Chapter 5
Bicycles
The partnership that Wilbur and Orville developed in their printing
business was the beginning of a successful merging of the two brothers'
personalities. They continued to foster this relationship when they
opened a bicycle repair and sales shop in 1892, and as the new business
became more successful, the brothers worked together to develop their
own brand of bicycle. Through the repair and manufacture of bicycles,
Wilbur and Orville honed their mechanical skills and acquired a greater
understanding of the mechanics of a bicycle. While they had been feeling
unchallenged in the printing business, the bicycle business provided the
brothers with new problems to tackle and skills to hone.
While Wilbur and Orville put much of their time into the bicycle
business, their father continued to focus on the battle within the
United Brethren Church between the Radicals and Liberals. The entire
Wright family rallied to their father's support, and when necessary they
pitched in to help with his effort on behalf of the conservative
Radicals. In fact, after their bicycle business, Milton's church
business took up much of the brothers' time, especially Wilbur's.
Milton's central role in the church's rift emphasized the importance of
family to his children. While both Milton and his wife, Susan, had
instilled the importance of family in their children, nothing
illustrated this to the extent of the division in the church. Church
historians portray Milton as a man dedicated to his beliefs and willing
to enter into a battle to defend those values. Within the church, Milton
stood in the minority with his conservative beliefs, and at all times
his family was his greatest support. This was a lesson that Wilbur,
Orville, and Katharine took to heart. In later years, when the Wrights
faced controversy over their invention of the airplane, they turned to
their family for support and assistance. [1]
For most of September and October 1892, Wilbur and Orville, age 25
and 21 respectively, had the house at 7 Hawthorne Street to themselves.
Milton was traveling on church business and Katharine, who graduated
from Central High School in June, was visiting her brother, Reuchlin,
and his family in Kansas City. The brothers were "living fine,"
according to Wilbur, who reported to Katharine that he and Orville were
alternating cooking responsibilities:
Orville cooks one week and I cook the next. Orville's week we have
bread and butter and meat and gravy and coffee three times a day. My
week I give him more variety. You see that by the end of his week there
is a big lot of cold meat stored up, so the first half of my week we
have bread and butter and 'hash' and coffee, and the last half we have
bread and butter and eggs and sweet potatoes and coffee.
Wilbur further elaborated that the housekeeper, Mrs. Miller, was
astonished at times to find them keeping the house in good condition. In
addition, there had not been any accidents, so Wilbur could not
"embellish this letter with any thrilling descriptions of falling dishes
or exploded gasoline stoves." [2]
The Wright children were often the only ones in the family home, for
Milton was frequently away from Dayton on church business. After the
restructuring of the Radicals into the Church of the United Brethren in
Christ (Old Constitution) in 1889, Milton focused much of his energy on
rebuilding the church. During the split, the Old Constitution attracted
approximately 15,000 to 20,000 members, or about ten percent, of the
total church population. The church needed to be reorganized from the
ground up to provide an effective ministry for these members.
While new congregations and districts formed, the issue of property
rights remained in the forefront of the minds of the Old Constitution
leaders. Prior to the division of the church, many of those on the
Liberal side of the argument attained high positions within the church.
These positions assisted the Liberals, or New Constitution branch, in
maintaining control of the various departments and funds of the church.
Yet, the question remained, with the split of the church, did the Old
Constitution or the New Constitution have ownership of the United Church
of Brethren in Christ property? The Old Constitution argued that they
supported the original Constitution and Confession of Faith therefore
making them the true church. The New Constitution, on the other hand,
contended that since they amended the Constitution by operating within
the established procedures and the majority of the members favored the
changes, they had a right to control all the property. [3]
The most valuable church asset was the United Brethren Publishing
House in Dayton. Both sides wanted to retain control of the facility,
and the lawsuit filed to resolve the dispute was the first of many
throughout the country over the next five years. Milton, who served as
the publishing agent for the Old Constitution from 1889 to 1893, led the
fight to gain control of the publishing house. He set the dispute in
motion on July 26, 1889, when he and two colleagues presented William J.
