[1][2][3] Company founder William Francis Stewart was born on the family homestead farm near London, Ontario, Canada in 1846.
After the American Civil War ended he and his brother both moved to the United States and became journeyman carriage builders at a number of the leading manufacturers in New York City.
In 1868 both brothers moved to Pontiac, Michigan and William Francis Stewart started working for carriage maker Parsons & Page there.
The two brothers did not get along well and William Francis Stewart returned to Pontiac and the employ of Parsons & Page until 1871 when he again moved to Flint to work for carriage maker W.A.
[3] William Francis Stewart worked for Patterson until 1881, when he left to start his own company, leasing the top floor of a small factory building in Pontiac, where he constructed carriage bodies and other sub-assemblies.
William Francis Stewart was an initial investor in the Buick Motor Company and served for many years on its board of directors.
For his part William E. Stewart also became a major GM share holder and was on the board of the National Bank of Flint.
Due to changes in the industry and in particular GM's acquisition of Fisher Body, business volume shrunk and the company started to specialize in custom work.
[3] In 1928, just after Charles Lindbergh's high-profile May 20–21, 1927 solo transatlantic flight, Samuel Sidney Stewart became interested in building aircraft as a means of diversification.
A hangar at the corner of Saginaw and Maple Roads in Flint became the company's aviation division to build the prototype, John L. Hunt designed, Stewart M-1 monoplane.
This was a much more modern aircraft with twin engines, but it was introduced just as the Great Depression was in full swing and no orders were forthcoming.