# Recently Acquired This Bicycle



## Chris Heckman (Apr 25, 2016)

I recently acquired this bicycle but I am totally clueless as to what it is and what it might be worth. I have the frame, seat post, crank, chain, pedals and 2 rims but one has been chewed up by something.


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## barracuda (Apr 25, 2016)

Well, what you have there seems rather self-evident: it is a March-Davis "Admiral".

March-Davis Cycle Mfg. was a fairly regional manufacturer, incorporated in Chicago in 1892 by August R. March and Walter Davis. The company lost most of their manufacturing business located on Canal Street in a large fire in January of the following year, but with insurance money they made a comeback, selling throughout the years of the Great Boom.





As successful as they were for a while, the two principals didn't always see eye-to-eye:










By 1895, March-Davis had joined the National Cycle Board of Trade and promoted their wheels at the first ever Cycle Show in Los Angeles at Hazard's Pavilion. Their booth was notable for the presence of the famous clown Billy Burke (father of Glinda the Good Witch) as an attraction.





(^^Not even kidding - that's Billy Burke.)

In 1896, March Davis moved their manufacturing concern to a factory at the corner of Columbus and Wabansia, with a retail outlet on Washington. Eventually they had outlets as far away as Post Street in San Francisco, and on Broadway in New York, selling the "Admiral" and "March" marques.

Sadly, it seems the weight of these promotions and far-flung stores along with the flagging prices of cycles led to the "bust" of March-Davis in May of 1896.





By 1897 their $100 bikes were selling for under $30 bucks, and it was downhill from there.










The company was reorganized by the courts and struggled on for a while, but the rot had set in, and after about 1899 the once proud March-Davis Cycle Manufacturing Company disappeared without a trace, as far as I know.





And now I've told you probably more than you ever wanted to know about the history of your bike.

It's a sad, familiar story.


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## locomotion (Apr 26, 2016)

a front fork will be hard to find!!!
hard to tell from the pics, do you have the cups on the frame?


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## highwheel431 (Apr 26, 2016)

Arnold, Schwinn & Company sold an Admiral in later years that had a head badge the resembles the March-Davis badge.  So to continue the history I'm sure there is someone here that and tell us if Schwinn purchased March-Davis?


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## bricycle (Apr 26, 2016)

Welcome to the CABE!  Great find.


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## olderthandirt (Jun 17, 2016)

i would round up the parts and make a rider out of her you have all the real hard stuff to find ! if you just want sell her it will be worth more to someone with the desire to complete such a machine to keep  my guess 400.00 to 450.00 range just an estimate !


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## Dale Raether (Jul 18, 2016)

Chris Heckman said:


> I recently acquired this bicycle but I am totally clueless as to what it is and what it might be worth. I have the frame, seat post, crank, chain, pedals and 2 rims but one has been chewed up by something.View attachment 309334 View attachment 309335


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## Dale Raether (Jul 18, 2016)

This March-Davis was my great-grandfather's.  It's all original except the pedals, front sprocket, and saddle.  I'm curious how close in appearance those parts are to the original.  Anyone know?


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## Dale Raether (Jul 19, 2016)

highwheel431 said:


> Arnold, Schwinn & Company sold an Admiral in later years that had a head badge the resembles the March-Davis badge.  So to continue the history I'm sure there is someone here that and tell us if Schwinn purchased March-Davis?



Not only did Schwinn acquire the March-Davis factory in 1899, but I think Schwinn took over some of the machining.  Mid-1890s Schwinns I've seen had a square fork.  I had a Schwinn Admiral, and the fork looked identical to the fork on my March-Davis.


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## dnc1 (Aug 3, 2016)

olderthandirt said:


> i would round up the parts and make a rider out of her you have all the real hard stuff to find ! if you just want sell her it will be worth more to someone with the desire to complete such a machine to keep  my guess 400.00 to 450.00 range just an estimate !





Dale Raether said:


> This March-Davis was my great-grandfather's.  It's all original except the pedals, front sprocket, and saddle.  I'm curious how close in appearance those parts are to the original.  Anyone know?
> 
> View attachment 341572



That's one fantastic machine!


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## Dale Raether (Aug 3, 2016)

dnc1 said:


> That's one fantastic machine!



I appreciate that.  It's been in our family since new.  My grandfather and my mother also learned how to ride on it.  My family never had much money, so I'm suspecting they got this cheap.  I think it's what was called a sportsman model.  It's direct drive with no freewheel or brakes.  Notice the footrest on the front fork.  The front sprocket is identical in size to the Schwinn Admiral.


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## dnc1 (Aug 3, 2016)

You can't put a value on that sort of history.
Wish I'd kept my Grandads old Raleigh roadster when I was 16, but the lure of a new Raleigh rapide 12 meant it had to go as we only had room for 3 bicycles between myself and my 2 brothers.
Nowadays I'm still scratching around for space for my "collection",
Plus ca change!


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