Gilford native Charles Ranlet started the Laconia Car Co. in 1848, the same year the railroad reached Meredith Bridge, what Laconia was earlier known as. The company manufactured railway cars until 1928.
Ranlet's brother Joseph joined the firm, and after Charles’ death in 1861, formed a partnership with John C Moulton, and later with Perley Putnam, both prominent local entrepreneurs.
Suffering from several fires, the entire plant burned down around 1896, leading to its reconstruction in brick.
In 1899, the plant occupied 7 acres in the heart of the city, and by 1912, had 54 buildings on approximately 14 acres.
Over the 80 years of its existence, the Laconia Car Co. produced thousands of railroad cars, both freight and passenger, and hundreds of trolley and subway cars. The vast majority of them went to rail and trolley lines on the East Coast, although there were a few orders that went to Nevada, Indiana, and other states. The company also built at least two coaches for the Mount Washington Cog Railway.
Laconia cars are still in service on certain tourist railways, such as the one in Conway, New Hampshire. There are a number of Laconia-built trolleys in operation at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennnebunnkport, Maine, as well as at other railway museums.