Shuey, the New Constitution publishing agent, with a written demand to
turn the facility over to them. Shuey refused. In response, Milton
rented a building in the city of Dayton to serve as temporary quarters
for his United Brethren Printing establishment. Within a few years, the
facility moved from the first location to a building on South Broadway
Street. Operations remained at this site until November 1897. [4]
While the Old Constitution established a publishing house, they did
not immediately purchase any printing equipment. For the first four
years of their operation, commercial printers completed all of the
printing. This was the same time that the Wright brothers operated
Wright & Wright, Job Printers, so Milton directed many of the
printing jobs to his sons' business. [5]
The New Constitution board of trustees petitioned the Montgomery
County Court of Common Pleas for a hearing to resolve the dispute over
the ownership of the publishing house. After abundant legal maneuvering
by both sides, the case came to trial on June 17, 1891. Since this was
the first case heard in regards to the disposition of property, besides
settling the dispute over ownership of the publishing house, the case
would set a precedent for all the other cases involved in the
disposition of the former Church of the United Brethren in Christ
property. Both sides hired lawyers as well as prominent theologians to
support their arguments.
After nine days of testimony, the panel of judges at the hearing
unanimously ruled in favor of the New Constitution. The Old Constitution
filed an appeal in the appellate court system, and the case was heard by
the Supreme Court of Ohio on June 13, 1895. Once again, the court handed
down a unanimous decision in favor of the plaintiffs, the New
Constitution branch. [6]
Although the Old Constitution lost all lawsuits involving the
disposition of the church property except for a case in Michigan, Milton
achieved his goal within the church. By 1900, the Church of the United
Brethren in Christ (Old Constitution) was the image of the same
organization in which Milton was baptized many years before. None of the
reforms advocated by the church's new constitution were incorporated
into the Old Constitution branch of the Church of the United Brethren in
Christ. [7]
As the Old Constitution restructured their church, Milton served many
roles. At the 1893 General Conference, he was elected a bishop, and he
was reelected at every subsequent conference until 1905. In 1893 he also
assumed the additional duty of Supervisor of Litigations. In this role,
with the assistance of Bishop H.T. Barnaby, Milton oversaw all the
lawsuits over the disposal of the church property. In these roles,
Milton spent much of his time traveling. He visited congregations,
organized new conferences, and continued to carry forward the law
suits.
While Milton was busy with church business in 1892, Wilbur and
Orville modified the family home at 7 Hawthorne Street. On the exterior
they built a wrap-around front and side porch, completing all the
carpentry work themselves. When they reached the railing and balusters,
the brothers divided the work. Wilbur turned the posts on a neighbor's
lathe, and Orville installed them. Because they did not favor the ginger
bread decoration on other West Side porches, the brothers constructed a
simplified version. After they completed the porch, they continued the
improvements by installing a fireplace in the parlor. [8]
7 HAWTHORNE STREET SHOWING THE PORCH BUILT BY WILBUR AND ORVILLE.
(Courtesy of NCR Archives at Montgomery County Historical Society)
|
The experience of living alone at 7 Hawthorne became a frequent
occurrence over the next few years as Katharine enrolled in Oberlin
College in 1894, and Milton continued to travel on church business. Both
brothers adapted to the bachelor lifestyle. In fact, while both were of
marrying age, neither showed any interest in the opposite sex or
changing their single status. Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine seemed
bound by an unspoken understanding to remain together and not marry. In
later years, residents of Richmond, Indiana, recalled Wilbur courting a
young lady in high school. There is no other example of Wilbur again
paying attention to a young woman in a romantic way. In fact, friends
suggested that eligible young women scared him. Of the two brothers,
Orville was the closest to marriage. In the months following Katharine's
high school graduation, Orville courted her childhood friend Agnes
Osborn, but nothing ever resulted from the romance. [9]
Living as bachelors, Wilbur and Orville continued to follow the
morals advocated by their parents. Neither drank alcohol or smoked
although Orville tried tobacco once in his childhood. Following the
Christian teachings of their parents, the Wright children also never
worked on Sunday. Meant to be a day of rest, Sundays were spent together
reading books or discussing ideas. [10]
While housekeeping and operating the print shop kept both brothers
busy in the fall of 1892, they began to grow restless and began
searching for a new challenge. Wilbur, never fully interested in the
printing operations, had a lesser role in the business with the demise
of The Evening Item and his editorial responsibilities. With Ed Sines
overseeing the daily operations, Orville also had time to wonder about
new business ventures for the two brothers.
