# Anyone know what year Schwinn bought the Mead cycle Company?



## barneyguey (Feb 11, 2018)

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. Barry


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## WES PINCHOT (Feb 11, 2018)

I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I DON'T THINK SCHWINN BOUGHT MEAD.
I DO KNOW THAT FOR UNCERTAIN YEARS SCHWINN MADE PARTS FOR RANGER.


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## barneyguey (Feb 11, 2018)

Thanks again Wes! Did mead ever make their own bikes or did they just buy the bike frames and other parts from bicycle manufactures?


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## WES PINCHOT (Feb 11, 2018)

barnyguey said:


> Thanks again Wes! Did mead ever make their own bikes or did they just buy the bike frames and other parts from bicycle manufactures?



I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO MEAD HAS THEIR BIKES OTHER THAN THE SCHWINN YEARS.
THERE MUST BE SOME ONE ON THE CABE WHO WOULD KNOW.


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## barneyguey (Feb 11, 2018)

Alright, Thanks for the information. Have a great night, Barry


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## schwinnderella (Feb 11, 2018)

I also do not believe Schwinn ever bought Ranger. I have seen Rangers that I believe were manufactured by Westfield, Schwinn, Colson, Manton and Smith, middleweights and three speed  British lightweights, by makers which I do not recall.


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## GTs58 (Feb 11, 2018)

Buy this book and then maybe you can fill us in. 

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Bo...d+cycle+company&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image2


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2018)

28 page catalog. Few sketches. General information, no specifics on what you are seeking.


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2018)

barnyguey said:


> Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. Barry



*Chicago & North Western railroad with the Mead Cycle Company, right, Chicago. 1909 ~ 1920*



The topic of Manufacturer versus distributor is scant. The Wheelmen site lists Mead as manufacturer
through 1918. With some Mead Rangers being Schwinn-built.
Schwinn built several bikes exclusively for different companies.
 I have a 1950s B.F. Goodrich Schwinn bike.
Schwinn did buy out several bicycle companies that were falling on hard times during the depression
but the information does not go into detail with the few paragraphs that I have read from the Library of Congress
on who those companies were.


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

Thanks! I read that same stuff and copied that same photo, but finding much on the history of the company is hard for some reason. It surprised me considering how popular Mead Rangers are. If you look up many companies, wikipedia will give you the history of what ever company you look up. This isn't the case with Mead. Barry


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## catfish (Feb 12, 2018)

Westfield made bikes for Mead too.


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

catfish said:


> Westfield made bikes for Mead too.



I've seen them too, along with other brands, but for some reason thought Schwinn bought them out?


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2018)

_ Fifty Years of Schwinn-Built Bicycles 1895 ~1945_
by Frank W. Schwinn



 
*****************************************
The March-Davis Bicycle Co. is the only reference made with regards to
buying a bicycle company by Schwinn from 1895 to 1945.


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

2jakes said:


> _ Fifty Years of Schwinn-Built Bicycles 1895 ~1945_
> by Frank W. Schwinn
> View attachment 753304
> *****************************************
> ...



I knew someone could tell me. Thank you very much! Barry


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

That's funny! I have that book! LOL


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## Cooper S. (Feb 12, 2018)

I don’t remember where I read it, but I’m pretty sure schwinn boughtout mead in1946.


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

I


Cooper S. said:


> I don’t remember where I read it, but I’m pretty sure schwinn boughtout mead in1946.



If so, that wouldn't be in the book mentioned above. Thank you. I'll have to see if I can find anything about it. Barry


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2018)

The question with regards to Mead~Schwinn has been a topic for sometime now.

*****************************************************************************************************
Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
Mead Motobike Frame Identification
Posted Aug 14, 2012
chitown



I would still love to learn more on when Mead stopped using their own factory and began their outsourcing of frames to Schwinn and Westfield. George Lewis (long time Mead salesman/Manager/Owner of several Patents for Mead) was moving on with other ventures with Horace Huffman in the mid 20's so that would be possibly when you begin to see other frames being used as well. . And also it would be great to learn more about the custom badging they did and if it were for larger accounts like Sears. The teen Sears Peerless road bikes share many of the teen Mead road bikes design features including patented fork and dropout designs.

********************************************************************************************************

It would be great if you were to find out more,
thanks Barry.


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## barneyguey (Feb 12, 2018)

I'll work on it. We need to know! Lol


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## GTs58 (Feb 12, 2018)

I haven't found anything about Schwinn buying Mead. But.......

