Packer Motors

Historic Business: Packer Motors

Ira Packer’s father apprenticed as a blacksmith under John D. Rees in Brigham City. Ira learned blacksmithing skills from his father and was very mechanically-minded and able to understand how things worked and fix them when they didn't. Ira and his wife lived in Corinne and Ira eventually took a job at the J.A. Stewart Motor Company as a shop foreman. Eventually, the family moved to Brigham City and, after a couple of moves, bought a large, red home at 627 S. Main.

After Stewart Motor Company failed, Ira ran his own business there for a time and then rented a spot at 146 South Main Street, in a building owned by C.O. Christensen. Here he started Packer Garage. Awhile later, a larger building at 75 S. Main became available. Here, Packer Motor Company was started and they sold Chrysler. In 1936, the upstairs was remodeled into a home and the Packer family moved to that location so that they could be closer to Ira’s work. The home at 627 S. Main continued to be used for the business but was eventually demolished and the current building (that most recently housed Heritage Dodge) was built.

The photos are for educational, nonprofit and noncommercial use only. The Compton photos are from the Compton Collection at the Merrill-Cazier Library at USU. Newspaper articles are taken from the U of U Digital Newspapers Collection.

Information on Ira Packer was taken from "The Best Team Ira and Emma Packer"

Ira Packer and William Jensen

Packer home at 627 S. Main

Photo from 700 South looking north. The home on the right at the top is Packer's where Boyd K. Packer lived in his early years. On the left is the home of John Anderson. It later became possibly the first hospital in Brigham City known as Brigham City General Hospital opened in 1906 by Dr. R.A. Pearse

Packer home used for Packer Motors

Ira's wrecker

New Packer Motors building being built

Circa 1971. Likely a photo by Bruce Keyes of BENJ

Notice both addresses- 75 S Main and 647 South Main

Circa 1981. Likely photo by Bruce Keyes at BENJ

This article of June 12, 1946, gives a brief history of Packer Motors and also discusses the addition to the building (now owned by the Chamber of Commerce- formerly Christensen's)