Okay.
How’d you do in last week’s quiz on wagon company catchphrases? Folks often have favorites when it comes to
specific brands so some of the taglines may have been more familiar and,
therefore, easier to match than others. It’s
also worth noting that some of the mottos used by different firms did
occasionally change. Take a look below
and compare your answers with the brands most commonly associated with each of
the slogans and songs…
·
The
Monarch of the Road – Mitchell Wagons
·
King
of All – Weber Wagons (also used by the Lion Buggy Company of Cincinnati, Ohio)
·
Good
Timber & Bone Dry – Winona Wagons
·
The
Pride of St. Louis – Linstroth Wagons
·
The
Wagon of Quality – Birdsell Wagons
·
Light
Running & Durable – Moline Wagons
·
We
Tower Above All – Luedinghaus/Espenschied Wagons
·
Best
Material. Best Made. Best Finished on Earth. – Ionia Wagons
·
No
Wagon is as Good – Milburn Wagons
·
The
Farmer’s Favorite – Coquillard & Studebaker Wagons
·
A-Very
Good Wagon – Avery Wagons
·
The
Wooden Shoe Line – Buerkens Wagons
·
The
Old Reliable – used by Pekin, Springfield, Schuttler, & Olds Wagons
·
The
Only Original and Genuine – Fish Bros. Wagons (Racine)
·
Wait
for the Wagon (song) – Studebaker Wagons & Jackson Wagons
A few other taglines include
Hickman-Ebbert Wagon Company’s “Best At The Price & Always The Same” as
well as Hackney Wagon’s “For Style, Durability, and Light Running – No Wagon
Surpasses.” Sometimes these sayings were
accompanied with visual supports such as elephants in wagons (Jackson &
Moline), rabbits pulling wagons (Harrison), oversized loads demonstrating
strength (Owensboro, Newton, Fish Bros. and many more), axles cut away under
loads (Winona), a peacock with fanned feathers (Linstroth), and a running
greyhound (Moline).
The primary point we can take from these
images is that sales successes of individual brands not only required a
quality, relevant product with a strong distribution system, but also a
significant commitment to marketing and advertising. Each part of this mix was – and is – crucial
to any national and international business achievement. Likewise, each has proven to be undaunted by
the passage of time. How relevant were
the lessons learned in America’s first transportation industry? Well, they were
substantial enough that many of the fundamentals are still practiced
today. In fact, the next time you see
the dealer name affixed to the car in front of you, remember that the origins
of that simple advertisement began with the wood-wheeled wagon makers. As the old saying goes, “The more things
change, the more they stay the same.”