During the spring of 1892, Orville purchased a new Columbia "safety"
bicycle for $160. This was the second bicycle he had purchased, for in
Richmond he borrowed three dollars from Wilbur to buy a used high wheel,
or ordinary, bicycle. A few weeks after Orville purchased the safety
bicycle, Wilbur, the more financially cautious of the two, bought a used
Eagle for $80. [11]
Bicycles were first commercially introduced in the United States in
1878 when Colonel Albert Pope, a Boston merchant, began producing a
high-wheel "ordinary." With their large front wheels and small back
wheels, ordinaries were restricted in use to athletic young men with
their limited control and high risk. Pope's bicycle, called Columbia,
was modeled after a version constructed by the English company Bayliss,
Thomas & Company. Pope's company concentrated on mass producing
bicycles instead of the design details, and within two years, they were
producing fifty a day. Within the next decade his company produced a
quarter of a million bicycles. This increased production created a
greater supply within the United States and contributed to the growing
popularity of bicycles. [12]
In 1887, the safety bicycle, such as those purchased by the Wrights,
appeared on the American market. Developed in England, the safety
bicycle consisted of two wheels of the same size, a sturdy triangular
frame, and a chain-driven system. The basic form of the safety was the
same as today's modern two-wheeler, and its invention signified the
beginning of the bicycle age. Easier to control than the ordinary, the
safety bicycle opened the world of bicycles to a wide range of people.
Its broad appeal also created greater opportunities for bicycle
manufacturers and stores. [13]
The improvement and mass appeal of the bicycle coincided with the
later stages of the Industrial Revolution in the United States. In the
three decades following the Civil War, the transatlantic telegraph line,
telephone, electric light, phonograph, and internal combustion engine
were introduced. During the Industrial Revolution, some of the largest
changes were in transportation. The railroad and steamship were dominant
forms of transportation, and the safety bicycle was soon just as
popular.
When it was first introduced, the safety bicycle sold for around
$100. This was still a large amount for the average American in the
1890s but less than the higher priced ordinaries. The increased number
of bicycles for sale and the lower price were two of the factors that
helped cause the bicycle boom. As Jay Pridmore and Jim Hurd recount in
their book on the history of the American bicycle, no technology had
ever overtaken society with as much force or generated as great
enthusiasm as the bicycle. Teenagers had a means to leave their
neighborhoods unescorted, and women could remove their confining corsets
and enjoy pedaling a bicycle. By the middle of the 1890s, at least 1.5
million bicycles were sold annually. [14]
Wilbur and Orville were just two of the many Americans who acquired
bicycles in the midst of the new craze. With their new bicycles, Wilbur
and Orville would take leisurely rides along the back roads around
Dayton, both becoming enthusiastic over this new activity. In the same
letter to Katharine where he reported on the shared cooking schedule,
Wilbur related a recent bicycle ride. Leaving at 4:15 in the afternoon,
the brothers decided to ride to Miamisburg via the Cincinnati Pike.
Passing the Montgomery County Fair Grounds, they stopped to ride around
the track a couple of times, and then continued on their way south.
Encountering a large hill, Wilbur reported:
[They] climbed, and then we 'clumb' and then climbed again. To
rest ourselves we called it one name awhile and then the other...Finally
we got to the top and thought that our troubles were over but they were
only begun for after riding about half a mile the road began to 'wobble'
up and down....
Upon reaching Centerville, the brothers saw for the first time the
home of Asahel Wright, where their grandfather, Dan Wright, had lived
for a short time upon arriving in Centerville. Continuing onto
Miamisburg, this time downhill instead of up, they then turned south to
visit the prehistoric Adena Miamisburg Mound.
DRAWING INCLUDED BY WILBUR IN HIS LETTER DESCRIBING
HIS AND ORVILLE'S BICYCLE RIDE TO CENTERVILLE.
(Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
|
The return trip, as narrated by Wilbur, was just as eventful.
Departing at twentythree minutes to seven meant that they rode home in
the dark. "By the time we reached Carrollton and Alexanderville all we
could see was two light streaks where the wheels of wagons had rolled,
the ground smooth and dry." At one point they almost ran into a cart
loaded eight to ten feet high with boxes. "This experience set Orville's
imagination (always active you know) to work," commented Wilbur. At one
point, Orville quickly stopped his bicycle to avert running into a wagon
crossing a small bridge. "When he came to the place he found no hill, no
bridge, and no wagon, only a little damp place in the road which showed
up black in the night." Wilbur and Orville's bicycling adventure ended
safely when they arrived home at 7:35, thirty to thirty-one miles later.
