There is one Republic Truck on display at the St. Louis Area Historical Society but several still exist in private hands. Address: 110 East Crawford St., St. Louis MI, 48880 Phone: (989) 875-4463 Website: https://www.stlouismi.com/1/stlouis/historical_society.asp
You can find out more about the Republic Motor Truck Company at the Alma Library. Address: 500 East Superior Street, Alma MI Phone: (989) 463-3966 Website: http://www.youseemore.com/alma/default.asp
The factory is still standing but is not open to the public. It is currently occupied by the Avalon & Tahoe Mfg. Co. Address: 903 Michigan Ave., Alma MI
summary
In January of 1911, automotive pioneer Frank W. Ruggles drove his self-designed truck down a snow covered Superior Street right here in Alma, MI. That prototype would become the precursor to the Republic Truck Company and in the spring of 1913, trucks began rolling out of this factory. Initially the trucks would be sold under the Hercules name and distributed by the Maxwell Motor Company but in just a few months would switch to the Republic brand. Ruggles had designed such an affordable and reliable truck that by 1916 Republic had become the largest exclusive manufacturer of trucks in the world. By 1920 every ninth truck produced in America was a Republic. The company would manufacture more than 70,000 trucks in all including several thousand “Liberty” trucks used in World War I. Eventually Republics were sold and serviced in 48 states and more than 50 countries. Bad financial decisions from out of state directors and rapid expansion caused the company to go into receivership in 1922. Local men would take over the operation and kept it going until 1929 when it was purchased by truck manufacturer American-LaFrance and ultimately absorbed by the Sterling Motor Truck Company in 1932. Ruggles left the company in 1920 to start the Ruggles Motor Truck Company in nearby Saginaw, MI but the effort would only last a few years. During his career he would not only set the standard in the trucking industry, but would patent several innovations as well.
The story
1876-1898
Frank W. Ruggles was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts July 16th, 1876. He was the son of E.S. Ruggles and Mary W. Tucker. Ruggles was listed as a bicycle mechanic and machinist early in his life...
1899-1908
The first endeavor Ruggles had in the automotive industry was in 1899 for the Knox Automobile Company in Springfield, MA. It is worth noting that Knox built fire engines for the city of Springfield in 1906 making them the first motorized fire department in the country. It is possible that the work and engineering of Ruggles while he was an employee made that possible...
In 1904 until the following year he was involved with the Knox Motor Truck Company which sold trucks under the Atlas name...
The Ruggles Automobile Company was formed in Ware, Massachusetts in 1905 and was the first business Ruggles tried to start. He built a prototype vehicle and had a butcher test it around December of that year. A light delivery vehicle that could be used as a laundry or grocery wagon was the first model with a heavier truck later. The company never took off and was only around for about a year...
He is also said to have experience with the Morgan Motor Truck Company but it is unclear when Ruggles worked with the firm. Morgan had produced steam-powered vehicles as early as 1902...
1909-1910
In 1909 a patent would be filed by Ruggles and Emerson G. Gaylord for an engine of their design. That patent would be granted in November of 1913...
Also in September the Ruggles Motor Company would be formed. Gaylord would be the treasurer...
Ruggles would move to Alma in December going to work for the Alma Manufacturing Company. It was established in 1903 and was in the business of manufacturing the McVicker Automatic Gasoline Engine...
1911
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Ruggles held many patents for truck components(both documented and assumed) and saw Alma as an opportunity to build a truck of his own design that he had envisioned for some time. Recruiting Lee Nummer and a few others from Alma Manufacturing, they got to work building the prototype. The truck was virtually all hand-made and the blueprints to build more units were taken right from the prototype itself as each piece was very carefully recorded. When the truck was finished, it was driven down Superior Street in Alma in January right to the corner drugstore owned by Charles Rhodes. who would become the secretary for the company. It looked like nothing more than a motorized buggy having a four-cylinder air-cooled engine, three-speed sliding gear transmission, 36-inch wheels and red paint...
