# J L Mead Co



## chitown

I've been doing some more Mead digging and got some good nuggets on Google Books:

Like the fact that he is the son of a buffalo hunter and Indian trader and his father also helped establish the Kansas state public schools.

Taken from a book of Chicagoans 1911

View attachment 62471

Some of his earlier ads:
*1897*
View attachment 62476

*1900*
View attachment 62477

*1902*
View attachment 62478

*1903*
View attachment 62479


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## OldRider

I always love to know the history behind things, fascinating to me. Who woulda thunk........from buffalo hunter to bicycles in two generations! Thanks Chi, love this stuff.


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## chitown

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## chitown

The Buffalo hunter part may have been his inspiration for this poster:

View attachment 62486

copyright on poster is 1897

The Mead Cycle Co on top and the address on bottom have been covered up. The saying next to the rider is scratched off a little but you can still make out "The recollection of quality remains long after the price is forgotten"


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## chitown

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## Nick-theCut

Are you serious with that poster?  Waaaay cool.  Buffalo hunter... That's awesome aswell.  Great research.  
I haven't looked at those ads up close, always pass up the "zoom in" when I see them on EBay.  Cool Neurdorf ad with the old pricing and silhouette of the top on the line racer.  Didnt we just see an orange one sitting next the Sheldon?  Keep up the research sir.


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## dfa242

Very cool stuff - thanks for sharing.


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## chitown

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## Balloontyre

*Who Made Mead Bikes*

ChiTown, way cool with the research.
 I have a general question about Mead. I've read different material over time that speculates Mead did not actually make any bikes, then some readings imply they only manufactured the Ranger line and all others were farmed to other factories for production.
Can you shed light on this?

Go Packers!


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## chitown

Balloontyre said:


> ChiTown, way cool with the research.
> I have a general question about Mead. I've read different material over time that speculates Mead did not actually make any bikes, then some readings imply they only manufactured the Ranger line and all others were farmed to other factories for production.
> Can you shed light on this?
> 
> Go Packers!




Working on it.


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## bricycle

Balloontyre said:


> ChiTown, way cool with the research.
> I have a general question about Mead. I've read different material over time that speculates Mead did not actually make any bikes, then some readings imply they only manufactured the Ranger line and all others were farmed to other factories for production.
> Can you shed light on this?
> 
> Go Packers!




Go Who????


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## chitown

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## chitown

*Book titled "Folks"  By Victor Murdock*


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## chitown

*James R Mead*

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## olderthandirt

*mead sold badges to anyone*

i was talking to MR Howie Cohen yesterday about bicycles and parts of interest and he suggested  i take a look at his antique catalog collection that you can view on his website howie cohens everything bicycles layfette colorado .i was surprised to find that in the 20s mead sold over 44 color and model combinations in one year .mead would make you headbadges for a 5.00 die fee and 1.60 per dz badges  there after to be fitted to your existing stock or to be installed on bikes that you order from them in the future  .interesting stuff ,Mr Cohen has copies of some and some original duplicates for sale you have to inquire on price.24.00 for a copy of Racycle catalog. i found him to be a very pleasant and informed gentleman i purchased a couple of pair of nos lobdell wooden rims from him but he had limited time that day but he promised to research a Racycle chain ring for me .  i might suggest that there is a wealth of information here for the club members to view so we can get answers to some of our questions ,and some cool reading


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## chitown

*Ace in the hole*

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## pelletman

I can't believe he could sell so cheap, and it wasn't a cheap quality bike.  Columbias were $75 in 1900


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## chitown

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## bricycle

You probably could sell them at that for cost...tires were $2-3, wheels $3-4, seats $3, retail.
Pipe was dirt cheap then. Labor??


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## chitown

*1900 tough times in the bicycle world*

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## wasp3245

*Mead*

Hello Chitown
 I enjoyed reading your research about Mead.  Mead had bikes made for them by Westfield and Schwinn?  Did they make their own bikes at one time ? Cheers Carey


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## chitown

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## chitown

*So called Harley or Davis only features*

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## chitown

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## wasp3245

*Great Education*

Thank you Chitown for all the history. Great to know the background of the players. Love the fact if you can not win by beating your competitor have the government with tariffs do it for you. So are you in Chicago? If so will you be ridng a Ranger at Critical Mass this Friday night? Say hello I'll be the guy riding an ordinary from up high. Thank you for sharing your images and insight.
Cheers Carey Williams
PS very interesting that in the early 1920's the US production was only at 500,000 only a quarter of the high mark in 1897.


