Findlay's Road - How One Man Rode Through 1916 to 2016

[Shoganai]

I wish to invite friends, fellow riders and supporters to join us for dinner in the following locations at the end of these days rides. I've carefully selected for historic and unique locations. I so look forward to sharing this adventure with you all and hearing of your own stories.


Dinner Locations

*** see descriptions below.

Note: The Tavern in Abingdon, VA does require Reservations for best seating, so if you intend to join us there, please PM me by no later than Thursday June 10th, 2016.


Wednesday June 8th, 2016
Winder, GA
Locos Grill & Pub 35 N Broad St. Winder, GA 30680 (770) 867-9401

Thursday June 9th, 2016
Charlotte, NC
***Alexander Michael's Restaurant 401 W 9th St Charlotte, NC (704) 332-6789

Thursday June 10th, 2016
Rocky Mount, VA
***Bootleggers Cafe 467 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, VA 24151 (540) 483-2777

Tuesday June 21st, 2016
Wytheville, VA
***1776 Log House Restaurant 520 E Main St. Wytheville, VA 24382 (276) 228-4139

Wednesday June 22nd, 2016
Abingdon, VA
*** The Tavern 222 E. Main St. Abingdon, Virginia 24210
For Reservations, please call (276) 628-1118

Thursday June 23nd, 2016
Chattanooga, TN
***Porter's Steakhouse in the Read House Historic Inn 827 Broad St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 (423) 267-0900

Friday June 24 th, 2016
Thorsby, AL
Side Traxx Cafe US-31, Thorsby, AL 35171 (205) 688-1155

End of Ride Dinner
Saturday June 25th, 2016
Montgomery, AL
***Martin's Restaurant 1796 Carter Hill Rd. Montgomery, AL 36106 (334) 265-1767



Charlotte, NC
A locally owned and operated American Tavern in Charlotte’s Historic 4th Ward serving fresh unpretentious food that is prepared well with fresh, quality ingredients. We offer a wide selection of craft, imported, and domestic beers as well as a full bar and a modest wine selection.


Rocky Mount, VA
Located in the heart of Rocky Mount; in the old Coca-Cola Bottling Company Building (1929), Bootleggers Cafe has a warm and inviting atmosphere with an incredible menu to suit everyone.
We serve Contemporary American Cuisine and home scratch cooking utilizing fresh produce with a focus on local sustainable farms and a distinct flair of Franklin County comfort food. Bootleggers Cafe will strive to provide the best dining experience in Southwest Virginia.
We also offer four of the finest local craft brews on tap, as well as a wide variety of over 50 craft beers in the bottle, a distinct wine variety, mixed spirits and Nightly Specialty Drinks!
So sit back and enjoy a bit of nostalgia at Bootleggers Cafe where food, drink and the staff shine.


Wytheville, VA
Located in the heart of Downtown Wytheville, the Log House Restaurant, which is locally owned and operated, is fine dining in an eighteenth century atmosphere. The Log House is a log cabin that was built in 1776, then transformed into a popular local dining experience, that keeps the ambiance of the olden days. Christopher's Lounge and a gift shop are also located in the Log House. Enjoy fine dining while absorbing the early American décor throughout the home. The Log House is located on Main Street in Wytheville, so specialized shops, museums and parks are just a short walk away.


Abingdon, AL
The Tavern, the oldest of Abingdon's historic buildings and one of the oldest west of the Blue Ridge, was built in 1779. It was used from it's beginning as a tavern and overnight inn for stagecoach traveler's. The Tavern has had such guests as Henry Clay; Louis Philippe, King of France; President Andrew Jackson; and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, designer of Washington D.C.
The first post office on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains was located in the east wing of The Tavern. The original mail slot is still in place and can be seen today from the street.
During the past two centuries, The Tavern has served as a tavern, bank, bakery, general store, cabinet shop, barber shop, private residence, post office, antique shop and restaurant. It even served as a hospital for wounded Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War.
In 1965, The Tavern was acquired from the Thaddeus Harris Family by Mary Dudley Porterfield, wife of the founder of the Barter Theatre. The Harris Family had owned The Tavern for more than 100 years.
In 1984, The Tavern was restored to its former glory by a local attorney Emmitt F. Yeary.
In 1994, it was opened under the management of Max Hermann who moved to Abingdon in 1993 after having served twenty years with the United States Air Force. Max is a native German and resides in Abingdon.