In February, Ruggles had become the superintendent of the Plant and had already enlisted the Cameron Car Company and their many dealerships to be distributors of the new truck. In the meantime, the company was still making a few different models of one-cyclinder gasoline engines.
Everett Cameron had notified Ruggles that he wanted the Alma Manufacturing Company to produce a one-ton truck. The engines, transmissions, and other components would be shipped from the Beverly, Massachusetts plant while Alma made the chassis, wheels, heavy-duty rear axle, and four different bodies. Trucks started rolling out of the factory in March of 1911 and were shipped to dealers all the way into 1912. Manufacturing the Cameron truck gave Ruggles time to obtain more resources and refine his own design. Cameron went bankrupt in 1912 and all production of trucks in Alma ceased. Since Alma had already been assembling trucks and had skilled workers, it made the dream of a Ruggles designed truck a reality. The first truck Ruggles produced was called the Hercules and it was co-designed by Howard Payne Woodworth. It was powered by a 30 H.P. Continental Motor and sold for $1775. Since the Cameron Company had went bankrupt, Ruggles needed a distribution network for his new truck and soon struck a deal with the Maxwell Motor Company. In mid- 1913, the Hercules started rolling off the assembly line and Maxwell's dealership in Detroit displayed it in their showroom. Maxwell would later go on to become the Chrysler Corporation...
1913
At the beginning of 1913, the "Hercules" truck manufactured by the Alma Manufacturing Company would be on display in Detroit which would lead to the main sales office finding a home there as well. Later that year, the Alma Motor Truck Company would officially be formed and take over the manufacturing company's interests...
$50,000 in stock was raised...
Also in February, Ruggles would file a patent for a governor and it finally would be granted in June of 1914...
A new sales office in Detroit was established but the relationships with Cameron and Maxwell proved to be instrumental in establishing a vast network of other sales offices and service centers...
The factory was already geared for truck building but expanded several times over the next years...
Eventually the company would consist of four plants and incorporate the assembly line in order to fulfill the orders...
Trucks would start to roll out of the plant in the spring of 1913 and were initially offered in a 1,500-pound capacity with a choice of two bodies. Their first appearance publicly in Alma would happen in August...
The trucks had immediate success thanks to being well-built, great marketing, and the built-in distribution network as previously mentioned...
1913 ads
1914
The Alma Motor Truck Company would show its new truck to a wider audience in 1914 and continue to refine the construction. All of the parts used were of the best possible quality from the Continental motors to the Firestone tires. A few years later the Acme truck would be produced in nearby Cadillac, MI using the same principles and with some of the same people that helped develop the Republic. Their slogan would be the "truck of proved units" and the company would also produce a quality truck line...
Many trucks would eventually be sold to the United States for use in the war. Four were also sold to the government in Mexico and fitted with heavy plating. The trait that made the truck so appealing was the fact the parts were easy to get and were interchangeable. When Henry Leland started Cadillac in 1902, he had the same philosophy of car and truck building and so gained a reputation of quality and ease of maintenance...
One of the early innovations of Republic was this body built as a "store on wheels". When a customer purchased a truck, the body could be ordered to the needs of the company...
By July, the company was already in need of new factory buildings as sales were booming. Republic was considered as a candidate for supplying the United States Post Office but unfortunately other companies would receive the contracts. In the meantime, key employees would come and go and the Republic would continue its reputation for quality and durability...
In December, Republic had taken over the former plant of the Miller Saw Trimming Company and would use it as a paint shop. The name "Republic Motor Truck Company", the company's new name, would first appear in print around the same time...
1914 ads
1915
At the beginning of 1915, Republic increased its capital from the original $50,000 to $250,000. Dividends were paid, more expansion occurred, and the company continued to show its product at major auto and truck shows. The output for the factory was now up to twelve trucks a day and it was hoped that would increase in the weeks and months ahead. An order was also placed for 300 trucks for the British government...
