1. SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
HOME OF INDIAN
MOTOCYCLES
CHESTERFIELD
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
WILL BOUTELLE
SEPT. 20, 2007
2. References
• A Century of Indian by Ed Youngblood 2001
• Indian Motorcycle Photo History by Jerry
Hatfield 1993
• Golden Age of the Fours by Ted Hodgdon
1974
• Classic Indian Motorcycle by John Carroll
(no date)
• Hendersons, Those Elegant Machines by
Richard Schultz 1994
3. • Springfield, Mass was a manufacturing
hub from mid-19th century
• Large pool of skilled labor, plentiful
power, available capital
• At least three cars (Duryea, Knox and
Rolls Royce), bicycles and motorcycles
5. DURYEA
1893 Brothers Charles & Frank built first car
1895 Second car, won 1st auto race in USA
(50 miles roundtrip Chicago-Evanston)
1896 First production run (13 units)
1896 First auto accident (NYC, Henry Wells hit
bicyclist in his Duryea, went to jail
overnight)
Mfg at least until 1913 in IL, NJ, and PA
37. understand why needed
electric starting, with no place
to charge his batteries for
miles around. Two years
later, he was being chased by
General John J. Pershing
41. 1917 Model O
First Indian Attempt at a lightweight twin
Cylinders opposed, front and aft
Harley riders called it the “Model Zero” due to its low power
42. “Cannonball”
Baker. Not too
bright,Diego/Newhe
but York
May, 1914 San
could hrs, 10 min
11 days, 12 stay
awake for days
Aug., 1915 Canada/Mexico
3 days, 9 hrs, 15 min
1917 24-hr. record: 1534.25 miles
All on Indians
51. 1926 souped up overhead valve Prince
(Still didn’t sell)
52. Typical small-
town Indian
agency of
1920’s
• Dealer and
wife in front
of showroom
53. Lineage of the future Indian Four Motocycle
Will Henderson, designer of:
Henderson, 1912-1917 and
Ace 1922-1926
Indian bought out Ace after bankruptcy
54. 1912 Henderson
First year of mfg.
First motorcycle to drive around the world
(driven by C.S. Clancy)
55. Mr. & Mrs. Will Henderson on 1912
Henderson Motorcycle
56. 1917 Henderson
Company sold to Schwinn Dec, 1917
Will and Tom Henderson kept on as consultants,
but Will soon left to start Ace Motorcycle Company
57. Ace
Designed by W. Henderson
Sept. 1922: Cannonball Baker
rode Ace LA-NY (3332 miles)
in 6 days, 22 hours and 52
minutes
“World’s Fastest Motorcycle”
129 mph solo, 106 mph with
sidecar
Will Henderson Killed Dec. 1922,
while testing the new Ace on
city streets