Studebaker tree sign gets preservation money

Trees spell out the word StudebakerWhen it got out of the passenger car business in the 1960s, Studebaker was the oldest car company in the US. While a variety of conditions contributed to the shuttering of Studebaker passenger car production, it was a sad day for many who thought the Indiana company was one of the best and most innovative in the business. 

As proof of their being ahead of their time, they were the first company to open a proving grounds in 1926 and part of that facility included a huge grove of trees that were planted to spell out Studebaker. So large is this grove that the word Studebaker can be seen from outer space!

Interestingly enough, when the company got out of the car biz they sold the proving grounds to Bendix who split up the property and sold portions to Bosch. But the portion with the trees and Studebaker club house were kept intact, surprisingly, and donated to the state of Indiana for use as a park. 

At half a mile long and visible from space, the Studebaker sign outside New Carlisle, Indiana, is certainly the largest artifact of that company’s existence, and as such, it’s also the one that requires the most upkeep. Yet, surprisingly, the giant landmark has made it through the last 70-plus years with a maintenance budget of zero, something its caretakers aim to change.

With the help of a $2,500 endangered places grant from Indiana Landmarks, awarded last month, the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department has taken the first steps toward preserving and maintaining the sign, starting with an assessment of the current health of the trees in the sign. The red and white pine trees, planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938 on what was then the Studebaker proving grounds, currently stand about 60 to 70 feet tall, but there’s no telling how long they’re expected to live, according to Evelyn Kirkwood, director of the parks system.

“These pine trees are not the longest living when planted in our area, and because they were planted so close together, they’re now stressed and don’t have the root systems they should,” Kirkwood said. “Any time we get a windstorm or a heavy, wet snow, we do get trees that topple, and because they’re so close together, we get a domino effect going.”

The study, funded in part by the grant, expected to wrap up later this month, will also recommend management strategies for the health of the trees and a long-term plan for replacing and re-planting the sign. About 5,000 trees make up the sign.