According to School Bus, Burton Belknap (circa 1951), and the May
1960 Nation's Schools, the company created the predecessor to the modern motor
school bus in 1914 when Wayne Works dropped a wooden kid hack onto an automobile
chassis. However, there were a few cases in which other "regular" motor buses had already been used by schools. In addition, Wayne Works had already manufactured a car known as the Richmond earlier in the century. I'm curious as to why Wayne Works made the apparent delay in "motorizing" their school bus. Photo furnished by Divco-Wayne to Nation's Schools, May 1960, p. 87.
Note the steps at the rear of the bus. There appears to be no passenger door at the front. The design was held over from the horsedrawn days as a precaution to prevent horses being startled from behind. Rumor has it that this rear door became the "Emergency Door."
