The Men Who Founded Harley-Davidson: History of the Bar and Shield
By Panhead Jim
Who were the founding fathers that created the 112 year-old legacy of Harley-Davidson? Read our history lesson on the iconic moto-manufacturer.
Whether you're a die hard Harley
rider or you wouldn't be caught pushing one around a deserted parking
lot, there is no denying that few motorcycle companies have achieved the
success that Harley-Davidson has over their 112 year history. But who
were the visionaries behind this iconic brand?
Most would guess that it was probably some guy named Harley and his
partner Davidson, which would be pretty close to the truth. A more
complete version is that Harley-Davidson was founded by William Harley
and the three Davidson brothers: Arthur, William and Walter.
The Motor Company can trace its beginnings all the way back to the
late 1800's to a house on Ninth Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To be
fair, it would actually be two houses on Ninth Street, the first
belonging to the Harley family and the second belonging to the Davidson
family. William Harley and Arthur Davidson were only one year apart in
age and growing up just a handful of houses away from each other made
for the beginnings of a life long friendship.
Like most boys of that era, they were both entranced by that hot new form of two wheeled transportation called the bicycle. William was so intrigued by bicycles that he took a job at a Milwaukee-based bicycle factory at the age of 15.
Little did he know that this had set him on the path of building the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
According to the Harley-Davidson archives, the two sent Walter a letter claiming that they had built a motorcycle and were saving the first ride for him. Walter took the bait and when he arrived, he found that there was not even a partially assembled motorcycle—just a pile of parts. Still, something about the idea of a two wheeled self propelled machine appealed to Walter and he decided to stay in Milwaukee to help William and Arthur build their first motorcycle.
That same year, William enrolled in the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Also around that time, the oldest Davidson brother named William had caught wind of what his brothers and William Harley were up to and he came to join the group too. William was an mechanic and tool room foreman for the West Milwaukee shops (another railroad company), and his skill set was a definite asset in building their first motorcycle.
With William away at engineering school and everyone else working full time, things moved slowly at first. A second prototype was completed around 1904, and it still survives today. It's known as Harley-Davidson Serial #1, and can be seen at the HD Museum in Milwaukee. It also was the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be documented as participating in a motorcycle race, which they unfortunately lost to another rider on a Mitchell motorcycle.
At this point, you're probably wondering why the company was named Harley-Davidson when there were three Davidson brothers and only one Harley. It turns out that the original idea for building a motorized bicycle came from William Harley, so everyone agreed that his name should be first. That was a good choice, as Davidson-Harley just doesn't have the same ring to it...
Perhaps one secret to the success of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company was that all four founders were true motorcycle enthusiasts. Whether it was participating in racing and endurance runs, or just taking a motorcycle down to the lake for a day of fishing, Harley and the Davidson brothers lived and breathed motorcycles. All four of the founders continued to work for Harley-Davidson up until their deaths, with Arthur Davidson out living all of them until he passed away in 1950.
Article made by RideApart
The founders of Harley-Davidson,
left to right: Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, William Harley, and
William Davidson. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
Like most boys of that era, they were both entranced by that hot new form of two wheeled transportation called the bicycle. William was so intrigued by bicycles that he took a job at a Milwaukee-based bicycle factory at the age of 15.
Little did he know that this had set him on the path of building the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
William Harley. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
Arthur Davidson. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
According to the Harley-Davidson archives, the two sent Walter a letter claiming that they had built a motorcycle and were saving the first ride for him. Walter took the bait and when he arrived, he found that there was not even a partially assembled motorcycle—just a pile of parts. Still, something about the idea of a two wheeled self propelled machine appealed to Walter and he decided to stay in Milwaukee to help William and Arthur build their first motorcycle.
Walter Davidson. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
That same year, William enrolled in the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Also around that time, the oldest Davidson brother named William had caught wind of what his brothers and William Harley were up to and he came to join the group too. William was an mechanic and tool room foreman for the West Milwaukee shops (another railroad company), and his skill set was a definite asset in building their first motorcycle.
William Davidson. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
Harley-Davidson's first factory and headquarters. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
With William away at engineering school and everyone else working full time, things moved slowly at first. A second prototype was completed around 1904, and it still survives today. It's known as Harley-Davidson Serial #1, and can be seen at the HD Museum in Milwaukee. It also was the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be documented as participating in a motorcycle race, which they unfortunately lost to another rider on a Mitchell motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson Serial #1. Photo
courtesy of the HD Archives.When Harley-Davidson incorporated in 1907,
middle brother Walter was selected to be the first president of the
company. Arthur took on the positions of general sales manager and
secretary while older brother William became the works manager. By
then, William Harley had completed engineering school and took on the
obvious role of chief engineer as well as treasurer. With these four at
the helm, Harley-Davidson tripled their production for 1907, producing
150 machines.
At this point, you're probably wondering why the company was named Harley-Davidson when there were three Davidson brothers and only one Harley. It turns out that the original idea for building a motorized bicycle came from William Harley, so everyone agreed that his name should be first. That was a good choice, as Davidson-Harley just doesn't have the same ring to it...
Perhaps one secret to the success of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company was that all four founders were true motorcycle enthusiasts. Whether it was participating in racing and endurance runs, or just taking a motorcycle down to the lake for a day of fishing, Harley and the Davidson brothers lived and breathed motorcycles. All four of the founders continued to work for Harley-Davidson up until their deaths, with Arthur Davidson out living all of them until he passed away in 1950.
The founders of Harley-Davidson,
left to right: William Davidson, Walter Davidson, Arthur Davidson, and
William Harley. Photo courtesy of the HD Archives.
Article made by RideApart
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