# A Latta Bike



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

*Latta Bike*

I recently won this Latta Bros., bike on eBay…at the time the seller didn’t have any history on it since the bike didn’t have a badge on it. 


 

Because the seller didn't have a clue as to the maker and he couldn’t remove the hanger, hence him selling it!




At first my research led me to think it was a TOC Ben Hur?  It’s similar in appearance, but the tubing, fork and chainring seemed different?




At first glance the hanger looked like any other one-piece crank arm, but it isn't! There are no pins or bolts to hold the arms on. At first I quickly felt the pain of the seller...his frustration as to how to remove it? I tried a pulley, but had no luck…then I noticed the crank arm had a sleeve that slotted over the center of the sprocket. So I thought, is it possible that the chainring screwed on? Sure enough, by unscrewing the chainring the crank arm slowly slid off the slotted post…a genius of an idea!







The crank is stamped Latta. Nov.9, 97    _*BINGO!*_ This is what I needed to discern the maker...I now had the piece of the puzzle as to the manufacturer.







With the name Latta...I began a deep dive, it turned out the name belongs to the Latta Bros of Friendship, Allegany County, New York, and they were no joke when it came to building bicycles! 

The crank arm was one of Emmit G. Latta many designs...the fact is E. G. Latta made scores of patents for bicycles, more than any one man. Over 80 patents were granted on his bicycle inventions. Latta sold many of his patents to the Colonel Albert Augustus Pope, of the “Pope Manufacturing Company,” the leading US producer of bicycles. There was not a bicycle made at the time that did not contain some of his inventions.




Here's a interesting back story on Emmit Latta, he apparently “came from a line of distinguished soldiers in all the Colonial and Indian wars”. He received a common school education, and during the Civil War, in 1864, when but 15, he enlisted in the US Artillery without his parent's consent (the military forbid young men under the age of 18 to join).

Latta's father, Samuel E. Latta, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, and obtained a special order to discharge the young Emmit. Latta was immediately discharged, but after two months at home, he re-enlisted again and served until the close of the Civil War.  After the war, he enlisted for a third time and served a full term in Company A, 4th U.S. Infantry, where he spent his time as an engineer, helping to locate the Pacific railroad through the Rocky Mountains and exploring the Yellowstone and Black Hills region before the discovery of gold. He was twice wounded by Indians. 

He finally left the service in 1869 and returned home to Friendship, New York, where he established himself as an entrepreneur and an inventor, patenting scores of inventions. 

Here’s another one of Emmitt’s accomplishments ... the typewriter! E.G. Latta may be regarded as being one of the greatest typewriter inventors of all time. Among his 176 patents, beginning in 1881, 58 were for the typewriters or typewriter parts. [url]http://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history-xlii.html[/URL]







Brother Adrian C. Latta, was no slouch either in the patent department, he made several contributions also. Among those coming into general use was the twisted barb wire fence, twisting together two wires and inserting barbs.


----------



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

This frame is really unique…it has beefy tubing. Unlike most TOC bikes, this frame uses 1.24” tubes, the same size as most steering tubes.




Emmitt Girdell Latta and Adrian C. Latta of Friendship, NY, established an emporium business in 1873. In 1879, the two young men added a bicycle department, and in 1884 they began exclusively manufacturing bicycles.


 

By 1899, the Latta Brothers Company was the oldest exclusive cycle house in New York State and third in the United States. Their brand name franchise consisted of: Alert, American Express, Express, American Pilot, Pilot, Reliant, Sensible and Tip Top.

What was really cool ...they guaranteed their bikes for a year.


----------



## bike (Nov 10, 2013)

*yeosa*

long road to hoe to find all those parts!


----------



## bricycle (Nov 10, 2013)

Nice find Carlton!


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Nov 10, 2013)

I was watchin that on the bay as well. Congrats that thing is fantastic!!


----------



## sqrly (Nov 10, 2013)

I ran out if money and lost my attempt to win that bike.  I would be interested in buying it.


