Hesse Carriage Company Building

Constructed in three phases starting in 1903, this building was the first location of Hesse Carriage Company, a vehicle company known first for their wagon designs and later for custom cars and trucks. The company became a national leader in wagon and automobile manufacturing during the first decades of the twentieth century. The company remained at 17th and Oak until 1946 when the business moved to a new location. The company now operates as Group Hesse, and in 1995, the former automobile manufacturer was listed in the Kansas City Business Journal as the oldest local business still in existence.

The company founder, William G. Hesse, immigrated to the United States from Prussia in 1853. After settling in Leavenworth, Kansas, Hesse followed in his father's footsteps by working as a Blacksmith and wagon maker which included building and repairing wagons known as "prairie schooners" as they transported traders and farmers west on the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails. In 1903, William Hesse, his son Otto, and their business partner Joseph Falk incorporated the Hesse Carriage Company and opened their 17th and Oak location the same year.

Following William's example, Otto and Joseph recognized the need to adjust their business to meet changing demand for transporting manufactured goods. In the early 1900s, Hesse Company designed wagons to transport ice and cold drinks as the popularity of sodas created opportunities beyond drugstore counters. The company later manufactured Kansas City's first Coca-Cola delivery trucks. As suburban sprawl led to increased demand for cars, the company adjusted by designing automobiles for consumers that could operate in all seasons as they also shifted their delivery vehicle business from wagons to trucks. Their innovative and creative methods allowed the company to continue in business even as technology changed and major manufacturers came to dominate the automobile age.

During the 1930s, Hesse began to specialize in truck trailers for beverage companies. This grew into their main source of business and became what they were known for over the next decade. During World War II, the company shifted its focus to building fire trucks for the Army and Navy, securing important government contracts in a time of lower consumer demand while also supporting the war effort. The company returned to building beverage trucks again once the war ended. In 1991 Joe Falk, Jr. sold the company to a Canadian group. Today, the company's former location on 17th Street houses a moving company, demonstrating the continuity between Kansas City's automobile row and the transportation industry.

Millstein, Cydney E.. Hesse Carriage Company - National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, National Park Service. August 7th, 2006. Accessed August 30th, 2022. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63819453/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/07000169.pdf.

Theobald, Mark. Wm. G. Hesse; William G. Hesse & Son Manufacturing Company, Coachbuilt. Accessed August 30th, 2022. http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/h/hesse_mfg/hesse_mfg.htm.