Republic Motor Truck Company
Encyclopedia
Alma, Michigan
Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,275 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated as the Village of Alma in 1872 and became a city in 1905....
. By 1918, it was recognized as the largest exclusive truck manufacturer in the world, and the maker of one out of every nine trucks on the roads in the United States. It was one of the major suppliers of "Liberty truck
Liberty truck
-History:The liberty truck was designed by the Motor Transport section of the Quartermaster Corps in cooperation with the members of the Society of Automotive Engineers....
s" used by American troops during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The author Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
(creator of Tarzan) purchased a Republic truck in 1916 and drove it across the United States. His exploits were later published in the pamphlet "An Auto-Biography" and distributed by Republic. By 1918, Republic was advertising in such national publications as the Saturday Evening Post, declaring that one goes to "Damascus for swords, Teheran [sic] for rugs, Lynn for shoes, Rochester for cameras, Dayton for cash registers, Alma for trucks." Over 3,000 dealers served the United States, with additional dealers in at least 56 foreign countries and colonies.
In 1927, Republic purchased the Linn Manufacturing Company, makers of the heavy duty Linn tractor
Linn tractor
The Linn tractor is a heavy duty civilian half-track or crawler tractor invented by Holman Harry Linn. Approximately 2500 units were built in Morris, New York, USA from 1916 to 1952....
.
The return of the Liberty truck
Liberty truck
-History:The liberty truck was designed by the Motor Transport section of the Quartermaster Corps in cooperation with the members of the Society of Automotive Engineers....
s to the United States after World War I led to a major reduction in demand for trucks. Republic's production volume dropped from nearly 30,000 in 1918 to 1,453 in 1921. Republic was forced into receivership in 1922. After reorganization, the company attempted unsuccessfully to regain its former status as a preferred manufacturer. After the sudden death of its president, Oliver Hayes, in 1928, the company merged with the :American LaFrance Company to become LaFrance-Republic. LaFrance-Republic in turn was purchased by the Sterling Motor Truck Company in 1931, which was purchased by the White Motor Company
White Motor Company
White Motor Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic lathes, and sewing machines. Before World War II, the company was based in Cleveland, Ohio.-History:...
in 1951. A parts depot for Republic existed in Alma until 1957.
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External links
- http://www.johncolemanburroughs.com/mag0/0030.html
- http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/OurCompany/AboutUs/EatonHistory/index.htm
- http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/museum/LIBTrucks.htm