Happy 115th Anniversary, Harley
Happy 115th Anniversary, Harley Davidson®! Every generation makes its own history, and Harley Davidson® has been making history for 115 years now. Harley Davidson® history stretches back to 1901, when a 21-year-old William S. Harley of Milwaukee, Wisconsin drew up blueprints for an engine that was designed to fit onto the frame of a regular pedal bicycle. Over the next two years he teamed up with his childhood friend Arthur Davidson, and the team of Harley Davidson® was born. With the help of Arthur's brother, Walter Davidson, the two friends used the Milwaukee machine shop of another friend, Henry Melk, to produce the first motor-bicycle in 1903.
Work continued on the invention until the pair were able to produce a motor-bicycle that did not require pedal assistance. The first Harley Davidson® dealer was C.H. Lang of Chicago, Illinois, who opened his shop for business in 1904, selling three bikes from the five built in the Davidson backyard shed. Production continued, and a Harley Davidson® motorcycle made racing history in Chicago the following year, when the rider won a 15 mile race on July 4th, 1905.
Harley and the Davidson brothers built their first factory in 1906 on Chestnut Street, at the current location of Harley Davidson® corporate headquarters. The company produced approximately 50 motorcycles their first year. The following year the factory added a second floor expansion, the company incorporated, and production increased to 150 motorcycles. World War I saw an increased military demand for motorcycles, and Harley Davidson® models were adopted for military issue. Police departments began using the motorcycles, representing a market that has been important to the company ever since.
By 1920, Harley-Davidson® was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, but the Great Depression saw sales fall drastically as the nation underwent severe economic depression. Harley Davidson® survived, however, and in the mid-1930's opened a production line in Japan. Harley Davidson is one of only two major American motorcycle manufacturers that survived the Great Depression. Indian was the other survivor.
When World War II arrived, Harley Davidson® was called upon again to produce large numbers of motorcycles for the US Army. Harley Davidson® has gone on to become one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the entire world, and is an iconic brand with a loyal following, with clubs spanning the globe. In addition to motorcycles, Harley Davidson® now licenses and markets branded merchandise globally, with clothing, accessories, home decor, ornaments, toys, video games, and scale figures of its motorcycles. From humble beginnings, Harley Davidson® has survived, grown, and thrived throughout the years, and continues to gain new fans and loyal followers every year.