Chattanooga, TN
Originally opened in 1872 and rebuilt in 1926, The Read House is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places and has hosted cultural icons like Winston Churchill, Gary Cooper, Oprah Winfrey and Al Capone.
Welcome to yesteryear; another time and place in downtown Chattanooga. It is with great pleasure that we bring you the latest incarnation of Porter's Steakhouse, one of the best restaurants in the area. Conceived with the 1920's & 30's in mind, Porter's is intended to be a time trip away from modern day cares and back to simpler times. Featuring the finest cuisine in Chattanooga, Porter's has an option for every palate ranging from ocean fresh seafood to finely prepared prime steaks, . In addition to our choice meats, we are always pleased to offer vegetarian fare upon request.


Montgomery, AL
A family owned and operated restaurant, Martin’s is one of the oldest in Montgomery, having opened in the 1930s. The menu changes daily and is inspired by the classic home cooking that the owners themselves grew up with – each day they cook whatever they feel like and serve it to a hungry crowd of happy diners. Specialties include meatloaf, fried catfish, and salmon croquettes. The restaurant is especially family friendly, with a relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe. Martin’s even picked up two awards in 2012, including the readers’ choice from the Montgomery advertiser.

[Shoganai]

Would anybody out there be up for one of the most challenging map searches of ALL time?

Send me your email, ( shoganaik11rs@gmail.com ) and I'll send you a Google Earth file with the following and his diary enrty r/t this search.


1. All the Red lines are roads that existed on or before 1916

2. Orange lines are the same but lost

3. Blue are railroads

4. Dark blue is water

5. Blue drops are springs are water crossings

6. Yellow pins are historic (Hx) or current waypoints/locations such as towns, gaps or churches.

7. Blue pins are place mentioned in a 1916 travel book.

8. The big White V is the search area.

9. Other lines are county borders, 25 miles from Morristown, 8 miles (see diary) and US topo grid (White X)

10. ONE GREEN PIN, present day Sulphur Springs


I'm looking for a "Sulphur or Sulpher Springs" town 25 miles from Morristown. I suspect it has either ceased to exist or a present day community was once called that.

I'm looking for a road on his right as he traveled towards Morristown that lead up into a mountain hollow that ended at some springs north of the Yellow 25 mile line.

I'm beginning to suspect he crossed a ferry south of Bays Mountain, which one, I don't know, but the area near Wexler Bend is promising.

I've been looking for over 2 years, any help would be appreciated!

[Shoganai]

Small update on the Findlay's Road project, I found the 90 year old son of the man that owned the Indian store in Roanoke. I'm currently arranging to meet him as soon as we can.

[Shoganai]

Not to put too fine a point on it but I'm really hurting for funding.
Please help me if you can.

https://www.gofundme.com/FindlaysRoad

Thank you.

[Shoganai]

I just finished completing Day 2 of the 1916 route from Winder. GA to Charlotte, NC.

I am STUNNED how well all my hard work is turning out.

CKF, “a total of 241 miles”
Statement – My actual route mileage is 240.73

(91.79%) 220.99 Miles on roads that existed on or before 1916
(8.21%) 19.74 Miles on new roads

I cannot begin to explain how difficult it has been to arrive at these numbers. I’ve had to use MANY old map, his diary descriptions, 1916 Automobile Blue Books and several other sources like census maps, RFD maps and railroad maps.


These are the numbers for Day 1 Montgomery, AL to Winder, GA.