[15]
The following evening they rode out Covington Pike for a distance of
just over seventeen miles. Wilbur favored long rides in the country,
such as the one described above. Orville, on the other hand, enjoyed
racing. He participated in at least three Y.M.C.A. sponsored races on
unknown dates and won medals. Two of the medals are gold, signifying
first place, and one is silver, for second place. The length of these
races ranged from one half mile to two miles. [16]
With their mechanical aptitude, Wilbur and Orville were naturals at
repairing both their own bicycles and those owned by neighborhood
residents. Soon, with the popularity of bicycles increasing, the
brothers found their repair services were in demand and the idea for a
new business was defined. Soon after their father's return to Dayton,
Wilbur approached him about the idea of a bicycle shop. Wilbur believed
they could operate a show room and repair shop in a rented storefront,
and Ed Sines could continue to operate the printing business. Believing
that his sons would earn a profit from such a venture, Milton approved.
[17]
Business plans were almost halted when Wilbur developed appendicitis
shortly after the brothers' decision to open a bicycle shop. On November
2, Milton left late in the afternoon to meet Katharine's train from
Kansas City, and when the two of them returned home, they found Wilbur
in great pain. Milton quickly called Dr. Spitler, the family physician
who had cared for Susan. Ascertaining appendicitis, Dr. Spitler
recommended rest, diet, and care to avoid cold. In 1892, appendicitis
was still a new diagnosis, and while an appendectomy was the recommended
treatment in acute cases, it was a very risky and dangerous operation.
Dr. Spitler chose not to subject Wilbur to this risk. The treatment
recommended by the doctor worked and Wilbur did not need surgery,
although he was still recovering in January 1893. [18]
With Wilbur's health improving, the brothers began establishing their
bicycle business. In December 1892, they rented a storefront at 1005
West Third Street and began stocking parts for an opening in the spring
at the start of the bicycle season. For a while, Orville divided his
time between setting up the bicycle shop and working at the printing
office with Ed Sines. While the repair business would be the major focus
of the operation, the brothers also planned to sell new bicycles.
Throughout the years of their business, they sold eight different
brands: Coventry, Cross, Duchess, Envoy, Fleetwing, Halladay-Temple,
Smalley, and Warwick. [19] These were the
best bicycles on the market and the Wright brothers always advertised
the quality of their stock since other Dayton bicycle stores carried
lesser priced and lower quality brands. [20]
When Wilbur and Orville opened their shop, there were nine other
bicycle shops in Dayton. Of those nine, only one, Frederick T. Ward's at
1402 West Third Street, was located on the West Side and near the
brother's store. Also listed as bicycle repairers, the Wright's were
only one of four businesses who repaired bicycles, and the only one on
the West Side. The large increase in the number of bicycle shops in
Dayton from 1890 to 1893 reflected the growing nationwide bicycle craze.
In 1890 there was one bicycle dealer in Dayton, the next year there were
four dealers and one bicycle repairer, and in 1892 the number changed to
three dealers and two bicycle repairers. [21]
The Wright's bicycle shop opened in the beginning of April 1893. At
the October meeting of the Ten Dayton Boys, Wilbur reported that while
"times have been very hard and prices very unsteady, I have escaped
bankruptcy." In order to sell new high quality bicycles, the Wrights
offered payment plans and accepted trade-ins. The Wright Cycle Company
maintained three rules in regard to payment by installment:
1. Purchasers will be expected to pay the agreed amounts at the
agreed times unless there are very good reasons for not doing
so.
2. Purchasers must call to see us at the agreed times whether able
to pay or not. For persistent violation of this rule we will call in the
wheel at once.