By May, the Internal-Gear-Drive Association was formed and included truck companies similar to Republic. As expansion continued, there was a chance Republic would move to Saginaw or Kalamazoo but stayed in Alma for several more years. Saginaw would eventually be the new home for Frank Ruggles as he would start the "Ruggles Motor Truck Company" after leaving Republic...
G.D. Wilcox would head the advertising for Republic out of Detroit in an effort to greatly expand the company's footprint...
1915 ads
1916
By 1916 Republic was the largest manufacturer of trucks in the world and nearly 3,000 trucks would be sold in the first six months of the year.. One of every nine trucks in America was a Republic and there was a network throughout 48 states of dealers, parts depots, and service centers. Eventually the trucks were sold and serviced in more than 50 countries. The maps below once again show the expansion that had taken place...
Republic was completely reorganized in August as "Republic Truck Company, Inc.". Capital would be increased to $1,000,000 and 700 men were now employed by the firm. Most of the personnel would remain the same with Ruggles still in charge...
1916 ads
1917
1917 would be a great year for Republic. 1500 men would be employed by the company, but, an ad early in the year would call for another 500 men. The capital was again increased to $1,500,000...
In May of 1917 a plant was being planned built in California but was later sold in 1920 to the Leach-Biltwell Motor Company to build cars. That company was headed by M.A. Leach who had worked with Dort in Flint among others. A plant was also planned for Canada in July of 1919 but fell through a few months later...
Production had increased to 86 trucks a day by mid-year. Expansion continued as Field Manufacturing Company was producing bodies for Republic and the company now owned Torbensen Axle & Gear which was located in Cleveland. July was the start of meetings for the many dealers Republic had around the country and world...
Republic was now offering a wide variety of models for many purposes including several that would meet the needs of farmers...
At the end of 1917 plans were in place to expand the facilities once again and manufacture 40,000-50,000 trucks. A "tank" body would be placed on a Republic chassis as the company helped to sell war bonds...
1917 ads
1918
Republic would build trucks for the effort in World War I called the "Liberty". The companies that were selected to build them all had easily interchangeable parts and were very durable which was needed on the battlefield...
In March the plant in California was ready for production...
Not only was Ruggles involved with trucks but there was also a tractor that was made in Alma between 1918 and 1920 called the R&P 12-20. It is believed that of the approximately 200 made and only 6 are known to exist: 2 in the U.S., 1 in Australia, and 3 in New Zealand. It is possible these tractors or similar built by Republic were used in World War I. Ruggles teamed up with Channing W. Parsons to make the tractor through the R&P Tractor Company with the production also happening in the Republic factory. It appears development started in May of 1916 when a Waukesha BU4 engine was sent to the firm. Parsons was issued a patent and production became a reality. The weight was 3600 pounds, it had a truck-type 3-speed transmission, and the price was between $1365.00 and $1485.00
M.A. Holmes would go on to start the Transport Truck Company in nearby Mt. Pleasant, MI...
Republic was a favorite of furniture dealers...
New prominent men would be added to its board and production plans would be put in place for 1919 including at the California plant...
1918 ads
1919
Ruggles hoped that 1919 would be the best year yet for Republic and that 1918 would be known as the year that the motor truck would come into its own even in fire departments. New models would once again be shown at the auto and truck shows...
Republic would hire one of the designers of the standard military truck as head engineer as well as Vernon F. Bush to handle exports...
Rumblings would start near the end of the year on the fate of Ruggles and the company itself. He would become an owner of Republic and its subsidiary Torbensen Axle along with John Willys who would make it a personal investment apart from the Willys company...
1919 ads
1920
1920 started as a blockbuster year for Republic with even more expansion, hiring of key people, and record sales. Frank Ruggles would soon make a decision that would change both himself and the company...
Ruggles would resign from the company he started around June. He would move on to Saginaw to start his own company...
The company would go on without Ruggles and carry on business as usual...
