Bicycle Equipment

Ohio History

Bicycle Equipment

 Here you can see some of the machinery Orville and Wilbur Wright used, located in the back of the shop. The brothers started out their business by repairing friends' bikes. But they soon began to actually build and sell their own lines of bicycles. Their brands, the Van Cleve and St. Claire, were designed by the brothers and, of course, had improved features. The cheapest bicycle cost $50, which would be worth about $1000 now. They offered installment payment plans, as well as discounts for trade-ins. In fact, as we read on a sign there, the Wrights gave one of the trade-ins, a Viking bicycle, to their friend Paul Lawrence Dunbar (remember him?). Talk about entrepreneurs!

Wright Cycle Shop

Ohio History

Bicycle Shop

For our next stop in Dayton, we headed just down the street to the Wright Cycle Co. The brothers were fascinated by bicycles and opened their first shop in 1892. They actually operated in five consecutive locations during the ensuing 16 years. The buildings were almost all located on the same street; they must have constantly needed larger quarters for the flourishing business. The shop above, used from 1895-1897, is the only one still standing. The fifth and last building, in fact, was turned into a machine shop to experiment with building airplanes around 1902. 

Bicycle Counter

The front counter in the Wright Cycle Shop was well-stocked with all kinds of bicycle parts. I could just imagine a grease-streaked clerk standing behind the counter as townspeople filtered in and out wheeling those old-fashioned bicycles with the huge front wheels.

Wright Planes

Ohio History

Airplane Motor

Here is a real motor from one of the Wrights' early airplanes. One of the major problems was getting a motor light enough, yet with enough power to keep the plane in the air. It was pretty amazing! Of course we all know these hours of experimentation culminated in the successful 59-second flight at Kitty Hawk in December 1903. But that was not the first plane built. Check out the model of the 1900 glider in the lower picture below. The wing system worked but it was too large to lift off or control. By contrast, the upper glider, built two years later, featured both a forward elevator and a rudder to allow the pilot complete control of the craft. It paved the way for the motor-powered flights at Kitty Hawk the next year.

1902 & 1900 Planes

The thrill of the first flight at Kitty Hawk was slighty dampened by the ensuing crash and complete wreck of the plane. When the brothers returned home, they practically had to start from scratch. Then they'd test the plane, go back and make adjustments, test again. Making repeated trips from Dayton, Ohio to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina soon became long, tiresome, and expensive. Especially when a cow pasture eight miles from home would do the job. So the Wrights began to test fly planes at a large and secluded field called Huffman Prairie, just outside Dayton. It worked alright, as long as they avoided the barbed wire and trees. In two years they had perfected their planes for the market.

I have in fact visited Huffman Prairie (it doesn't look much different from other fields) but sadly I have no pictures. Well, that is where the story ended at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. Stay with me a moment while we 'cycle' back to the Wright brothers' early days . . . and the bicycle shop.

Wright Notes

Ohio History

Flying Figures

The experience in their printing shop and later in making bicycles sharpened the mechanical genius of the Wright brothers' minds. They worked long hours to figure a way that was mathematically possible to keep a craft airborne. I found this page of notes from their figuring very intriguing . . . although I have absolutely no idea what it means! The brothers built their first plane in 1899 based on this theory and tested it in Dayton. It worked surprisingly well. Taking off on this experiment, they designed a much larger glider in 1900. However, it was a step in the wrong direction: very awkward and difficult to control. A bit discouraged, the Wrights persevered and built yet a new design. Then, of course, it was off to Kitty Hawk to make history.

Poet & Printers

Ohio History

Dunbar Wallpaper

Finally, we reach the three historical figures for which the museum was named. What in the world does a picture of a wall have to do with this? Well, the sample of wallpaper above is actually over 100 years old, and do you know where it came from? The home of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, first internationally-known African-American poet and writer--and native of Dayton. This museum did not have many relics from the illustrious writer, since of course most are still at the Dunbar House, which we visited a while back. (Click right here for more info on Dunbar's life and story.)

But the Wright-Dunbar Center did have many quotes from Dunbar's poems, including one which seemed to lead into our next subject:

"What dreams we have, and how they fly,

Like rosy clouds across the sky."

Wright Printers

How their dreams did fly! Literally. But the Wright brothers did not start their career in the air. As boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved to invent and try new things. So it was only natural to open a printing shop in 1889 and publish their own newspaper, The West Side News. You can see a copy of the paper in the exhibit above, as well as some of the commercial orders the brothers did. But there's more: the Wright print shop also printed the Dayton Tattler, published by Paul Lawrence Dunbar himself.