3. Persons out of employment must report regularly every week;
otherwise the bicycle must be left with us until payments begin
again. [22]
As long as buyers met these conditions, they were able to purchase a
bicycle on installment. This financial plan allowed more people to
purchase bicycles and expanded the shop's business. [23]
Most of the trade-ins accepted by The Wright Cycle Company were a
total loss; they were older, cheaper safety bicycles that could not be
guaranteed. But the brothers were able to find uses for some of the
trade-ins. One bicycle, a Viking, Orville gave to his friend Paul
Laurence Dunbar. Wilbur and Orville also built a tandem bicycle using
the large wheels from two old high-wheel models traded for newer safety
bicycles. Once they learned how to operate the tandem, they were a sight
riding along the streets of West Dayton. Only one other person, Tom
Thorne, ever successfully rode the unit, and he finished his ride face
down in a mud puddle. [24]
With this successful joint business, the Wright brothers expanded
their partnership to include a joint bank account. They established
their account at the neighborhood branch of Winters National Bank
located on the southeast corner of West Third and Broadway Streets.
Trusting each other, Wilbur and Orville were free to draw from the
account as needed. [25]
ORVILLE AND A GROUP AROUND A TABLE LOOKING AT PHOTOGRAPHS
DURING A PARTY AT 7 HAWTHORNE STREET.
(Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
|
Though occupied with their bicycle business, Wilbur and Orville also
found time to socialize with their family and friends. While the Ten
Dayton Boys did not meet as often as when the club was formed, the ten
members still found time to meet twice a year. Every Fourth of July they
gathered for a picnic and in the winter they met for a banquet. At the
Fourth of July picnics, entire families and guests attended. Thomas
Coles remembered attending one of these picnics as a guest and watching
Wilbur set up swings for the children. After completing the project,
Wilbur stood to one side of the crowd for most of the day. In describing
the event, Coles felt that "the strongest impression one gets of Wilbur
Wright is of a man who lives largely in a world of his own, not because
of any feeling of self-sufficiency or superiority, but as a man who
naturally lives far above the ordinary plane." [26]
Besides participating in the Ten Dayton Boys events, Wilbur enjoyed
camping and long bicycle rides. His childhood friend and fellow Ten
Dayton Boys member, Ed Ellis, remembered camping with Wilbur when
Wilbur's home-made canoe, gun, and fishing tackle were as important to
him as his fellow campers. [27]
Like Wilbur, Orville did not always actively participate at parties,
but it was for different reasons. Orville was painfully shy and not
always socially adept. Jess Gilbert, a high school friend, described
Orville at a party one time as sitting just inside the parlor door away
from the other guests and party games. Gilbert found Orville not
disdainful, haughty, or offensive, but preferring to be a passive
observer by himself. [28]
As the brothers' new business venture became a success, Wilbur and
Orville began to spend more of their time at the bicycle shop. Ed Sines
continued to operate the printing business, located in the Hoover Block,
for the brothers, and when Ed needed assistance they hired their brother
Lorin. By 1893, Lorin worked full-time for his brothers as a bookkeeper
at the printing office. In September of 1894, Wilbur, in a letter to his
father, mentioned that Lorin was doing a good job at the printing
office. "He made about $30 on the Y.M.C.A. labor day programmes and has
the Eric minutes and several other good jobs on hand." Lorin continued
working for his brothers until he was hired as a bookkeeper at The John
Rouzer Company sometime between 1895 and 1896. While he was no longer
employed full time by Wilbur and Orville, Lorin continued to assist them
when needed. [29]
During 1893, the Wrights moved the location of their cycle shop to
1034 West Third Street. [30] With this
move came a new name for the business, the Wright Cycle Exchange. The
new location provided more room for the successful business, and the
brothers were able to set up operations during the fall and winter, the
slow periods in the bicycle business. [31]
In the profitable spring and summer months of 1894, business
continued much as it had the previous year. By September, the sale of
new bicycles had slowed, yet Wilbur reported to his father:
[T]he repairing business is good and we are getting about $20 a
month from the rent of three wheels. We get $8.00 a month for one, $6.50
for another and the third we rent by the hour or day. We have done so
well renting them that we have held on to them instead of disposing of
them at once, although we really need the money invested in
them.
With the slower business months ahead, Wilbur also asked his father
for a loan of $150. He believed that the brothers would be able to repay
the debt by the time Milton returned to Dayton. In his answering letter,
Milton agreed to loan his sons the money. [32]
In the same letter, Wilbur asked his father's opinion about enrolling
in a college course. Earlier in life, Wilbur desired to attend Yale
University and become a minister, but his injuries from the sports
accident had deterred him. Now, Wilbur, in good health for more than a
year, began to reconsider enrolling in college. He told his father,
I do not think I am specially fitted for success in any commercial
pursuit even if I had the proper personal and business influences to
assist me. I might make a living but I doubt whether I would ever do
much more than this. Intellectual effort is a pleasure to me and I think
I would [be] better fitted for reasonable success in some of the
professions than in business.
