Unpublished early HD history documents

[pem]

Here is HD's official response to Herb's research. What really surprised me was that they quote two publications published after 1912 to refute Herb's research. They just repeated the same myths that have been written over and over for a 100 years. The first thing that came to my mind is why didn't they use paperwork or other material from 1903. Letter's, blueprints, drawings, photos or anything from 1903. Eventually it dawned on me that there was none. I would love to see the original blueprints or drawings for those 1904/05 HD's. When I visited the archives around the 100th Anniversary I asked to see their earliest blueprints. I was told that the archives did not have them and that they are kept in engineering and they couldn't get access to them. Which I thought was pretty strange.

What I also found strange is that they used the Neg. 599 photo of what they claim is the first HD. They wouldn't even have a copy of that photo if Herb didn't find it in the basement of the Milwaukee County Historical Society among 1,000 other glass plate negatives. I also went through these negatives after Herb told me about them. Pretty awesome photos. I had 3 photos made from the negatives. A couple years later I went back to the Historical Society to look at them again and was told they no longer have them. HD now has them.

[pem]

Another early history. This one is from May 18, 1922. In this article Walter Davidson said they made 3 motorcycles in 1904 and 6 motorcycles in 1905. He didn't even mention 1903.

[duffeycycles]

I think most of the early blueprints were burned after AMF took over.A kid saw some of these linnen drawings & stamped out the fire.They were sold in 2003 at a local pawn shop.Mike Smith bought many of them.

[pem]

Hi Duffy, did anybody photograph these drawings or blueprints? I would love to see the dates and names on the blueprints. I have heard many stories from Herb about the same thing. Other people have told me the same type of stories. Herb talked to a lot of retired HD employees. Dumpster after dumpster of experimental and one of a kind items crushed and buried in landfills. Kind of sad.

[duffeycycles]

My story came from Mike soon after he bought them.He had to get another investor with cash.It was during the 100th that he heard about them & went to the pawn shop.He later bought out the other guy.I think there was 35 linnen drawings.One was a 1913 single race frame.Mike had the frame & all the parts from 3 different piles he had bought.He assembled that bike.There was a magazine article that showed the story as well.

[Chris Haynes]

I don't know how the poet Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum got his job at The MoCo. He was like Lacy Crolius in fabricating information. He totally discounted Ole Evanrude as helping with the first motorcycle saying that he only bought spark plugs from the boys. Many of his articles in the H.O.G magazine and the Enthusiast have misleading or flat out wrong information in them. His downplaying of Herb's research was deplorable.

[duffeycycles]

When I talked to Rosenblum at Davenport,he thought that the Bar & shield was from the 1920s & had other stupid theories.
The next time I talked to Willie G,I told him Rosenblum was an idiot & should be let go.

[Rubone]

I worked for years with a guy that grew up with "Marty" Rosenblum. Said he was exactly the same in school. Seems he thought he knew it all and was a compulsive liar. I always hated his articles for The Enthusiast and later Hog magazine as they were total made up crap.

I wrote several letters to the MOCO about him, but apparently they were ignored as I never got a response or were they ever published!

[pem]

Duffy, when you said that some early blueprints were found I was hoping they were from 1904/05. Does anybody know if any of the original 1904/05 blueprints have survived?

I only met Martin Rosenblum once that I remember. At the archives. I got the distinct impression that he had to answer to the board room and was directed what to say. That's just my impression. Martin is now deceased so he can't defend himself.

[pem]

Here's another thing I don't get. The first known photo of a HD motorcycle and a rider(Perry)is the photo that Herb found in the basement of the Milwaukee Public Library on Wisconsin Ave. That photo set off my years of research. Taken 6-12-1905 just days after Perry set the record at West Allis and less than a month before he won one race at Garfield Park and then hit that dog in another.

When I visited the new archives in 2004 I expected to see that photo blown up to 10' x 10' and proudly exhibited. Nope! Not a mention that I could find. I did see an original newspaper clipping of that photo in the scrapbook that the Davidson's sister kept back in 1905. The scrapbook was in what I call the "Shrine Room" where they kept Ser.#1. I believe I have a photo of it somewhere. The diary.

Does anybody know if the scrapbook is still there and does it still show the 1905 photo of Perry?

I also attached a post card showing the rear of the Milwaukee Post Office on Wisconsin Ave. in 1905. The building is now a Federal Building which houses the ATF among other agencies. One hint, I stopped and took photos of the building in 2002. Less than a year after 911. Don't keep your helmet on when taking photos of Federal Buildings. You will have people running across the street demanding to know what you are doing. If you look closely you can see that is where the photo was taken. In 1905 that was the stable at the rear of the building. The building still stands but the stables have been removed and are completely gone.

One other thing I find unusual is that Perry looks like a kid standing next to the bike. Then I found out he was only 5'4". It now makes sense.

[Steve Swan]

probably won't get as strong a reaction as photographing a federal building with a helmet on, but i can also say don't enter a bank with a helmet on....!

[Chris Haynes]

Here's another thing I don't get. The first known photo of a HD motorcycle and a rider(Perry)is the photo that Herb found in the basement of the Milwaukee Public Library on Wisconsin Ave. That photo set off my years of research. Taken 6-12-1905 just days after Perry set the record at West Allis and less than a month before he won one race at Garfield Park and then hit that dog in another. .

I wonder which machine is older. The Perry Mack racer or the machine featured in the 1905 sales brochure?

[pem]

I wonder which machine is older. The Perry Mack racer or the machine featured in the 1905 sales brochure?

Good question which we will probably never know the answer to. Milwaukee passed that ordinance in 1904/05 to require registration for motorcycles and automobiles. If we find those records they would almost certainly have serial numbers. We just don't know if those records exist today.

[pem]

probably won't get as strong a reaction as photographing a federal building with a helmet on, but i can also say don't enter a bank with a helmet on....!

Good point! Another hint is to not have your deceased fathers favorite pocket knife in your pocket when you enter a Federal building. They have no sense of humor. I begged to just keep it for now and give it to me when I leave with no luck.

[pem]

Here is the page from the 1909 HD sales brochure. The Wisconsin State Historical Society has the original copy. When I looked at it in the 1990's you could still handle it and make copies. I told them they need to lock it up. Way to many crooked people out there. The Jefferson County Historical Society had an original 1913/14 postcard of a Jefferson twin. Just beautiful. I made a copy and donated all my research at that time because they had nothing except the post card. I went back a year later and somebody stole the whole file. So I made copies for them again.

On this 1909 scan it clearly gives the dates 1904/1905 next to the backyard shed. Herb had this in his book too.