The George Delker Company was established in 1863, and for a number of years was known as Delker & Blondin. At that time the father of Carl P. Schlamp, Martin Schlamp, was a silent partner.
After Mr. Blondin’s death, the firm was known as George Delker & Co. After that outside capital was taken in, the firm was then known as the Delker Phaeton Co. The Delker Phaeton Co. was quite successful in establishing a reputation for high-class work, but did not make any money, and in 1887 George Delker and Martin Schlamp withdrew and incorporated the George Delker Co., and the name of the Delker Phaeton Co. was changed to the Henderson Buggy Co.
The Henderson Buggy Co. continued to run for a few years, until their capital was exhausted, at which time their plant and good-will were bought by the George Delker Co.
The George Delker Co was incorporated in 1887 and ran for four years, until the death of George Delker in 1891, as a very small concern and doing nothing but a local business. After the death of Mr. Delker, Carl P. Schlamp became the general manager of the company. Under his wise management, the company expanded very rapidly, and became among the larger wholesale carriage factories in the United States. Martin Schlamp was president of the company until 1897, when he died, and Carl P. Schlamp succeeded him. Edward Schlamp was secretary of the company, taking over as president when his brother Carl died.
Geo. Delker Co. was employing 90 persons whose combined salary for the year ending June 30, 1918, was $75,606.
The company occupied about five acres of ground with a total floor space of about 125,000 square feet.
In 1922, the production of buggies was replaced with that of furniture. The company closed in 1929.
The Spokesman October 1915 excerpt:
The cut herewith shows the modern factory of The George Delker Co., carriage manufacturers of Henderson, Ky. They report a very satisfactory business this year, having opened many new accounts, as well as supplying all of their old customers. Owing to the high quality of the material used in the construction of their vehicles and the satisfactory service they give, their business has increased year after year. No factory is closer to the vehicle trade than The George Delker Co., who, through their long experience and by concentrating their entire time on building vehicles only, are in position to adapt their styles to each particular section in which they are sold. This business was first established in Henderson in 1863, being located in the business part of the city, but due to the successful management and the support tendered, it was found necessary to increase their factories, and in 1904 their splendid factory on the railroad tracks near the Union Passenger Station was erected. Their buildings are of modern fire-proof construction, equipped with automatic fire extinguishers, and every modern appliance for the economical manufacture of vehicles.
Henderson, Ky., the home of the George Delker plant, has many advantages as a carriage manufacturing center, being located on the Ohio River, with cheap water transportation, and on the Louisville & Nashville, Illinois Central, and Louisville, Henderson & St. Louis Rajlways; also on the Evansville and Henderson Traction Line, with an hourly interurban system. This enables the company to secure low freight rates to all points, thereby effecting quite a saving for their customers in freight charges.
The editor of THE SPOKESMAN recently had the pleasure of visiting the big buggy plant of The George Delker Co., at Henderson, Ky., one of the oldest manufacturers of vehicles in the Central States. This firm has long been known as one of the foremost builders of good work, and has always kept at the front. Several additions have been made and the company is making extensive preparations for the coming season and is going after the business vigorously. The 1916 models are now exhibited in their big show room. which, by the way, is said to be the finest vehicle factory repository in the West or South. E. J. Schlamp, president of the company, is very optimistic and stated, “Our business in September and October thus far shows a nice increase over the same period of last year.
Our principal sales are in Indiana. Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Virginia and the Carolinas, and from present crop reports we see no reason why 1916 should not be a good year. It is true the auto game has cut into the vehicle business, but we believe that old established firms like ours, building high grade work at a moderate price, will always find a market for their product, and we have at no time considered making automobiles; we make from five to six thousand vehicles annually.” In connection with this article we present portraits, on the opposite page, of E. J. Schlamp. president; George G. Yarnell, superintendent; Jacob Zimbro. Indiana representative; George W. Dean, Kentucky and Tennessee representative, and Roy Sweeney, representative in Virginia and the Carolinas. Other travelers of The George Delker Co., who have had a nice business, are T. L. Bell, of Texas; George W. Adams, of Illinois, and F. A. Neff, of Missouri.
References:
The Spokesman Dec 1909
The Spokesman Oct 1915
Postcard history of Henderson , KY