# Identify Hawthorne Manufacturer and year



## craigw (Feb 24, 2013)

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum, I am no old bike expert but have always liked old Bicycles and Motorcycles.  I had this posted elsewhere but I see there is a lot more traffic under this heading so I have moved it here.  I was wandering around on a friends ranch yesterday here in dry southern New Mexico and ran across this old Hawthorne frame. I am sure Wards was manufactured by several different companys just like Sears. I would like to know which one made this model and the approximate year of manufacture. It has a skip tooth sprocket and older style handlebars. The number on the bottom is 74EH. Thanks for any information that can be provided.


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## rollfaster (Feb 24, 2013)

*hawthorne*

it was most likley built by the clevland welding company in the early 1940s.that sprocket is a dead giveaway to it being a hawthorne.this bike will make a cool ratrod build.keep us posted.


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## jpromo (Feb 24, 2013)

This would actually be an HP Snyder-built bicycle. At this point in time, Wards Hawthorne was badged on both Snyder and CWC frames as you suspected. The dropouts, fork, serial number and crank dustcaps are all indicative of Snyder products. As far as the serial number goes.. reverse the two digits and you have your year--1947 

Look up early postwar Rollfasts and you'll see this is the same frame. Nice start! Enjoy. Clean and grease the bearings while it's apart, get yerself some wheels and a chain and ride them dry NM roads like no one else around


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