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Edward Joel Pennington was born in Moore’s Hill, Indiana in 1858. Although he didn’t stay in Indiana for very long, his early years in the state shaped him to automobile and motorcycle fame as well as equal infamy. Prior to moving to other parts of the Midwest and eventually Great Britain, E.J. Pennington first developed his ambitious and amazing skill at social engineering in various small Hoosier towns, where he conned people into investing in dud companies.

Despite his incredibly checkered past, Edward Joel Pennington had a passion for machines, going as far as having more than two dozen patents. He tinkered in engines and devices, even applying for some of the earliest motorcycle and automotive patents in the nation.

In 1893 Pennington submitted two documents detailing his versions of early motorcycles. The most interesting note is the fact that the term “motor cycle” is traced to these documents and exact year. Both documents declared Pennington as the assignor for the “Motor Cyc

F.W. Spacke Machine Company was founded in 1904 by Fred W. Spacke, a skilled machinist and inventor. Though born in Ohio, he moved to Indianapolis at an early age and well established himself in the state.

The F.W. Spacke Machine Company originally started as a modestly sized machining shop building air compressors, but soon expanded in 1907 to a larger facility. In the 1910’s the company was deeply involved in manufacturing engines for motorcycles.

In 1911 the company introduced a single chamber motor with a worm gear that drove a magneto, the only one of its kind in the US at the time. A twin version was also produced at the same time, though the patent application and approval were dated in 1913-1914. The motors proved to be well received by the industry. Its make was so popular that it was used by other motorcycle companies and models under the Spacke De Luxe brand name.

Some of the companies that used the Spacke De Luxe motors were:

-Sears (Dreadnought model)

-Dayton

-De Luxe

Half a year prior to Indian’s entry into the motorcycle world, there was an Indianapolis machine that already had a head start into the motorcycle revolution that was to come. The Patee Motor Cycle*. The machines were already in production and being sold throughout the US with extensive advertising running in periodicals such as Scientific American. It was only one of very select few mass manufactured motorcycles at the literal turn of the century.

January 1901: Short article/ad on the Patee Motor Cycle.

March 1901 advertisement: As you can see from the pricing differences, Indian was producing bicycles at this time.

Patee Bicycle Company officially came into being in 1897 and formally recognized in 1899, however its existence had earlier beginnings. Fredrick Patee, the founder, had a long history with bicycles and in 1895 left his job as secretary of Indiana Bicycle Company to start his own company. After leaving, he soon became a manager to Peoria Rubber and Mfg Co. in Illino

The Great Western Manufacturing Company of LaPorte, Indiana was primarily founded by John Lonn and his son Edward Julius Lonn in 1899-1900. Prior to that, the business went by name of John Lonn and Son, which originally started as a hide/tannery shop that shifted to making harnesses for horses. By natural progression the business then gravitated toward bicycles. A little before the reorganization of the old company to the new, Edward Lonn bought out Crown Bicycle Co, which provided the stepping stone to the start of Great Western’s growth.

Though the new company was originally a conglomeration of partnerships with other companies, the Lonns swiftly bought out their partners. By 1903 the Great Western Manufacturing Company owned Adams & Westlake, David Bradley Companies and Wisconsin Wheel Works- consolidating them and moving most of their production and operations from their original locations to LaPorte, Indiana. It is interesting to note that by 1903-1904 Great Western was considere