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Originally posted by pem
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The first instance I remember HD using 1903 as their first year of production is from an ad from the Janesville Gazette, Friday March 20, 1908.
"HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE
(photo of 1908)
5th year of success.
3 1/2 H. P. actual. Best by test.
PIERSON'S GARAGE
Janesville, wis."
Paps, between 1911 and 1914 a lot of Harley ads and articles used 1902 as the first year of production. Some even said in 1914 "Producers of High Grade Motorcycles for More than Tweleve years". That would make it 1901. It's just nuts the way advertising worked back then. For example:
In a letter from J.P. Thornley, Chairman of the competition committe of the F.A.M., he writes on Oct. 23, 1912 to a Mr. W.F. Mann of Boston, Mass. the following;
"As fas as advertisements in the trade papers are concerned, I have long since given up any idea of trying to make people tell the truth in the advertising columns of any trade journal. I am sick and tired of the manufacturers and the trade in general. When they spend a little money on a run or race they expect to get value received for their investments, and wherever the trade is involved in any contest there is going to be trouble unless it were possible to so arrange matters that everyone could win. The contest, to be a contest of any kind, means that someone gets the best of it, and therefore someone loses and gets the worst of it. The man who pays for the advertising of another man's machine of course always feels sore, and no sentiment of sportmanship, honesty or decency seems to restrain any of them. They have paid there money for advertising, as they look at it, and they are going to get it by hook or crook; by honest means if they can, but by any old means if necessary."
Whew! This is 1912. Here's another example of what was going on back then. This time from 1910:
Criticise Police Tests.
With reference to the recent contest held in Milwaukee and vicinity as a demonstration to police authorities of the value of various motorcycles for their patrol purposes, C.A. Carpenter, secretary of the Wisconsin Motorcycle Co., Monroe, Wis., sends Wisconsin Motorist the following comments:
"On account of the large amount of news that has been handed out recently, for advertising purposes, in reference to the Milwaukee police order for motorcycles, and which has been more or less misleading, I think a few facts at this time might show up in a new light and also show what a farce it was as a contest.
"The contest, as you know, was to be a road race to Watertown and return, or somewhere in that vicinity, but was changed many times, and, as the contestants were not all familiar with the road, it was agreed to use confetti and have a man at all important crossroads and forks to guide the riders.
"Out of seven entries only one kept the correct course, which is evidence enough that the conditions were not complied with by the board, and that those getting off the road and running many miles out of the way had no chance of winning.
"All reports, which read pretty much alike, make much capital out of beating a twin-cyclinder Indian. Sure, that is good stuff. This was tried once before by two of the same riders, Sporleder and Crolius, much to the discomfort of the Harley rider, though nothing was ever published about it. I say much to the discomfort of the Harley rider, as it was a contest over muddy roads, and I think he will acknowledge that he was badly worsted in that contest.
"In this contest, all admit that, as he was the only one that followed the correct course and signed the check sheet, as a rider, he was entitled to first place, but, as the board did not wish to purchases a rider, but a machine, I think it might have been well to consider the condition of the machines on the return run, or the actual distance covered and miles per hour. As a matter of fact, parts of the winning machine are still missing, the rider returning without the brake chain.
Here is the actual score, as most of them agree upon:
Sporleder, 5hp Indian 62mi 1hr22min 45mph
Smith, 7hp Merkel 95 mi (none given) none
Crolius, 4hp harley-D 74mi 2hr1min 36
Odell, 4hp Indian 82mi 2hr20min 35
Blankenh'm, 4hp Comet 80mi 2hr40min 35
Parsons, 31/2hp R.S. 110mi (none given) 30
"When you come to consider that all except Crolius lost their way and had to make many stops to inquire the way, it is astonishing that they came as near winning as they did, and very evident that they must have made much better time on the road than the winning machine.
"While the twin-Indian made nine miles per hour better than the winning machine, it was decided before the start that this machine would not be considered in the contest. This shows why the twin-Indian was beaten, and for no other reason.
"If the Milwaukee people wanted home product, of course they would necessarily have to bar twin-cylinders. However, as almost the unamimous verdict of the various police departments over the United States has long ago decided in favor of the twin-cylinder high powered machine for this work, it would seem as though the Milwaukee police board had allowed their patriotism to carry them to a point where it is detrimental to the service."
I hope this gives you a flavor of what was going on back then. Of course Harley won this contest with our friend S. Lacy Crolius, then advertising manager for the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., the winning rider.
Dick
"HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE
(photo of 1908)
5th year of success.
3 1/2 H. P. actual. Best by test.
PIERSON'S GARAGE
Janesville, wis."