CKF, “The end of the first day's run. 250 miles”
Statement – My actual route mileage is 243.86

(91.5%) 223.43 Miles on roads that existed on or before 1916
(8.5%) 20.73 Miles on new roads


That’s 490 miles TOTALLY completed!
Just 990 miles remaining!

[Shoganai]

Thank Grampa.

The sole purpose of this ride is to write the book about Charles's life.

The epilogue will be about his life up to the ride and the meat of it will be about the ride it's self as seen 100 years apart. The epilogue will cover his life after the ride to his death on Dec. 17th 1962....the day before I was born.

The book will include the actual diary and a SD card of Charles's voice and recordings of him playing the cell.

[Grumpa]

Welcome Gwen!

I think I can speak for many of us who either remember what times were like when our rides were new, or at least wonder about it. Thank you for highlighting a dimension that is easy to forget about. That being even when we consciously avoid the freeways/expressways and take the back roads, things are very different now.

I think I know why my Grandfather broke his leg on an Indian back then, trying to get away from all the bears. Looks like they were all over; bear right, bear left...

Anyway I don't know what your next job is going to be but I suspect something to do with freelance writing.

[Shoganai]

Here's a bit of history. Typed as written from the 1916 Automobile Blue Book. I love the population numbers and historical references.



Route 293 Winston -Salem to Charlotte, N.C. – 98.7 m.
Route map, page 348
Reverse Route, No. 307

Via Statesville and Mooresville. All good improved sand-clay road with 15 miles of macadam. This connects at Statesville with Route 253 to Hickory and Asheville.

Descriptive Outline – Leaving the “Dual City” of Winston-Salem, we shortly pass through the mill-town of Hanes and continue southwest to the village of Clemmonsville. At points along the way, the Pilot and Saura Town Mountains are in plain view. Clemmonsville is an old settlement of about 100 people, located in a very fertile section. In the old days, it’s Inn or Tavern was noted as a stopping-place for the stage-coaches passing through to the west. Here is located a modern and up-to-date Farm Life School, well endowed by one of its former citizens, Benton Clemmons. Leaving Clemmonsville, we cross the splendid steel bridge over the North Yadkin River. This bridge cost the counties of Forsyth and Davie $36,000. The lands along the river are very fertile and the scenery at the bridge is very picturesque and pleasing. Leaving the river, we traverse some of the finest timber lands of Davie County to the village of Farmington, located in one of the finest sections in North Carolina. The soil hereabouts is red and of a ginger-cake color, quite similar to the land around Huntsville, Ala. Farmington was settled by thrifty and prosperous farmers, and the village lies on the road which was surveyed and cut out by Daniel Boone and three others from Shallow Ford on the Yadkin to Salisbury in Rowan County. The village has a population of about 100, and possesses a flour mill, several stores, a number of churches, and a public school. After leaving Farmington, the highway follows practically the road surveyed and cut out by Boone as far as Mocksville. Over this road the army of Lord Cornwallis passed, crossing the Yadkin River at Shallow Ford on its way to Guilford Court House. There are Modern steel bridges over Cedar, Dutchman, and other creeks in the county, over which this highway passes. The valleys along these creeks and the rolling lands between them are as fine as can be found anywhere. Mocksville, formally known as “Mock’s Old field” is the seat of Davie County. The county is about 20 miles square and was named for General William R. Davie. This section was original known as “The Forks of the Yadkin” and the county was cut out of Rowan in 1837. Mocksville is a town of 1500 inhabitants, and has a new $35,000 Court House, two flour mills, a good hotel, two chair factories, a large furniture factory and modern cotton gins. The soil in this vicinity is very rich and the timber land is plentiful. Leaving Mocksville, we traverse a fine section of country, and about two miles of town, pass through the farm on which Squire Boone, the father of Danial Boone, once lived and in sight of the graveyard in which his remains and those of his wife now rest. A modest stone marks their burial place. Continuing, we cross Bear Creek and Hunting Creek, passing through a section of fertile farming country, dotted with thrifty farm homes, and shortly come to Statesville, the most important intermediate point in our route. At mileage point 39.3 one may connect for Hickory, a progressive manufacturing town of some 5000 people. Statesville is a thriving town of 8000 inhabitants, and is a manufacturing and commercial center of no mean importance. An important factor in the progress of the city – “Attractive Statesville” as it is often called – has been an energetic work car-system, and is the home of the Statesville Female College. The city has a number of splendid public buildings, wide, well-paved streets, and all the modern conveniences that make it desirable for residential, as well as business purposes. Here is located the largest Herbarium in the world and also the largest flour mill in this section. Leaving Statesville, the road to Charlotte traverses a more thickly settled section of the State. Following the general line of the Southern Railway, we soon come to Barium Springs, where is located the Barium Orphans Home of the Presbyterian Synod of North Carolina. A mile beyond is the thriving village of Troutmans, and about ten miles further is Mooresville, a junction point of the Southern Railway, with its population on 3000. We now come to the hamlet of Mount Mourne, which derives its name from the skirmish between the British of Cornwallis’ Army and the Americans at Torrence’s Tavern in the days of the Revolution. Many British were killed; hence mourning, and “Mount Mourne.” Just across the Iredell County Line, in Mecklenburg County, is the college town of Davidson. The college (Presbyterian), which we pass on our left, was founded early in the last century and was named in honor of the Davidson family, who contributed to its founding. Continuing south along the Southern Railway through Huntsville and Croft, we reach Charlotte, which is described in the Charlotte Section.