In order to attend college, Wilbur needed financial assistance from
Milton. He could not meet all the expenses, an estimated $600 to $800,
with his income from the bicycle business. Milton agreed with his son
that he was not suited for life as a businessman and offered to assist
with a college course. [33]
THE WRIGHT CYCLE COMPANY BUILDING AT 22 SOUTH WILLIAMS STREET.
(Courtesy of Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)
|
Wilbur never enrolled in college, though, and this was the last time
the matter was discussed. Instead, he focused on making the bicycle
business a success. One of the first steps he took was to decrease the
overhead costs in the bicycle shop. In October, in a letter to his
father, Wilbur discussed moving the bicycle repair shop from 1034 West
Third Street to the printing office at the Hoover Block. Business was
slow and did not justify paying the rent for the storefront shop. [34]
While Orville spent most of his time at the bicycle shop, he did not
completely separate himself from the printing business. In October, he
assisted with typesetting for the Christian Conservator, the
newspaper of the Radical faction of the United Brethren Church, while
two employees were on strike. The Christian Conservator office was also
located in the Hoover Block, and the Wrights were friends with many of
the employees. [35]
In the fall of 1894, the Wrights linked their printing and bicycle
businesses with the introduction of a weekly magazine, Snap-Shots at
Current Events. The first issue was released on October 20 and consisted
of sixteen pages with a subscription rate of five cents to January 1,
1895, and twenty-five cents through July 1. While the magazine contained
a variety of articles, the Wrights' interest in bicycles is reflected in
the many references to the popular machine. Throughout the issues,
advertisements appeared for the Wrights' bicycle shop as well as other
West Side businesses. [36]
In the spring of 1895, the Wrights moved their shop once again. The
new location at 22 South Williams Street provided more space and two
floors. With the additional space upstairs, the brothers moved the
printing business from the Hoover Block into the second level. The
bicycle business, now named The Wright Cycle Company, occupied the first
floor. The building at 22 South Williams Street was built in 1886 by
Abraham and Joseph Nicholas. Prior to the Wrights' occupation, the
building served as a grocery store, feed store, saloon, and boarding
house. In 1895, J.H. Hohler owned the property, and as landlord he
charged Wilbur and Orville $16 a month for rent. [37]
At approximately the same time the cycle shop moved to 22 South
Williams, the Wrights opened a showroom in downtown Dayton. Located at
23 West Second Street, the new store was within two blocks of three
other bicycle stores. It appears as though Wilbur operated the downtown
store, for on May 24, 1895, Milton noted that he visited Wilbur's
bicycle store on West Second Street. Faced with stiff competition and
few additional customers, Wilbur and Orville closed the downtown store
in the fall and focused all of their efforts on the main shop in the
West Side. [38]
Not just businessmen, the Wright brothers were known locally as
bicyclists. In fact, one of Orville's accidents received coverage in the
West Side section of the Dayton Daily Times. As reported on
November 15, 1895, "Orville Wright of Hawthorn street, while riding his
bicycle on Third street, ran into Dr. Francis' big dog. His wheel was
badly damaged, but Orve came down on top of the dog and neither were
hurt." [39]
The brothers, avid bicyclists themselves, took part in local bicycle
events both as participants and to promote their business. On January 1,
1896, the Y.M.C.A. sponsored a bicycle show at its annual New Year's
reception. Between two and three thousand people visited the Y.M.C.A. on
New Year's Day to view exhibits and enjoy lemonade and cake. The bicycle
exhibit was the "greatest point of interest and the most novel feature
of the reception." Overflowing the designated lecture hall, the bicycle
exhibits were also set up in another room. Nine cycle firms exhibited
their products, including The Wright Cycle Company. While there is no
detail on the Wrights' display, the Dayton Journal reported:
The display was a most beautiful one and the first of the kind
ever attempted in the city. The Crescent people had a gold and black
crescent set with incandescent light. The Davis Sewing Machine
Company...had their exhibit under the shelter of a great Japanese
parasol, from which hung pendant a large number of incandescent lights,
beautifully shaded with colored silks.
