Antique Archaeology

[c.o.]

If any of you folks want to check out some cool pics and videos go to www.antiquearchaeology.com

I found them when I was surfing around for H-D bicycle info and thought some of you might get a kick out of it!!

[HarleyCreation]

Re: Antique Archaeology

Originally posted by c.o.
If any of you folks want to check out some cool pics and videos go to www.antiquearchaeology.com

I found them when I was surfing around for H-D bicycle info and thought some of you might get a kick out of it!!

Speaking of archaelogy, I have always considered it a shame that there was no "dig" at the site of the Davidson family home where the original 10x15 woodshed was located. That home was still there into the 1970s but apparently nobody applied "industrial archaelogy" to the site.

A few years ago I was visiting the site of the old Waverley motorcycle factory and saw an old guy hoeing a garden nearby. I strolled over and asked him if he had ever found anything. He said that one time he had dug up a big old sparkplug. R.I.P.

This reminds me of a great article in the AMCA mag Jerry Hatfield wrote about a ghostly visit to the ruins of the Indian plant back in the 1980s.

How many of our early motorcycle factory buildings still exist? There were a lot of companies, so some must....

[AFJ]

Re: Re: Antique Archaeology

Originally posted by HarleyCreation


How many of our early motorcycle factory buildings still exist? There were a lot of companies, so some must....

The Indian Motocycle factory in Toronto, Canada is still there at 12-14 Mercer St. Used for offices and a UPS depot.

AFJ

[Chuck#1848]

Re: Re: Antique Archaeology

Originally posted by HarleyCreation



How many of our early motorcycle factory buildings still exist? There were a lot of companies, so some must....

The Emblem factory still stands in Angola New York somewhere here I had posted a photo of it.

2 photos of the factory are in American other thread titled 1912? emblem.

[c.o.]

I also think there was an article on finding the ACE factory a few years back in the Antique Motorcycle.

[martin]

Just wanted to give people a heads up on the Antique Archaeology guy. His name is Mike Wolf. He allegedly conned some elderly people here in Ohio and in Pennsilvania out of a bunch of motorcycle parts. He is from Davenport, IA. Talk to the guys from Davenport... I think his reputation there is well known. He goes by wolfebike or wolfbike on ebay. Ask around is all I am sayin'.

[HarleyCreation]

The home of the "northside friend" (Henry Melk) on which parts for the first small and never produced "Bicycle Motor" (1901-1903) were made still stands on Milwaukee's north side. Here is the Melk home in 1919 (borrowed from the Melk family history webpage).

This is perhaps the earliest "archaelogical" site of the H-D motorcycle in Milwaukee still in existence now that the railshops are gone and the Davidson family home first-woodshed-site has been replaced by a Miller Brewing office building.

[LouieMCman]

The Flying Merkel / Miami factory was torn down a few years ago in Middletown Ohio. A fellow club member there in town grabbed a few bricks and gave me a couple last year.

[exeric]

That's a shame about the Miami factory. I was there back in the early 1980's visiting a friend. I took some pictures of the old factory and you could feel the history just being near the place. Maybe there was a good reason for tearing it down but I always believe that a town looses more than they realize when they allow the demolition. Oh well, that's what they call progress.

[HarleyCreation]

Speaking of Merkel again, I have an old map showing where the Milwaukee Merkel factory was located in the Layton Park neighborhood, but I don't think that I ever went there to find out whether or not it still stands. That would be a worthy adventure.

[Earl]

Originally posted by HarleyCreation
Speaking of Merkel again, I have an old map showing where the Milwaukee Merkel factory was located in the Layton Park neighborhood, but I don't think that I ever went there to find out whether or not it still stands. That would be a worthy adventure.

Hi Harley Creation.

Here's something you might try.

Do a mapquest search for the address.
And when the map comes up, there's a tab in the upper right hand corner, that gives you an option to see an aerial view.
Click on the tab, and then you can use tabs on the left to zoom in for a closer view.

Satellites are great.
I did this once for my home address, and saw our cars in the driveway.

Good luck.

[LouieMCman]

Eric
Any chance you know where those pictures of the Miami factory are at, I would love to see them. Thanks

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Earl


Hi Harley Creation.

Here's something you might try.

Do a mapquest search for the address.
And when the map comes up, there's a tab in the upper right hand corner, that gives you an option to see an aerial view.
Click on the tab, and then you can use tabs on the left to zoom in for a closer view.

Satellites are great.
I did this once for my home address, and saw our cars in the driveway.

Good luck.

Great idea Earl. If I can find that map again, I'll try that. I've also found my place that way.

[AdminGuy]

Mike Wolf? Slander? Defimation of character? Well boo-hoo-hoo.... cry me a river.

What I've seen transpire. A story if you will.

An old timer has stuff that locals want and have been trying to aquire for a number of years. Lets set approx market value of say 20K. Locals want it for 10K and have been working the old timer for years. He's in no hurry to sell and enjoys guys talking him up.

Well one day some outsider steps in and offers 16.5K to the old timer and he likes the guy and sells considering it a fair offer. Also considering selling to an outsider ends local controversy. As you can imagine the locals go balistic and bad mouth the outsider up and down.

Sound like a familiar story?

[jurassic]

Mike Wolf? Slander? Defimation of character? Well boo-hoo-hoo.... cry me a river.

What I've seen transpire. A story if you will.

An old timer has stuff that locals want and have been trying to aquire for a number of years. Lets set approx market value of say 20K. Locals want it for 10K and have been working the old timer for years. He's in no hurry to sell and enjoys guys talking him up.

Well one day some outsider steps in and offers 16.5K to the old timer and he likes the guy and sells considering it a fair offer. Also considering selling to an outsider ends local controversy. As you can imagine the locals go balistic and bad mouth the outsider up and down.

Sound like a familiar story?

good to know who's side your on paul, thanks bro.my dues may be a little late.