1911 Schwinn buys Excelsior Motor Cycle Co.
1917 Schwinn buys Henderson Motor Cycle Co.


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## GTs58 (Feb 12, 2018)

*So why would Schwinn buy a company that wants to hire boys to take orders for new bikes?*


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## 2jakes (Feb 13, 2018)

*This was one method used by the "Boys from Marketing" **to
promote their products to the public.*

*Schwinn took advantage of the depression by buying bicycle*
*companies that were failing.*

*It's not easy trying to determine if and when *
*Schwinn may have bought **the Mead Cycle Company.*

*As Barry noted, there's not much information*
*to go by.*
*This link might point the way.
There's so much information with regards to bicycles from the past.
The thing is entering the correct words in the search
option that will bring up the data that we need.
*
*Catalog Record: American bicyclist and motorcyclist | Hathi Trust ...*


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

I always thought it was cool that Schwinn built motorcycles. I read when the Excelsior Henderson motorcycle company folded it's doors, the engineers that designed the motorcycles designed some of the cool features on the motorbikes etc. that we all love! Barry


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

2jakes said:


> View attachment 753849
> 
> *This was one method used by the "Boys from Marketing" **to
> promote their products to the public.*
> ...



Thanks for the information. I've been putting it all in a file and will try to meld it all together for us bike freaks.
It's hard to ask the correct question sometimes, when a very dense person like me is in control of the keyboard. 
It's hard enough for me to talk, let alone type. Hunt and peck! Hunt and peck! LOL


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## bricycle (Feb 13, 2018)

barnyguey said:


> Thanks for the information. I've been putting it all in a file and will try to meld it all together for us bike freaks.
> It's hard to ask the correct question sometimes, when a very dense person like me is in control of the keyboard.
> It's hard enough for me to talk, let alone type. Hunt and peck! Hunt and peck! LOL



Hey, who you call'n a "bike freak"?


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

bricycle said:


> Hey, who you call'n a "bike freak"?



Myself and maybe a couple of the people on the Cabe?


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

2jakes said:


> View attachment 753849
> 
> *This was one method used by the "Boys from Marketing" **to
> promote their products to the public.*
> ...



I have a few of those ads and even a worn out T-Shirt I bought, maybe on the Cabe? I can't remember. I love the shirt and wish I could by another one some where. Barry


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

Check this out guys! I took these out of a huge list I found of turn of the century bicycle badge names. I think I originally got these names from This:* 3365 bicycle brands - The Wheelmen*

I also found the names Ace and in 1898 the name Myron? I don't these names are accurate for sure. You know how it is researching and finding information on the Web.


*Albatross-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, *

*Amazon-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1902*

*Argonaut-(D) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1902*

*Cossack-(D) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL,*

*Kennebee Special-(D) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL,*

*Ladies Sentinel-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1897-1898*

*Montrose-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1899-1912*

*Newport-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1898*

*Pathfinder-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1918*

*Prince-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1912-1918*

*Princess-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1912-1918*

*Ranger-(M) Mead & Prentiss Manufacturing, Chicago IL, 1899*

*Ranger-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1910-1918 1925-1940’S*

*Roman-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, c1904*

*Royal-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1910-1912

Sentinel-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1897-1898*

*Sentinel-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1902*

*Sentinel-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1910-1914*

*Windsor-(M) Mead Cycle Company, Chicago IL, 1910-1914*


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## 2jakes (Feb 13, 2018)

barnyguey said:


> Check this out guys! I took these out of a huge list I found of turn of the century bicycle badge names. I think I originally got these names from This:* 3365 bicycle brands - The Wheelmen*
> 
> I also found the names Ace and in 1898 the name Myron? I don't these names are accurate for sure. You know how it is researching and finding information on the Web.
> 
> ...




*I should have made it a point of writing down when I read it.
I didn't.
An article indicated that Mead Cycle Co. was more into
assembling bikes for other companies instead of 
manufacturing a "Mead" bicycle.
I'm not quoting and this is not exactly what I read. Just guessing.
Perhaps this was not the case all the time that Mead Co. 
existed, might be only at a certain period.
I'll stand corrected if this is not accurate.*

*Perhaps at one point Mead was similar in a small way like
the WALD Co. that makes different parts for bicycles over the
years.

And I'm still hoping CATFISH finds this neat rear rack made by
the Wald Co.


 

I might just have the guy who did the wrought-iron window
bars create one for me. He can shape metal into any style or form.

Sorry Barry...I tend to go off topic!*


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## barneyguey (Feb 13, 2018)

2jakes said:


> *I should have made it a point of writing down when I read it.
> I didn't.
> An article indicated that Mead Cycle Co. was more into
> assembling bikes for other companies instead of
> ...



LOL   I'll soak up just about any information I can. I actually enjoyed History class in School. Barry


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## Wilfredo (Feb 27, 2020)

barnyguey said:


> Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. Barry



I notice that my bike is made in 1936, when I look in the internet many Rangers, they are like Shwinn build. 
  My is like motorbike, not Shwinn stile.
  This make me think, the company was sold in 1936. 
   There is no one like mine.


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## Freqman1 (Feb 27, 2020)

Wilfredo said:


> I notice that my bike is made in 1936, when I look in the internet many Rangers, they are like Shwinn build.
> My is like motorbike, not Shwinn stile.
> This make me think, the company was sold in 1936.
> There is no one like mine.




Post a pic of your bike and we can likely identify the mfr. V/r Shawn


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