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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-05-03, Page 7Wednesday, May 3, 2017 • Signal Star 7 y www.gOderich The Henderson Bicycle Company The 1890's bicycle craze hit Goderich hard as the town's rebellious youth headed out on their Fairy Queens, Scorchers, and Red - Birds for the freedom of the open dirt road. In fact, in "Memories of Goderich" (1977), it was said that, "Goderich was reputed to have more wheels than any place its size in Canada:' Capitalising on the bicycle's popularity, a group of inves- tors enticed D. S. Henderson of Brantford, "the well-known manufacturer and inventor" of bicycles to establish a com- pany in Goderich. On September 28, 1895, the `Huron Signal' reported that the sod was turned for the new bicycle factory on the old Runciman Foundry property on the southwest corner of Cambria and East streets. Within weeks, the 40x80 foot three-storey building was producing the Common Sense bicycle which was billed as being "inferior to no machine on the market." Agencies for the repair and sale of Common Sense bicy- cles were established in Brantford; Winnipeg and Toronto. It was hoped that the com- pany would employ between 50 and 100 men. As a sideline, the Henderson Bicycle Com- pany also produced "sulky wheels and other lines of the trade." The first order of Goderich made bicycles were shipped from the Henderson factory on Saturday, March 28, 1896. Yet, despite the initial excite- ment over bicycle production, it appears the foundry became the company's primary source of revenue. In April 1896, the `Signal' advertised "mill and agricul- tural repairing and casting at the bicycle factory." In November, it was announced that the Hender- son Bicycle Company had purchased all of the Huron History David Yates Runciman factory's castings and patterns. In addition to producing the Common Sense bicycle, the company announced that it would do "all other repair- ing connected with iron work." That same month, Henderson, the "late busi- ness manager of the Goder- ich bicycle works" had left the company for an extended stay in Jamaica due to ill -health. In 1897, the Huron wheel was the latest model the Hen- derson bicycle factory pro- duced. `Built on Honour; the Common Sense and Huron were "favourites wherever they are sold." In April 1897, Winnipeg had the `Common Sense' to order 100 bicycles from the Hender- son Company with more large orders coming "in quick succession!' In 'A Souvenir of Goderich' (1897), the Henderson Bicy- cle Company was "known from the Atlantic to the Pacific" and was considered "one of the thriving and important manufacturing institutions" in Goderich. "For easy running qualities and absolutely dust -proof bearings, honesty of material used, scientific principles of construction and graceful outline," Henderson bicycles were "without peer on the Canadian market." At $65 for a Huron and $75-$85 for a Common Sense, bicycle ownership in 1897 was still a substantial investment (In 1900, the average wage of a Canadian production worker was $375 per year). Yet, the cost was not totally beyond reach. Bicycle makers faced fierce competition to produce a faster, better and cheaper bicycle. A company with a good rider on a racing bicy- cle could drastically boost sales. In 1898, Alex Mclvor (15) belonged to one of Goder- ich's most legendary fishing families. Ile had a reputation as an all-round athlete adept at hockey, skating and cycling. The `Exeter Times' said that McIvor had "for the past year shown his heels to all comers at all distances" in bicycle races around Goderich. In a 1951 story in the `Goderich Signal -Star; Mclvor recalled that R. A. McCready, the bicycle com- pany's manager, tapped him to ride the company's new `McCready Pink Flyer' in the 1898 Victoria Day Bicycle race in Brantford. The Paris to Brantford race was Ontario's premier bicycle race at the turn of the century. Mclvor faced some of the province's best riders who had `considerable reputa- tions.' Mclvor told McCready that the Brantford race "was quite a jump for me" but he was willing to try. With only a week's training, Mclvor was one of 48 riders entered in the prestigious Vic- toria Day race. In a stunning upset, Mclvor, the inexperi- enced, unknown Goderich youth, became the town's pride when he won 'an easy victory' over the more experienced rac- ing men. • When Mclvor entered the outskirts of Brantford he was a half mile ahead of his near- est competitor, the Brantford bicycle team's trainer hailed him over, and told him he was about to win but to slow down "and not to make too good time to be used against" him in future races. Mclvor won the race by such a wide margin that some doubted that he actu- ally completed the entire cir- cuit but complete it he did. Mclvor received Photo courtesy of Huron County Museum Henderson Bicycle Company, Goderich, circa 1898 congratulatory messages from across southern Ontario. The President of the Red -Wing Bicycle Company congratu- lated Mclvor and offered him a new bicycle if he would ride a Red -Wing in future races. Mclvor said he felt duty bound to ride the McCready Pink Flyer that had been loaned to him. Yet, Mclvor was soon sorely disappointed. He had presumed' the company "would show some apprecia- tion" for " his success in giving their new 1898 model a boost" but instead the offer that he received from the company "was so unbelievably poor" he left the bicycle at the factory and walked away. It seems McCready was only prepared to lend Mclvor the bicycle if there was a race. Mclvor went on to greater racing glory as the Cham- pion Cyclist in Canada on the Red -Wing bicycle win- ning the title in record breaking time (he trained with famous cyclist Harley Davidson). According to Mclvor, McCready's lack of foresight did not "make much of a hit in town and no doubt when later successes came my way he probably realized he had pulled a boner." Indeed,, Mclvor's Brantford victory was both the high point and a lost opportunity for the Henderson Bicycle Company. In 1900, their fourth and last bicycle model, the Goderich, was rolled out. It does not seem. to have made much of an impression on the cycling public. Accord- ing to `Memories of Goderich' (1977), Henderson "bikes had a weakness. The spokes kept popping off the hubs. By the time the fault was overcome the bicycle craze had subsided." In March 1900, the Hender- son Bicycle Company's name changed to the Goderich Engine and Bicycle Company Limited as it expanded into the production of steam engines. Common Sense and Goderich bicycles were still advertised in local bicycle shops in 1902 but the compa- ny's main business endeav- our was engines and foundry work. As late as 1907, the `Signal' still referred to it as the Goderich Engine and Bicycle Company but bicycles were no longer part of its catalogue. The era of the Goderich made bicycle had ended.