This is an example of a route in the 1919 Automobile Blue Book.



I've been using these books, 1915, 1916 & 1919, to help select the roads used for the re-building of Charles's ride because they were the major roads of that time.

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[Shoganai]

Thank you but to be clear, I'm not hoping to recreate Charles's ride, I will be recreating his ride. I've invested over $7000 of my own money into this project, and I need another $15,000 ($8000 min.). If I need to take out a personal loan to fill in the remaining amount, I will.


I've also invested 10's of 1000's hours in research, given up watching TV for the past 3 years, physical recon of 1000's of miles of roads, meetings with land owners to get permission to ride on original road bed that now crosses their land, meetings with archivists and historians, and buying maps and data.


I've paid for copies of books written between 1910 and 1919 covering road and bridge building as well as books about what roads should be taken between cities in 1915, 1916 and 1919.


I also will lose my job.


See, there's no 'take a month off to make a historic once in a life time ride' provision. I my last day of work is June 1st. So not only will I be spending a huge amount to money while actually making the ride, I'll not have an income. Oh, and I'll be buying a brand new motorcycle.


The foundation of this is to create a 100 year prospective. His route and the roads of that time as seen from the back of an Indian 100 years newer.
Postpone? Well, one hundred years to the day, mile for mile, town for town will never happen again in my life time.


Yes, I would like to have someone with a 1916 Power Plus to ride this with me, but if not, it will not change my plans. Well, I wouldn't bring the toy hauler, because I won't need it. That was just in case a 1916 Indian was coming along.


Thank you for the welcome dear.

Hi there Shogenai. From what I'm reading (and there's a lot to read) I think you're hoping to duplicate a ride made by a Charles Findlay...and you're hoping to find someone with a '16 Powerplus to do it with you? (Am I close?)

Great plan, but why not postpone until you get your own 1916 Powerplus, restore it, then do the ride yourself? Then you'd have something!

Welcome!

[pisten-bully]

Hi there Shogenai. From what I'm reading (and there's a lot to read) I think you're hoping to duplicate a ride made by a Charles Findlay...and you're hoping to find someone with a '16 Powerplus to do it with you? (Am I close?)

Great plan, but why not postpone until you get your own 1916 Powerplus, restore it, then do the ride yourself? Then you'd have something!

Welcome!

[Shoganai]

Here is some information about Charles. (text is (R) copyrighted)


Probably there never was a man more destined and groomed for success than Charles Klieber Findlay.