Dayton General Store

Ohio History

Old-Fashioned Shopping

On a lighter note, one room of the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center was set aside as a general store from the early twentieth century. It was amazing to see all the boxes and cans already lining the 'grocery store' shelves! We enjoying posing by the life-size figures dressed in period clothing in the store. We looked a little out of place in the pictures though! I enjoyed examining the variety of colorful cans lining the shelves. There were even bins of (fake) dried fruit waiting to be scooped out.

Sewing Machine

Ohio History

Davis Sewing Machine

A sewing machine was the next item on exhibit at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. The old and intricate machine was amazing to study, as well as the complicated diagram behind it. It was manufactured by the Davis Sewing Machine Company, which was founded in 1868 in Watertown, New York. It capitalized on improvements made to Elias Howe's sewing machine by inventor Job Davis. In 1890, the company was changed ownership and moved to Dayton, Ohio. It employed a large number of residents there and supported local industries. Davis Co. was sold to the National Sewing Machine Co. in 1924, essentially ending the production of sewing machines in Dayton. The factory became the Huffman Bicycle Factory and continued to be a significant manufacturer in Dayton...until it moved to Mexico in 1999. I never dreamed there could be that much history behind a sewing machine.

Dayton Cash Registers

Ohio History

Ritty Register

Despite its name, the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center also featured a number of not-as-famous Dayton accomplishments. We saw them first. You probably don't recognize this photo, but it is the very same cash register that appeared on my blog under another name: the Patterson cash register. Yes, I was confused too, but here's the story:

 

James Ritty owned a dining house in Dayton where the employees were always stealing money from sales. He and his brother began working on the idea of a machine that could record sales. Their first model resembled a clock, the clock hands indicating dollars and cents (imagine that!). They altered the design so that keys input specific money amounts, and patented it in 1879 as "Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier." James Ritty opened a small factory to manufacture his cash registers.

Overwhelmed by running two businesses, Ritty sold the factory to Jacob Eckert (a glass salesman) who formed the National Manufacturing Company. Eckert, in turn, sold the business to John Patterson in 1884. Patterson renamed it the National Cash Register Company (NCR) and proceeded to build his business. He improved the cash register further, adding receipt paper and mechanized components, with the help of inventor Charles F. Kettering. Did you know that NCR was acquired by AT&T in the 1990s? Now it makes electronic cash registers.

Wright-Dunbar Center

Ohio History

Dayton History

While we wait for those chicks to grow and spring to arrive, let's take another trip to Dayton, Ohio. Yes, I know we've already been all around Dayton--the Boonshoft Museum, Dunbar House, Carriage Hill Metropark, Patterson House,--but we have in fact only scratched the surface. Above all these sites, Dayton is most famous as the home of Orville and Wilbur Wright. There are many fascinating places to explore the history of flight within the city. But did you know that writer Paul Lawrence Dunbar was connected to the Wright Brothers? I didn't either until I visited the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center in downtown Dayton. Let's stop there first to learn some Dayton history!

Barred Rock Chicks

Backyard Poultry

Contemplation

And last but not least: the Barred Plymouth Rocks. I got three of this breed in my second batch of chicks. I think Barred Rocks are one of the breeds that look most different as chicks and adults. The chicks don't even show a hint of the zebra stripes that will dominate the adults' feathers. Likewise, the little white spot on the chicks will be lost entirely as they mature. I also think Barred Rock chicks also have a smart and curious look about them. They just seem...intelligent. What do you think is going through this Barred Rock chick's little mind?

Auracana Chicks

Backyard Poultry

The Easter Egg Chicks

Now we come to the Araucanas...better known as the "Easter egg hens." Araucanas and their western cousins Americanas are well-known for their extraordinary egg colors: blue, green, and a rare pink. Of course, for these chicks, the color of egg they came from is more relevant than the color they will lay. I got three Araucana chicks in my new batch. The white one (far left in the picture above) was named Birch. The other two were totally the opposite - gray with brown backs and heads - and named Pinecone and Walnut. They're the two dark ones in the photo above.

Sleeping Walnut

I loved my Araucana chicks. They seemed even fluffier and cuter than the other 'ordinary' chicks. During the first year, Rhode Island Reds were my favorite breed, but now the Easter egg hens are definitely on the top of my list. Pinecone, Walnut, and Birchie got the most attention of any of the chicks. They were always falling asleep in somebody's hands.

Buff Orpington Chicks

Backyard Poultry

Yellow Fluff Balls

Buff Orpington: the newest breed added to my chicken adventure. A truly yellow chick, from head to toe. The Orpington is an old homestead breed that came from England. It's a very docile breed, and heavy too--roosters can weigh 9-10 pounds. I wanted a lighter-colored chicken, and needed some serenity for my present flock. From the limited selection at the feed store, this seemed a good choice. I was concerned about egg efficiency (more weight = fewer eggs) but my Buff Orpingtons have proved to be very good layers. The four chicks soon became favorites for my sister and I. They already seemed so calm and pretty.