# Wabash-Terre Haute



## brendanrkearns (Sep 1, 2018)

Hello. New (excited) member here. 

I am hoping to gain some info about my newest treasure. 

I acquired this wonderful early 1900’s (possibly circa 1906) men’s bicycle with a badge of Chas G Pugh-Wabash-Terre Haute, Ind. 

The immediate assumption is that Charles G Pugh manufactured bicycles under the “Wabash” brand in Terre Haute. 

As part of the provenance, a label was affixed to the frame with the following:

Charles G Pugh Bicycles, bicycle supplies and repairs, Cigars and Tobacco. 100-106 So 6th. Tel Citizens 675 And then..723 So 7th. 

The bike has a Triumph/Reading bicycle style. 

The 27” wheels are wire spoke laced into wood rims. 

The tires-albeit poor condition-are labeled Pennsylvania Rubber. 27” 1909 

The bike has an odometer that appears to be original. 

I cannot make out the seat brand. Maybe “troxel”? It is all there but the leather is, well over a hundred years old. 

The bike is black with wonderful green accents and red piping. 

I hope that a few of you may have some info about this bike. 

I am very excited to own this potentially rich piece of Terre Haute history. 





























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## shoe3 (Sep 1, 2018)

Turn bike upside down, under crank housing shellook for serial #.


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## ThegoodThebad&Therusty (Sep 1, 2018)

I believe that frame to be an Excelsior built frame just like the one on my Elgin. The front forks are slightly different though.


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## Kato (Sep 1, 2018)

Welcome to The CABE and WOW - super nice find - Congrats !!!!
So that's 2 in 1 week that pop up with that front fender..........
Please do not part that bike - after 100 +/- years it needs to stay like it is.


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## dave the wave (Sep 1, 2018)

bike is 28in. model with 28 in tires circa 1914-16 made by Excelsior Mfg. Michigan City Ind. or Crown Mfg. Laporte Ind. one of the two.its a great piece of history with a value around maybe $1500 to the right person.keep it and enjoy it.show it to the historical society in your town.


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## brendanrkearns (Sep 2, 2018)

I do appreciate everyone’s insight. 

The photo above is of the serial number. To me it is like one of those Captcha graphics [emoji4] 

While I collect bicycles, this acquisition was because of the history for our community. The previous owner has one of the finest collection of Terre Haute historical items around. He sold it to me because of our ties. 

I do many historical presentations, and I hope to have one based off the bike and bicycling in Terre Haute. Your info is helping me. 

I will be displaying the bike at an event this upcoming Friday in downtown Terre Haute. It will generate lots of interest and I hope to share the info provided here. 

It will be available for display at our new History Center. 

A few questions. If it were yours, and you wanted to preserve it for the purposes I noted above, would you clean it up (and how) and would you replace the tires? 

The tires say 27 but as noted above it is a 28. I am looking for guidance. 

What would you use to keep the seat from degrading? Or would you replace it? 

What should I do to preserve the wood rims and to keep the spokes from rusting any further? 

I do have an extra rear wheel. 

Thanks again for your assistance. I really appreciate it. 




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## brendanrkearns (Sep 2, 2018)

shoe3 said:


> Turn bike upside down, under crank housing shellook for serial #.




Thank you. I’m not sure what source to look at to further info though. 






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## ThegoodThebad&Therusty (Sep 2, 2018)

brendanrkearns said:


> View attachment 862473
> 
> I do appreciate everyone’s insight.
> 
> ...




Welcome to the CABE Brendon, and that's a pretty cool bike I might add !

I would say if you intend to use it as a 'historical presentation' item and drag it around to various public events and offer it for public display as an educational tool, I would leave it exactly as it is. If you're compelled to clean it up a little, soap & water/Simple Green and a sponge would be as far as I would go. It already looks like somebody took some kind of abrasive to the green paint on the head tube and wore through the paint here and there which makes it look like they were either attempting to add fake patina after a touch-up or sand through the grime with a scotch brite pad when they could have used some product that wasn't so harsh.
You could also make it a period correct 'roller' by searching out a decent pair of vintage single tube (tubular) display only button tread tires but be prepared to shell out some serious $$. There's one single (black) listed on ebay right now that has cosmetic issues and the seller is asking $375 OBO.

If you think you might want to make it a rider some day that opens up another host of decisions that have to be considered. You're probably not going to be able to salvage a number of those spokes and nipples to be able to true those wooden rims. If you are thinking of switching out the original wooden rim and re-lacing a different one using the same hub, I seriously doubt you can free all the frozen nipples. You will probably end up needing to cut out a number of spokes to deconstruct the original wheel and then have to source patina matching spokes and nipples to match the rest.

FYI, seats like that aren't hard to find, there's a number of them on ebay right now for a couple hundred bucks+-.

Pap


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## dave the wave (Sep 2, 2018)

don't change a thing its only original once.the bike is just fine as found.


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## racie35 (Sep 3, 2018)

I'm in terre haute too.


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## Freqman1 (Sep 3, 2018)

dave the wave said:


> don't change a thing its only original once.the bike is just fine as found.



X5 what Dave said--don't mess with it at all. You will hear people to tell you to put various oils and concoctions on it. The reality is if kept in a climate controlled environment it will not rust or rot away anymore that it is right now. V/r Shawn


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## scrubbinrims (Sep 3, 2018)

Fantastic bike... not many cats roll up here with their first old bike acquisition like this. If it were me, I would clean the tires lightly/ carefully to bring out the white some.
Chris


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## Freqman1 (Sep 3, 2018)

Cool bike. My family has ties to Terre Haute. Both of my brothers were born there. My grandfather was Bernard Sweeney who served in local government from the '40-70s. V/r Shawn


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## anders1 (Sep 4, 2018)

Love the bike I wouldn’t touch it. Looks very nice as is.


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## Kato (Sep 26, 2018)

Any updates on this bike @brendanrkearns .........?


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## brendanrkearns (Sep 27, 2018)

Kato said:


> Any updates on this bike @brendanrkearns .........?




I have made a bracket for it and it’s on a wall in my home office. I will be having a print of a early 1900’s Terre Haute scene to place on the wall behind the bike. Or maybe from a bike shop-etc. 

I am still looking for info pertaining to Charles Pugh-possible bicycle shop. 

I have decided to leave it as it is. It’s so much fun to look at and a great conversation piece in our home. 





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## Kato (Sep 27, 2018)

That is absolutely awesome and how it should be kept - a part of history
Congrats on doing it the right way !!!!


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