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## chitown

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## chitown

*Colonel Pope crying like a b!+(#*

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## hoofhearted

*Mead IROQUOIS Badge*

CHITOWN (Chris) ... can you please shed some light on the Mead IROQUOIS Badge and/or bicycle.
Have the badge ... will foto after sun-up.

Thank you ... patric


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## chitown

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## hoofhearted

THANK YOU, CHRIS !!!  WHAT A GREAT AD !!!  Am currently penning an article for Classic Bicycle News ... 
a section called The Soul Searchers (with a focus on the Bicycle Badge).  This upcoming issue will focus on 
badges that feature Genetically-European Cattle Handlers and Native Americans (Cowboys and Indians).

GRABBED ALL of my appropriately-themed badges for foto work ... saw my Mead, Iroquios badge and had 
forgotten this badge was actually a Mead product.  Aluminum, acid-etch with silkscreened backfill.  Currently  
taking a break from the foto work.  Thank you, again .. CHRIS !!!

......  patric


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## hoofhearted

*Mead Iroquois Badge*

The Badge ......


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## chitown

Now dat is one sweet badge yous got der.

I love the black & white/gray scale, woodcut, etching/print look its got.


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## chitown

*An unexpected twist in the labyrinth*

In trying to find an early Schwinn/Mead connection in this labyrinth of bicycle manufacturers of the early part of the century I stumbled on this 1915 clip:





Lewis and Schwinn forming a bank in Arizona... ok... what the heck?

btw, that bank was closed down by regulators in Arizona after they had extended loans more than their invested capital... around 1921 I believe.




Ariadne, what other clues have for hidden in this maze of manufacturers past...


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## Larmo63

I just scored a 1919 Mead catalogue that has EVERYTHING in it.

If I can figure out how to scan, it is a wealth of detail and info

on all kinds of parts available.


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## pelletman

I scan in raw, tiff or bmp for good resolution, I scan into Adobe Photoshop elements,  then use PDF creator to make it a pdf which is usually small enough to email


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## sam

from 1911 mead catalog



best chain pedals and sprockets made in England


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## chitown

Here is a clip from a 1913 Premier Cycles catalog (Mead's wholesale/to the trade only company)


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## Nick-theCut

chitown said:


> Here is a clip from a 1913 Premier Cycles catalog (Mead's wholesale/to the trade only company)




I love the "circle bar" English style frame- LOVE.
PremierCycles huh, got anything else on them Mr.Town?


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## chitown

Nick-theCut said:


> PremierCycles huh, got anything else on them Mr.Town?




There are some ads in Bicycling World & Motorcycle Review around 1910-11

I have a 1913 catalog scan that I will be posting individual pages from later. But this ad is from 1911:





Not much else yet. Mail order houses were taking a pounding by the industry judging by the articles on them in Bicycling World. Companies like Sears and Mead were viewed as being responsible for ruining the industry by offering such low pricing.


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## chitown

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## Nick-theCut

perfect!
Can't wait for the scans


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## mre straightbar

*great thread lots of info*

fills in down time
there should be a vintage literature sticky in every sub forum
for imediate research
ive got a few books that that would be benificial to members here but no scanner
thanks


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## chitown

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## pelletman

mre straightbar said:


> fills in down time
> there should be a vintage literature sticky in every sub forum
> for imediate research
> ive got a few books that that would be benificial to members here but no scanner
> thanks




Scanners are close to free these days


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## Gary Mc

*Premier head badge on ebay now*

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=370710042493


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## chitown

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## chitown

*Enter the arrow*

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## chitown

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## Nick-theCut

I recently ordered a 1913 Premier bicycles cd catalog.  This thread brought it to my attention the association these bikes had with Mead Cycle Co.  After reading a newsletter with the Mead Cycle Co. letterhead I learned they are one in the same.






I wish these pics were better.

The tires sold along with these bikes at the time were called Aztec tires








I should think the swastica symbol should surprise many of you.  However the symbol dates back to the early 1700's used all around the world, especially in China and India.  It means "to be better" or " being with higher self". In modern times made popular by the Nazi's in 1920.
So here in 1913, no harm no foul.  (Sorry for the possibly weird side note)

More images of the bicycles from this catalog will come later.
    -   Nick


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## chitown

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## Balloontyre

*Yahooooo Dude... Applause*

Good stuff! Really dig the research, my kinda thread thank you.

Who made the frames and fork for Mead to assemble with?