Paps, between 1911 and 1914 a lot of Harley ads and articles used 1902 as the first year of production. Some even said in 1914 "Producers of High Grade Motorcycles for More than Tweleve years". That would make it 1901. It's just nuts the way advertising worked back then. For example:
In a letter from J.P. Thornley, Chairman of the competition committe of the F.A.M., he writes on Oct. 23, 1912 to a Mr. W.F. Mann of Boston, Mass. the following;
"As fas as advertisements in the trade papers are concerned, I have long since given up any idea of trying to make people tell the truth in the advertising columns of any trade journal. I am sick and tired of the manufacturers and the trade in general. When they spend a little money on a run or race they expect to get value received for their investments, and wherever the trade is involved in any contest there is going to be trouble unless it were possible to so arrange matters that everyone could win. The contest, to be a contest of any kind, means that someone gets the best of it, and therefore someone loses and gets the worst of it. The man who pays for the advertising of another man's machine of course always feels sore, and no sentiment of sportmanship, honesty or decency seems to restrain any of them. They have paid there money for advertising, as they look at it, and they are going to get it by hook or crook; by honest means if they can, but by any old means if necessary."
Whew! This is 1912. Here's another example of what was going on back then. This time from 1910:
Criticise Police Tests.
With reference to the recent contest held in Milwaukee and vicinity as a demonstration to police authorities of the value of various motorcycles for their patrol purposes, C.A. Carpenter, secretary of the Wisconsin Motorcycle Co., Monroe, Wis., sends Wisconsin Motorist the following comments:
"On account of the large amount of news that has been handed out recently, for advertising purposes, in reference to the Milwaukee police order for motorcycles, and which has been more or less misleading, I think a few facts at this time might show up in a new light and also show what a farce it was as a contest.
"The contest, as you know, was to be a road race to Watertown and return, or somewhere in that vicinity, but was changed many times, and, as the contestants were not all familiar with the road, it was agreed to use confetti and have a man at all important crossroads and forks to guide the riders.
"Out of seven entries only one kept the correct course, which is evidence enough that the conditions were not complied with by the board, and that those getting off the road and running many miles out of the way had no chance of winning.
"All reports, which read pretty much alike, make much capital out of beating a twin-cyclinder Indian. Sure, that is good stuff. This was tried once before by two of the same riders, Sporleder and Crolius, much to the discomfort of the Harley rider, though nothing was ever published about it. I say much to the discomfort of the Harley rider, as it was a contest over muddy roads, and I think he will acknowledge that he was badly worsted in that contest.
"In this contest, all admit that, as he was the only one that followed the correct course and signed the check sheet, as a rider, he was entitled to first place, but, as the board did not wish to purchases a rider, but a machine, I think it might have been well to consider the condition of the machines on the return run, or the actual distance covered and miles per hour. As a matter of fact, parts of the winning machine are still missing, the rider returning without the brake chain.
Here is the actual score, as most of them agree upon:
Sporleder, 5hp Indian 62mi 1hr22min 45mph
Smith, 7hp Merkel 95 mi (none given) none
Crolius, 4hp harley-D 74mi 2hr1min 36
Odell, 4hp Indian 82mi 2hr20min 35
Blankenh'm, 4hp Comet 80mi 2hr40min 35
Parsons, 31/2hp R.S. 110mi (none given) 30
"When you come to consider that all except Crolius lost their way and had to make many stops to inquire the way, it is astonishing that they came as near winning as they did, and very evident that they must have made much better time on the road than the winning machine.
"While the twin-Indian made nine miles per hour better than the winning machine, it was decided before the start that this machine would not be considered in the contest. This shows why the twin-Indian was beaten, and for no other reason.
"If the Milwaukee people wanted home product, of course they would necessarily have to bar twin-cylinders. However, as almost the unamimous verdict of the various police departments over the United States has long ago decided in favor of the twin-cylinder high powered machine for this work, it would seem as though the Milwaukee police board had allowed their patriotism to carry them to a point where it is detrimental to the service."
I hope this gives you a flavor of what was going on back then. Of course Harley won this contest with our friend S. Lacy Crolius, then advertising manager for the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., the winning rider.
Dick
That is a great post that sets the scene and mindset of the day and explains perfectly how early Harley-Davidson history got so damnably mixed up until the modern MoCo doesn't know fact from fiction and claims to own bikes that never existed.
Part of the fun and reward of this hobby and sport is to know what really happened. As you know from your research about Perry E. Mack, the TRUTH is far more involved, exciting, and mysterious than a few cheap paragraphs of phony information and a closed mind attitude can ever be.
Thanks for the excellent post!
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