While The Wright Cycle Company exhibit might not have been elaborate,
the brothers worked hard to set up a display for the show. Milton, in
his diary, noted that Wilbur and Orville were busy preparing for the
show on both December 31 and New Year's Day. [40]
In the February 1896 issue, Snap-Shots at Current Events underwent a
change. Instead of merely mentioning bicycles throughout the magazine as
in the past, the new issues were devoted to them. Published by The
Wright Cycle Company under the shortened name Snap-Shots, the magazine
was "sent free by mail to any one who will pay postage on it, or may be
had for the asking at a number of places, list of which will be given
later." Publication of the magazine continued until April 17, 1896. [41]
Each year the profits from the bicycle business were more than double
the previous year, and Wilbur and Orville began developing new plans to
expand their business in the fall of 1895 by designing their own brand
of bicycles. Orville reported the brothers' rationale to their father in
October 1895:
Our bicycle business is beginning to be a little slack, though we
sell a wheel now and then. Repairing is pretty good. We expect to build
our wheels for next year. I think it will pay us, and give us employment
during the winter.
Each of the bicycles constructed by the Wrights would be a high
quality machine constructed to order. [42]
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BICYCLES FROM THE WRIGHT CYCLE
COMPANY IN FEBRUARY 29, 1896, SNAP-SHOTS.
(Courtesy of Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library)
|
In order to produce bicycles, the Wrights needed to update the
bicycle shop equipment for manufacturing instead of repairs. In a
catalog issued in 1896, the Wrights noted that they were refitting their
salesroom as well as adding new machinery. The new equipment included a
turret lathe, drill press, and tube-cutting equipment which was
installed in the back room and on the second floor of 22 South Williams.
To operate the machinery, the brothers installed a line shaft on the
ceiling. In need of an engine to power the line shaft, the brothers
designed and built their own single-cylinder internal combustion engine
powered by the city natural gas line that ran into the shop. [43]
Initially the Wrights used pre-made bicycle frames and other
materials for their bicycles. When the Wright bicycles were completed
and ready for sale by May 16, 1896, they joined what would become in
1897 approximately 3,000 American businesses who were manufacturing
bicycles, parts, or sundries. The Wrights' line of bicycles included a
"Wright Special" and a ladies model. At the beginning of the 1896
cycling season, in addition to the Wright Special, the Wrights issued a
Van Cleve model that was named after their Wright ancestors and in honor
of the Dayton centennial. The Wright Special was cheaper than the higher
priced Van Cleve. The Van Cleve, the Wrights announced in a bicycle
catalog, "will be a wheel of the highest grade, and will embrace several
novel features of our own invention. We are confident it will be a
credit to our city and ourselves." The first Van Cleve bicycles sold for
sixty to sixty-five dollars. By 1900, with the decreasing demand in
bicycles, the price dropped to between thirty-two and forty-seven
dollars depending upon the features incorporated into each specific
bicycle. [44]
One of the "novel features" of the Van Cleve was its wheel hub.
Designed by the brothers, the wheel hubs were dust proof and retained
oil to the extent that they only needed to be oiled once every two
years. This was achieved by containing the oil inside the hub instead of
outside where dust would stick to it and dirty the mechanism. In
addition, the Wright brothers designed their own coaster brake. [45]
Later in the 1896 season, the Wrights unveiled the St. Clair bicycle
named after Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of the Northwest
Territory and one of Dayton's founders. The St. Clair was a lower priced
line that sold for $42.50 when it premiered. By 1899, when production
ceased, the priced had fallen to $30. In 1900, with some St. Clair
bicycles still in stock, The Wright Cycle Company promised to sell the
few remaining models "very cheap." [46]
Sometime during production of the Wright bicycles, Wilbur and Orville
began to manufacture the entire bicycle. A 1900 catalog for the Van
Cleve detailed the assembly process used at the 22 South Williams Street
shop. The wooden or metal-rimmed wheels, as well as the cranks and hubs,
were built in the cycle shop. In addition, the frames were made in the
shop using raw tubing of seamless quality. Each frame was then brush
coated with five coats of enamel to produce a durable finish. The enamel
was most likely applied in a shed located at the rear of 22 South
Williams. [47] When the bicycle business
relocated to another building, Wilbur and Orville applied the enameling
using a sheet iron furnace. [48]
With the addition of bicycle manufacturing, The Wright Cycle Company
provided Wilbur and Orville with a good income and in many people's
eyes, satisfying careers. Yet once again, the brothers began looking for
other ventures. Through the years, Orville continued to tinker with
various inventions. At one point, he invented an adding machine that
would also multiply, and he also experimented with simplifying the
typewriter. In 1896, Orville became fascinated with an automobile that
the Wrights' friend and part-time employee, Cordy Ruse, had built. The
Wrights would sit and talk for hours with Cordy about his new horseless
buggy; yet Wilbur was not impressed. One day he suggested to Cordy that
he fasten a bed sheet under the automobile to catch all the parts that
dropped off. While Orville tried to persuade Wilbur to pursue the
automobile business, Wilbur refused. Feeling that the horseless carriage
would never be practical, Wilbur was for once wrong. [49]
ORVILLE WRIGHT (RIGHT) AT WORK IN THE WRIGHT CYCLE COMPANY, 1897.