----------



## bikewhorder (Nov 10, 2013)

I gave that one some serious consideration but I wasn't too excited about trying to find the parts to fix what I assumed was blown out B/B. I was the one asking about it in the Q&A.  Looks like you did your homework so you definitely deserve it.  Nice Score.


----------



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Nov 10, 2013)

Carlton,
Well worth finding all of the parts and restoring.
That crank set is one of the best designs.


----------



## hoofhearted (Nov 10, 2013)

CARLTON ... EXCELLENT WIN !!!!!!!!

Check Out The Rear Stays Again .................  patric


----------



## bikewhorder (Nov 10, 2013)

So in 1897 a $50 bike was about $1388 in todays dollars.  That Image of the express model is absolutely gorgeous and the sprocket/crank arm puller is ingenious.  I look forward to seeing what you do with it.


----------



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

Patric, I know the metal tubing on this frame is awesome, the fork and stays are hollow, not solid metal. It's hard to see the indentations covered over by the multiple layers of paint...but this thing is really awesome!


----------



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

I'm going to restore it to it's magnificence. I have all of the parts except for one piece.


----------



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Nov 10, 2013)

What part are you missing?


----------



## chitown (Nov 10, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> What part are you missing?


----------



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

What am I missing? Chitown is right...the badge!!! It's going to be a challenge for sure...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZQMZQCQ


----------



## fordsnake (Nov 10, 2013)

This is the badge I'm looking for and will pay top dollar it!


----------



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Nov 10, 2013)

Get in touch with this fellow.

http://jimlangley.blogspot.com/2007/09/finding-head-badges.html

jim@jimlangley.net


----------



## JChapoton (Nov 10, 2013)

fordsnake said:


> This is the badge I'm looking for and will pay top dollar it!





I would suggest having this badge repopped. Maybe this guy can make you one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Personalized-Bicycle-Head-Badge-made-to-order-/231016430711?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c9a6fc77


According to Daves Vintage Bicycles at Nostalgic.net, that is a rare antique head badge. I am thinking it is worth as much as the rest of the bike if you ever find one.
http://www.nostalgic.net/rare-antique-bicycle-badges

I scoured the internet for three hours and didn't see any for sale.


----------



## 66TigerCat (Nov 11, 2013)

*Sweet bike !*

Can't wait to see it completed. Good luck finding the badge.

Speaking of re-popped head badges-Anyone know someone that makes enamel badges ? I have an Orient that's missing the enamel center piece. It fits inside a brass bezel. 

Jim


----------



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Nov 11, 2013)

JChapoton said:


> I would suggest having this badge repopped. Maybe this guy can make you one.
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Personalized-Bicycle-Head-Badge-made-to-order-/231016430711?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c9a6fc77
> 
> 
> ...




To reproduce this badge, it would need to be made using the lost wax method.
A photo-etched badge wouldn't have the original look.


----------



## Gary Mc (Nov 11, 2013)

Carlton,  Great research & great find.  Best of luck on the head badge search.  Can't wait to see you get that one back on the road.


----------



## Iverider (Nov 11, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> To reproduce this badge, it would need to be made using the lost wax method.
> A photo-etched badge wouldn't have the original look.




That's a great idea! Maybe someone will let you borrow their badge! You could cast it in fine silver just for fun, although Nickel plated brass was probably the way it was originally.


----------



## GiovanniLiCalsi (Nov 11, 2013)

The owner of the original badge could simply make an impression in soft clay and then have the impression 3-D scanned into a CAD file for printing a 3-D model. He would also send correct dimensions of the badge.
The upsizing would compensate for shrinkage during the metal casting and create an exact size model of the badge.


----------



## kccomet (Nov 11, 2013)

thats a latta bike for the money


----------



## bricycle (Nov 11, 2013)

kccomet said:


> thats a latta bike for the money




aarrrrrgggggg!


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Nov 11, 2013)

bricycle said:


> aarrrrrgggggg!




Bri, yer getting slow on the zingers


----------



## Latta Sr (Mar 3, 2014)

fordsnake said:


> I recently won this Latta Bros., bike on eBay…at the time the seller didn’t have any history on it since the bike didn’t have a badge on it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Please be sure to post photos of your progress, I'm very interested
George Latta Sr.

