What happened to Woodward Carriage Company? Short history about Woodward Carriage Company.

Woodward Carriage Company was a carriage manufacturing facility in San Antonio at one time. Much history about Woodward Carriage Company seems to have been forgotten. This news article will explore what happened to Woodward Carriage Company.

Woodward Carriage Company established and chartered by Frank Winerich, D.J. Woodward, and T.D. Cobbs in 1902. Frank Winerich owned and operated Woodward Carriage Company. Woodward Carriage Company was the precursor of Winerich Motor Company and the Woodward Body Works in both San Antonio & Austin. Now Woodward Carriage Company would eventually become the Woodward Body Works. (Ref: https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/NR/pdfs/96000069/96000069.pdf)

 

The address for Woodward Carriage Company was 213 N St. Mary St, San Antonio, TX. Woodward Carriage Company would be centrally located near downtown and the San Antonio River. This made perfect sense because that is where many warehouses were located. (Ref: San Antonio Gazette, Page 12, April 24, 1909)

However Woodward Carriage Company was also said to be located in the Winerich Building at 301 Broadway Street. Winerich Building at 301 Broadway, one block to the north, was designed in 1914 as the Woodward Carriage Company. Woodward Carriage Company would later move to the corner of Avenue C and 3rd Street. (Ref: San Antonio: City of Destiny and Your Destination, 1918).

Woodward Carriage Company’s advertisements offered “money-saving opportunities in the vehicle clearance sales” They also had to get rid of discontinued vehicles they didn’t want to inventory. Used vehicles were also available. You bought your horsepower separately. (Ref: https://blog.mysanantonio.com/vault/2015/01/did-these-vehicles-have-a-new-carriage-smell/)

Detroit Free Press reported Woodward Carriage Company as being one of the largest retail and mobile sales office in the United States by 1914. "In San Antonio, Texas, the Woodward Carriage Company has completed plans for an eight-story fire-proof building which will be one of the largest retail and mobile sales office in the United States.” (Ref: Detroit Free Press, Page 67, Sunday, June 28, 1914)

Woodward Carriage Company changed its name to Winerich Motor Sales Company in 1918. Frank Winerich would still own the company as he was one of the founding partners of the original company. (Ref: San Antonio Express, December 31, 1935)

Woodward Carriage Company was located at 213 North St. Mary Street, San Antonio, Texas, US 78205.