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## dave the wave

chitown said:


> Lets take a look at a mysterious company located at 19th and California in Chicago... Arrow Cycle Co
> 
> They were running ads similar to Mead and we get our 1st glimpse at a tall frame motorbike that is sometimes associated with being Schwinn built.
> 
> But look at that nice English ribbed fork! The ads alone are screaming Mead with all the rider/agent talk. If you look more you'll also see a front sprocket associated with early Sears "Peerless" bikes... yet the year earlier it looks like a Mead sprocket. More evidence that I believe points to Mead and or Schwinn being the source of Sears bikes in the teens. INCLUDING the CHIEF. ILLINI NATION, time to bring the Chief home... sweet home Chicago... da da da.. da da.... da    da da da.. da da.... da
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> 1914 ad (with Mead looking sprocket)
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> 1916
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> 1917
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> 1918




you mean this piece of junk?


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## chitown

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## dave the wave

*the story*

that bike? i tell ya.i was at a threshing show displaying bikes for leads and some guy tells me about a wood rim bike he knows of that is 30mi. from my house.he says you can't miss the place he has a big tug boat sitting on his property that use to push barges up the missouri river.and sure enough there was this big ship out in the middle of his field that he called his yard art.so i went there and nobody was home.then a year later the same guy put it on CL for $200 and it sat on CL for 3 days.i was lucky to get that.


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## chitown

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## Nick-theCut

chitown said:


> Thanks Nick for the shots. That is the same catalog I got.
> 
> I wanted to address the notion that Mead was only an Assembler of bikes not a Manufacturer. Well in truth, this was the case of most manufacturers in the late teens to twenties. No longer were companies doing everything in house. In fact Westfield Manufacturing was present at some Tariff Hearings to try and increase import duties. Here is what he said about being a manufacturer:
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> (Search Westfield Tariff in Google books to find more riveting testimony)
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> So there it is... Mead was just an assembler... but so was everyone else.




Aristocrat, Brampton, Lobdell, New Departure... It makes great sense to me.  Awesome article uncover!!

Oh and Dave... 

 that thing is frickin sweet!


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## ejlwheels

*???*

The 1918 Arrow ad, above, shows what looks like the same style drop stand as the 1915/6 Sears Chief.  Also, the truss rods and fork look pretty similar to the Chief.  I have an Excelsior DeLuxe with similar forks and rods and the frame is nearly identical to my Chief frame.  Neither frame has the Davis specific chain adjusters, nor do they resemble my 1919 Davis frame.  Why would Davis make the Chief frame so different from their own frames?


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## chitown

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## Nick-theCut

Let's look at some of the bicycles offered by Premier Bicycles






















I find the Cossack interesting, as for the same model "Cossack" was sold as a Mead Cycle Co bike aswell.
Mead diversified bike sales through a different name "Premier", yet sold the same bike.  I'll dig to see why later.  Enjoy.


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## chitown

*Some Elgin...ish sprockets*

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## chitown

*Leathernecks choice!*

Check the lower left column. US Marines ordered bikes and tires from Mead in 1918. I would love to know more about what models they ordered.


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## Nick-theCut

Love this thread, thought I would add on this ad.  Earlier mentioning Premier Cycles and somewhere along the line Mead must have bought them out, or a portion.  Until now, I only saw Mead advertising these Premier bikes in the early teens.
Here the Premier name reappears in this 30's Mead catalog... Still at it


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## chitown

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## Balloontyre

*Who is this Mead fella?*

Who is H.T. ?


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## josehuerta

Balloontyre said:


> Who is H.T. ?




One of Mead's sons was named Theodore, might be him?

Just reread the ad, too early to be Mead's son. Ah, a new puzzle.


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## Balloontyre

I wonder if H.T Mead & Prentiss was a different concern from Mead Cycle Co.?


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## Balloontyre

Balloontyre said:


> I wonder if H.T Mead & Prentiss was a different concern from Mead Cycle Co.?



Found this the other day. 

Question... How do you readers interpret the part circled in blue? Did both companies exist simultaneously or ?

What is the earliest known Mead (no Prentiss) bike?


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## chitown

My guess they existed simultaneously with his partner Prentiss until Mead bought out his "branch".

As far as the H.T. Mead adverts there are other examples of different versions prior to 1900. 

1896-7 ads
















1897 ad






My theory is that they used these different prefixes as a way to track what publication the readers were ordering from so they knew which one was selling more from.

I'm working on some major editing of this thread as I've found some new info that I want to repost to make it more complete and follow a proper timeline.


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## Wheeled Relics

bump


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