(Courtesy of Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)
|
In the fall of 1897, the Wright brothers moved The Wright Cycle
Company and their printing shop to new quarters at 1127 West Third
Street. Charles Webbert, a local plumber whose shop was at 1121 West
Third Street, owned the double building at 1125 and 1127 West Third
Street that was formerly a dwelling and recently remodeled. The Wrights
rented the western half of the building and Fetters & Shank,
undertakers, leased the eastern portion. The Wrights' paid $16.66 a
month for rent, a slight increase from the $16.00 per month for 22 South
Williams Street. As at 22 South Williams Street, The Wright Cycle
Company occupied the first floor store front and the printing business
was located on the second floor. [50]
Shortly after moving to their new shop, in March 1898, the rivers
around Dayton flooded once again, and West Third Street was submerged
under water. Frank Hamburger, who operated a hardware store on Third
Street near the Wrights' bicycle shop, faced losing his stock of nails.
Stored in the cellar of his store, once wet, the nails would rust and be
useless. Hearing of the hardware store owner's quandary, Wilbur and
Orville went to the store to offer assistance. They removed their suit
coats and assisted Frank in removing all the nail kegs from the cellar.
The brothers would not accept any compensation for their assistance,
but, for many years, as they needed various hardware items, Frank gave
the items to them at no cost. [51]
For the last several years, Ed Sines oversaw the Wrights' printing
business while the brothers were busy with the bicycle shop. Ed injured
his knee in 1898, and he was forced to quit working in the shop. Instead
of searching for an individual to continue operating the business,
Wilbur and Orville sold all the equipment. Stevens & Stevens, run by
Tom and Bob Stevens who had worked as boys for the Wrights on the West
Side News, purchased the entire printing office equipment. [52]
With the upstairs of 1127 West Third Street now vacated of printing
machinery, the Wrights used the space to manufacture their bicycles in
the off season. While business was slow through the winter, customers
occasionally stopped by the shop seeking repairs or to use the hand
operated air pump kept inside the front door. Finding it tiresome to
interrupt their work to let people in to use the pump, Wilbur and
Orville rigged up a bell system that let them know if the caller was a
customer or was only using the pump. They used a two-tone bicycle bell
for the system. One tone would ring when the front door opened, and the
second would sound when the door closed. The air pump was also rigged to
the bell, so the brothers would know if the person downstairs opened the
door, took the air pump off the wall, and then left. Wilbur and Orville
would then know it was not necessary to leave their work upstairs to
assist a customer. Only when the ringing bell signaled the opening of
the front door and was not followed by the bell signaling the removal of
the pump would one of the brothers go downstairs to greet the customer.
[53]
Both Wilbur and Orville were content with their bicycle business.
Unlike the print shop which was of more interest to Orville, both
brothers enjoyed the operations and repair work that were part of the
bicycle shop. The business provided a sufficient income as well as an
outlet for their interest in machinery and hands-on work. Through the
construction of their own brand of bicycles and the repair work, Wilbur
and Orville further developed their mechanical skills that their parents
had encouraged since childhood.
During the years that the Wright brothers established their bicycle
business, their father was in the midst of the split between the
Liberals and Radicals within the United Brethren Church. His experiences
in this controversy further illustrated to Wilbur and Orville, as well
as their sister Katharine, that family was of the utmost importance. In
later years it would become apparent that the Wright brothers took these
experiences to heart. The greatest supporters of them throughout their
lives were their siblings and their father.
|