchased which would be on the west side of Fourth Street.

The manufacturer of the coaches?

They were Studebakers.

Commencing shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Studebaker began its transition from wagon building to automobile production and they did a very good job of it, surviving in the assemble business, in the U.S. until 1964, and in Canada until 1966.

Initially, Studebaker had thought that electric (battery) cars would be the way of the future but they soon realized that if you can’t tether the power source, range and efficiency would be limited. Over a century later, that is still a limitation.

Shortly thereafter, the company switched to four-stroke, water-cooled internal combustion engines.

The change worked and Studebaker soon became a major player in the automobile industry.

Their first Chatham dealer was to be the Central Garage at 54 – 58 Fourth Street. This would be about opposite and slightly north of Llewellyn Street.

The Central Garage was operated by William James McGuire who was born at Addington County, Ont. on May 22, 1873. He died at Chatham on Jan. 21, 1940.

I am not sure of the activity of his early life, but he is first mentioned in the city directories as the owner of the Central Garage in 1914.

For a short time he had a partner, James Robert Trotter, who was native to Chatham Township (March 13, 1885 to July 14, 1957).

Both men repose in Maple Leaf Cemetery.

The Central Garage building had previously been operated by a man named Frank Scham.

Next, north, as can be seen in the photo, is a low-pitched building which (post 1909) was numbered as 48. This building in 1915 was home to the firm of G T Guttridge who was a carriage builder.

Next, right, behind the Post Office, is the Walter Lethbridge Livery; this would be at No. 42.

Walter Lethbridge was born March 16, 1873. Very little of his early life is known, but he did operate this successful business on Fourth Street for a number of years.

He died on Dec. 23, 1943 and reposes in Maple Leaf Cemetery.

The building (difficult to see) is the rear of the old Post Office which has been addressed in a previous column.

As a matter of curiosity, I Googled “Studebaker Funeral Coaches, 1915” and there was a feature on one that had been fully restored. It was a work of art.