From Latta Genealogy http://www.latta.org/

EMMIT GIRDELL LATTA, (Senior member of Latta Bros. bicycle mfg.) 
Born May 28, 1849 at Friendship, N.Y.; m. Lura Merriam Brown of Wilcox, Pa. August 27, 1879. She was born at Wilcox, Pa. April 1, 1857; died November 19, 1921 at Syracuse, N.Y. Daughter of Jefferson L. and Helen Amanda Brown. D.A.R. No. 30946. For her lineage see Genealogy of Rasselas W. Brown and Mary Potter Brown in Colorado State Library. In the history of the Brown family it says that Emmit Latta came from a line of distinguished soldiers in all the Colonial and Indian wars. Veteran Civil War. Enlisted in Battery A, 1st U.S. Art. re-enlisted in I Co. 19th N.Y. Cav. He also served in the regular army at the close of the Civil War in the 4th U.S. Infantry. 

Senior member of Latta Bros. bicycle mfg. 
Vice President Citizens National Bank of Friendship, N.Y. 
Vice President Reliance Shoe Co. of Friendship, N.Y. 
Vice President Brown Bankin Co. of Wilcox, Pa. 
Member of Brown, Latta & Condon, real estate, Wilcox, Pa. 
Vice President of Bale St. Paul Lumber Co. of St. Pauls Bay, P.Q. Canada. 
Was 1st Vice President of Board of Trustees when Friendship NY was incorporated. 
Was President of the Board of Education for over ten years. 
Had 176 patents granted him in the U.S. Patent Office for mechanical inventions. 
In 1922 he lived at Syracuse, N.Y. He compiled a short history of the Latta family.
Emmit, along with his father Samuel, mother Orpha and brother Adrian, were one of the first to build a home in the town now called Lily Dale, NY. This town was built on a new way of religious thinking, the founders called themselves " Free-Thinkers" a religious belief which helped form what is now known as "Spiritualism"

ADRIAN CLARENCE LATTA, (Junior member of Latta Bros. Bicycle Mfg.)  
 Born at Friendship, N.Y. December 5, 1851; d. August 26, 1926; 
Married: Josephine Brown of Elmira, N.Y. April 6, 1887. Her D.A.R. No. is 30045, Friendship, N.Y. 
Patented a number of mechanical inventions. 
Junior member of Latta Bros. Bicycle Mfg
Proprietor of Friendship Ginseng Gardens. 
Justice of the Peace at Friendship. 
In 1923 lived at Lakewood, Ills. Real estate. 

Also take a look here for more history 
http://www.alleganyhistory.org/research/genealogy/k-l/1272-latta-qfamilyq?showall=1

Bicycle Brand, Manufacturer, Distributor

Alert(D) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1885
American Express-(D) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1885-1892
American Pilot-(D) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1885-1892
Express-(M) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1892-1900
Pilot Safety-(D) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1885
Pilot-(D) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1885-1892
Reliant-(M) Latta Brothers, Friendship NY, 1898


----------



## hoofhearted (Mar 3, 2014)

*Latta Sr ... excellent historical notations .....  thank you .. and welcome to The CABE  ..........*

................  patric cafaro



*Latta Sr .... this is for you ...........*




=============================================================================
=============================================================================


----------



## mre straightbar (Mar 3, 2014)

*did i see correctly on write up*

30" wheels?
Or am i hallucinating again from lack of sleep


----------



## ccmerz (Mar 3, 2014)

here is an 1898 bicycle made by the NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE COMPANY with the same LATTA built crank assembly.


----------



## fat tire trader (Mar 3, 2014)

fordsnake said:


> This frame is really unique…it has beefy tubing. Unlike most TOC bikes, this frame uses 1.24” tubes, the same size as most steering tubes.



What's that frame behind the Latta???


----------



## hoofhearted (Aug 29, 2018)

*Latta Bros. badge ... she used to be mine ....*


----------



## Kickstand3 (Aug 29, 2018)

bike said:


> *yeosa*
> 
> long road to hoe to find all those parts!




Nice piece of history though 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------

