During the foundational era of the American automotive industry, numerous forward-thinking cities across the nation fiercely competed for the prestigious title of ‘Motor City,’ all hoping to strike industrial gold. Among these ambitious contenders, Jackson, Michigan, stood out as a significant and often overlooked pioneer, playing a crucial role in shaping the early landscape of vehicle manufacturing. Its history is rich with innovation, ambition, and the stories of resilient entrepreneurs who dared to dream of putting America on wheels.
The narrative of Jackson’s automotive legacy begins with visionary minds like Byron J. Carter, whose diverse manufacturing portfolio included components for bicycles, steam-driven presses, and even rubber stamps. Carter’s burgeoning fascination with automobiles led him to develop a gasoline-powered prototype as early as 1899, marking his commitment to this revolutionary technology.
Byron J. Carter and the Jackson Automobile Company
With a strong background in steam engines, Carter’s initial marketable vehicle in 1901 was a steam-powered Stanhope, manufactured by the Michigan Automobile Company. The following year proved pivotal; Carter secured a patent for an innovative three-cylinder, six-horsepower steam engine. He then attracted crucial financial backing from prominent local figures: Charles Lewis, president of Lewis Spring & Axle and a director at Union Bank of Jackson, and George A. Mathews, owner of the Fuller Buggy Company and director of the Jackson City Bank. Together, they incorporated the Jackson Automobile Company.
Under pressure from his partners, who sought to diversify their investment risks, the company produced automobiles under two distinct names. Steam-engine vehicles were marketed as ‘Jaxon,’ while six-horsepower gasoline-powered cars bore the ‘Jackson’ name. The ‘Jaxon’ models, promoted with the confident slogan “Steam is Reliable and Easily Understood,” were short-lived, appearing only in 1903. Carter’s departure from the company soon followed, prompted by his partners’ refusal to fund the development of his revolutionary friction-drive transmission.
Even without Byron Carter’s immediate innovations, the Jackson Automobile Company carved out a commendable reputation for durability and reliability. Their memorable slogan, “No Hill Too Steep, No Sand Too Deep,” was not mere advertising hyperbole but a testament to actual customer experiences and the robust engineering of their vehicles. The company persevered for two decades, introducing some unique deviations from conventional designs, such as dedicating the entire year of 1919 to truck manufacturing. Perhaps its most unconventional creation was the 1913 ‘Duck,’ a car famously driven from the backseat, showcasing the independent spirit of early Jackson, Michigan automotive engineering.
The Legacy of Cartercar and Other Pioneers
After leaving the Jackson Automobile Company, Byron Carter did not abandon his automotive ambitions. He quietly gathered resources and financial support to launch another venture, specifically to utilize his patented friction-drive transmission. This led to the formation of the Motorcar Company, initially associated with Jackson for a brief period. However, in 1906, Carter reorganized and rebranded it as the Cartercar Company, relocating operations to Detroit to be closer to emerging automotive hubs. His innovation continued to shape the industry, even as his direct ties to Jackson diminished.
Another notable automotive pioneer with early connections to Jackson, Michigan was David Buick. While his initial attempt at automobile manufacturing in the city was short-lived and modest, it nonetheless provided a vital boost to several specialty machine shops in the area. These shops would later become crucial suppliers of key components to major automotive players, including Ford, Olds, and Maxwell, underscoring Jackson’s foundational role in the wider automotive ecosystem.
Benjamin Briscoe and the Briscoe Motor Corporation
By 1914, when Benjamin Briscoe established the Briscoe Motor Corporation in Jackson, both Briscoe and the city were seasoned veterans of the automotive manufacturing arena. Benjamin Briscoe’s impressive journey in the industry began as a financier behind the formation of the Buick Manufacturing Company in 1902. His second significant automotive venture emerged in 1903 through a partnership with Jonathan D. Maxwell.
This collaboration culminated in the highly successful Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company in 1905. Briscoe then leveraged this success to create the United States Motor Company, an ambitious conglomerate styled after General Motors, which unfortunately collapsed in 1912. Undeterred by this setback, Briscoe ventured into the nascent cyclecar market, establishing Briscoe Freres in France with his brother Frank and importing these vehicles into the U.S. under the ‘Argo’ brand, though this endeavor proved less successful.
Despite a string of failures, Benjamin Briscoe, bolstered by the substantial financial backing of Chicago’s Swift family, launched the Briscoe Motor Corporation on a solid foundation in Jackson, Michigan. The company’s inaugural offering debuted at the New York Automobile Show in 1914, receiving mixed reviews primarily due to its highly unconventional styling. The vehicle featured body panels made from compressed paper-mâché composite over a wood frame. In a unique design choice reminiscent of luxury brand Pierce-Arrow’s flared headlights, the Briscoe featured a single, centrally mounted headlight positioned atop the radiator housing, a distinctive feature that set it apart.
Unorthodox thinking continued to dominate the company’s boardroom until its eventual demise in 1921. In 1916, Briscoe famously ran an advertisement proclaiming, “Buy the Four. Use it for a month. If you want the Eight, pay the difference and a small charge for installation work,” an innovative sales tactic. Later that year, a smaller model equipped with a French-designed, air-cooled, four-cylinder engine was introduced. Mid-1917 saw an even bolder proposition: offering easy assembly plans for a four-cylinder automobile, complete with components supplied by Briscoe, to any community aspiring to become an automotive manufacturing site.
The company’s final attempt to cut costs involved radical product simplification, spearheaded by Briscoe and his chief engineer, Jules Haltenberger. They designed interchangeable spring shackles, a reversible propeller shaft, identical clutch and brake pedal castings, and standardized bolts for most chassis components. While this strategy achieved the desired cost reduction through simplified production, it inadvertently resulted in automobiles plagued by an endless array of component failures, ultimately contributing to the company’s downfall.
Jackson’s Enduring Automotive Spirit
The spirit of independent automotive thinking in Jackson, Michigan did not conclude with the closures of the Jackson Automobile Company, Briscoe Motor Corporation, or the dozen other manufacturers that operated in the city before 1920. The quest for industrial gold, marked by continuous innovation and ambition, persisted. The final notable chapter in Jackson’s automotive story was written in late 1953, with the initial production of the stunning Kaiser Darrin sports car taking place in Kaiser’s Jackson facilities. This marked a fitting end to a rich and varied legacy, showcasing Jackson’s enduring contribution to American automotive history.
Jackson, Michigan, remains a testament to the dynamic and competitive spirit of the early automotive era, a city that, despite not becoming the sole ‘Motor City,’ played an indispensable role in pioneering vehicle manufacturing and fostering innovation that impacted the entire industry.