He was born into a prominent family in Abingdon, Virginia on August 3, 1899, the son of Alexander Findlay and his wife Ella Klieber Findlay. Charles was not yet 5 years old when his mother, who was born, raised, and educated in Germany, died at the age of 24. His father afterwards raised him in such a manner as to encourage his natural talents and abilities.


Charles’ brilliance was apparent early as he had mastered the violin and cello by age ten. His musical talent was inherited from both parents as his father, Alexander, was also a master violinist who had studied under great teachers in Germany. While in Germany he met and courted Ella Kleiber, his future wife and mother of Charles. Ella was a talented, highly respected pianist.


Young Charles also became fascinated by all type of machines and anything mechanical. This drew him into the world of early motorcycles, where he also greatly excelled. He could and would disassemble and reassemble bicycles and motorcycles as if he was born doing it.


At the age of fifteen, he persuaded his father to take an extended round trip on a 1915 Indian Motorcycle to Springfield, Massachusetts via New York to visit the Indian Motorcycle Company. His father was very apprehensive about Charles’ love of riding motorcycles; for fear that an injury to his son’s hands would endanger his ability to play musical instruments.


This New York trip in 1915 seemed to have planted the seed for the long solo ride Charles took on a 1916 model Indian motorcycle from Montgomery, Alabama (where his father had just remarried) to Abingdon, Virginia (his father and grandfather’s ancestral home) and back to Montgomery using a different route. Charles documented this ride in his now famous day by day and mile by mile diary.


As if being a master musician and an adventurous motorcycle rider and mechanic where not enough to contain Charles seemingly endless energy, talents, and ability and just a few months after his father died, he joined the army during WWI. He was naturally drawn towards and tackled learning how to fly airplanes.


He excelled at this also and began building airplanes and flying experimental versions. This lead to an interest in aerial photography and photography in general, another talent taught to him by his father who took and develop many amazing photographs.


At the age of thirty three Charles finally settled down somewhat and married Madaline Tussing of Alliance, Ohio. They were married for 30 years. Charles passed away at the age of sixty three having lived a full and adventurous life. He left no children but did leave his great legacy plus much documentation of his grant life for his extended Findlay family to enjoy and be proud of to this day. His many life accomplishments are too numerous to list in this short sketch.


.

[Shoganai]

I am DESPERATELY seeking an owner of a 1916 Indian Power Plus to ride some or all of this with me.


This might normally not be too difficult, but 2016 is the Cannonball Run in which many 1916 Indian Power Plus bike are entered.


BUT I still need to find a 1916 Indian Power Plus bike and rider willing to ride with me. Steverino has agreed to bring the toy hauler / mobile bike shop to support us, so the older bike will be well cared for as well as giving the rider a free place to sleep every night.


Please, please spread the word about this, I need ALL the help I can get.


And again, please consider supporting this ONCE IN A LIFETIME ride with your financial support.

.

[Shoganai]

I have spent many hundreds of hours studying with one screen looking like this.





And the other like this.





These are samples of some of the map types I've been using.














.

[Shoganai]

In this screen shot, all the yellow lines are roads I can 100% verify existed on or before 1916 [img]and that fall with the diary route and his descriptions.





In 1916, this was THE major highway. (going under the RR trestle)





In 1900, this bridge was part of the most traveled between to nearby towns.





As part of the recent recon trip, I spent a LOT of time digging trough old maps that have never been digitized.



.

[Shoganai]

I researched several state archives and dozens to libraries to fill in the missing map/route sections because not every thing is digitized or online.





Blue is a RR I can document in 1916.
Yellow is roadbed dating to 1914.
Red was same road that although still present I can't use because the RR cross over is gone.
Green is roadbed that didn't exist in 1916.


Here's where the recent recon has helped. The purple line was 1914 roadbed that was available in 2014 but has since been converted to a bike trail.

I hope that made sense.