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THE FIRST BICYCLEWas Invented by New Harmony Man, Wm. Bennett.The Times again resorts to the column of the Courier written by that versatile young authoress, Laura Hostetter, and finds the following interesting article:“Uncle Hilly” Bennett, who lives over in New Harmony, and who has lived there all of his life, claim* to have made the first bicycle ever eon-•tructed in the state of Indiana; and he backs up with facts all that he claims. Hi* memory is still fresh and unclouded and he chuckles with relish over the antics of the “fearless riders” who attempted to master the maekine.It has been about forty-five years since Uncle Billy went to the library and found a late copy of the Scientific American which told in detail of a new and wierd invention which could be propelled with the feet and which, if properly balanced, would carry the brave rider over the ground at a lightning speed of ten miles or so an hour.Uncle Billy had a shop behind New Harmony’s old Union hall at theTTwe, and he welcomed all the boys in the neighborhood for a trial of the completed bicycle. He had made the wheel with no expart help and did itfor the novelty of the thing; so the fun of watching the boys learn tohandle it was worth all of the painstaking elTort spent in constructing it-. Uncle Frank Bolton told them they were a foolish lot and it could never be done, but he spoke before he saw Will Hugo demonstrate his prowess.It was sold to Hugo for $15 and the result was that be rented a big warehouse and gave lessons at the rate of SO cents an hour for teaching the uninitiated to conquer the monster.And he was not averse to giving exhibitions of his own riding which became quite the most expert in the country. There are still stories of him standing up in the saddle.A couple of men from Indianapolis came to New Harmony after hearing of the bicycle, and got pointers on how Uncle Billy had constructed it. After goiDg back they started the first bicycle factory in Indiana, turning them out wholesale.The first machine had a front wheel thirty inches high and a back wheel that stood twelve inches high. The crank pedals were on the front wheel.Uncle Billy is a picturesque old character with endless tales of early days stored in his mind which he delights in telling. His black skull cap fits tight over his iron gray hair and his carpenter’s apron is tied about his belt because he loves it,—as lie has loved it through a great number of his seventy-two years.Stsp.Sfcacomvoiclac,iUUJof r fortI itherlac,tarrlittl tion I wa cfc and( i4I ex littl wou reac bou con: indcbutitchsou;nosiwanTanTiNewstorIonbonand hoo Tiii iingand eaiv ed e is a day clay endiudifallandstrethecircsen iPosTlastditcwasWilof
Newspaper Details
New Harmony Times
New Harmony, Indiana, US
Fri, Jul 16, 1915
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 08 Mar 2023
Other Publications Near New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony Register
New Harmony Times
New Harmony Indiana Statesman