1920 ads
1921
Republic aggressively expanded and hoped to build 30,000 trucks per year but in 1921 only built 1450. The post-war depression, bad financial decisions, and other factors led to the company shutting down in January...
1921
It was announced in April of 1921 that Ruggles would form the new "Ruggles Motor Truck Company" in Saginaw, MI...
1922
Ruggles would not only run his own truck company but would also become the president of Northern Wheel in Alma. He had hoped to move the concern to nearby St. Louis, MI in the former factory where another truck company named Bollstrom had went under...
In April, it was being discussed on how to get Republic back on its feet but ultimately the firm would go into receivership later in the year. The company flailed through the next few months...
The company officially went into receivership in September...
1922 ads
1923-1925
In May of 1923, a court had ordered that Republic be sold. It was bought by local men that same month and produced around 1300 trucks until the end of the year. In the first three months of 1924, a total of approximately 450 trucks would be produced. The ad below shows what hoped to be a new start with the excellent Republic reputation...
1926
In 1926 the American Wood Rim Company would relocate from Onaway after a fire and occupy part of the Republic plant. The company had been started some years earlier and produced wood rims for bicycles, motorcycles, and vehicles among other items. It was also the largest manufacturer of steering wheels in the world producing approximately 60 percent of the total used in automobile manufacturing. Since the Republic truck volume being produced was much lower, it most likely enabled the move...
It is said that Ruggles was forced out of his company in the same year. Although his vocation is not known, he was still developing patents for automobiles and trucks...
1927
In September of 1927, the Ruggles Motor Truck Company was heading into receivership and by 1929 it was out of business. The Great Depression and loss of property in a Florida hurricane were the main factors of the closure...
Republic would buy the Linn Manufacturing corporation in 1927. The company had been in business since 1916 and were manufacturers of heavy half-trucks having tank-like treads in the back instead of wheels...
Both Ruggles and Republic were building many different truck models. Ruggles was also producing a line of buses which Republic had done in the past...
1928
Ruggles would submit another patent in May of 1928 for an automotive(truck) vehicle attachment that would allow a longer wheel base for hauling heavier loads. It would be granted in March of 1932...
1929-1930
In 1929 Republic merged with American-Lafrance just before the Great Depression and made commercial and fire trucks under the Lafrance-Republic Company name until 1932. Ruggles was listed in the 1930 census as a truck parts manufacturer and it is possible he may have been in business selling his patented inventions...
1932
The Sterling Motor Truck Company would take over the Republic-LaFrance Corporation in 1932 and it officially marked the end of Republic...
1935
The last known patent from Ruggles was filed in February of 1935 for an auxiliary transmission mechanism for four-wheel drive automotive vehicles but would not be granted until September of 1939...
1936-
Frank Ruggles would pass away at the age of 60 in 1936 after dedicating his entire life to the truck and automobile industries and certainly leaving his mark. It is said that Republic lived on in Alma in the form of a parts depot until 1957. There were many houses and a school that were built because of the rapid expansion of Republic. The school building and many houses still exist today...
references
Alma Public Library
The Horseless Age-Volume 16/24/35-1909/1915
The Avalon & Tahoe Manufacturing Company
Library of Congress-Sanborn Maps-1902/1910/1917/1924/1948
Flash & Fizzle: A History of the Republic Truck Motor Company-McKracken
The Automobile-Volume 13/27/30-1905/1912/1914
PureSaginaw.com
Who's Who In Canada-Greene-1922
The Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal-1905/Volume 18-1913
Motor Truck: The National Authority of Power Haulage-Volume 3
The Motor Truck-Volume 3/4/10-1912
The Knox Automobile Company-Hess
The Automobile Journal-Volume 11/32/35/36-1912/1917
The Julian News-2009
The Iron Age-Volume 76/91
Eaton.com
Automotive Industries-Volume 13/28/32/41/42/43/47
Moody's Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities-1918
A History of Cleveland and Its Environs: The Heart of New Conneticut-Avery
