Wagon Works

Wagon Works. . In 1889, Dr. Alfred Davis Bellamy moved his Atlanta-based wagon manufacturing company to East Florence, near the northern bank of the Tennessee River. For Bellamy, East Florence was the perfect location for his burgeoning Florence Wagon Works. Proximity to the L and N Railroad, as well as easy access to the Florence Canal and river commerce, greatly expedited shipping. Furthermore, Florence's plentiful woodlands and iron reserves provided a convenient source of raw materials for Bellamy's operation. By 1904, Florence Wagon Works had already successfully cemented itself as a fixture of the community. At its peak, it employed between one hundred and seventy-five and two hundred fifty staff., The key to success for Florence Wagon Works was its extremely popular "Light Running Florence Wagon". While extensively used around America, the company also sold the wagon internationally. During World War I, the Florence Wagon was used fondly the battlefields of France. By the early 1900s, demand for the product was so high that Florence Wagon Works regularly churned out twenty-five wagons daily. An annual production average of fifteen thousand wagons made the company one of North America's largest wagon manufacturers, second only to the Canadian Studebaker Wagon Works., Captions , (Photo #1) Pictured is an illustration depicting the Florence Wagon Works complete and its dock as it appeared in 1890. (Courtesy of the University of North Alabama, Collier Library Archives and Special Collections) , (Photo #2) A view of the saw filing room inside the wagon works complex. Here, workers filed down the rough edges on wooden wagon parts. (Courtesy of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Library Archives) , (Photo #3) Many companies distribute catalogs to prospective customers to showcase their products. "The Light-Running Florence." This wagon was the company's top seller. (Courtesy of the University of North Alabama, Collier Library Archives and Special Collections) , (Photo #4) A group of men, probably employees, pose for a photo at the Florence Wagon Works sometime between 1910 and 1915. (Courtesy of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Library Archives) , (Photo #5) This drawing of the wagon works complex from 1890 shows the location of its earliest buildings. Later illustrations depict an expanded dock and many more structures. (Courtesy of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Digital Library Archives)