# Hiawatha 1953?



## ct_sibfarms (Jan 1, 2012)

Taking a chance some one might be able to tell me a little more about a bike I found.  I'm sending pics of the frame, the badge and what I think is the serial number.  From what I've been reading so far I'm guessing it's a 1953 made by Cleveland Welding.  Does it have another name?  Does anyone have a pic of this bike restored?  Any answers would be helpful.  Thank you!


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## Adamtinkerer (Jan 1, 2012)

Welcome to the forum! You're correct, it's a 1953, built by Cleveland Welding. Might be some pics here in the Gallery.


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## ct_sibfarms (Jan 1, 2012)

Does the bike have a name?


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## Adamtinkerer (Jan 5, 2012)

Impossible to tell what model, seeing as it's just a frame. Actually, I don't recall much Hiawatha literature out there. Some companies just gave them a model #.


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## spoker (Jan 5, 2012)

*yrear of bike*

its a pre war with rear dropouts,shelby built,cleavland built had horizontal top bars,i have a 42 bought from original owner,has a gil tank,no horn and biscuit light,mine has the head badge with the hiawatha trin on it the one on yours seemto be a later one,always some differences,they were sold through gambles stores who later bought shelby


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## hatfulofhollow (Jan 5, 2012)

*Seneca?*

I have a late forties Hiawatha girls bike, under a coat of paint on the chainguard I found the word "Seneca".  So, thats one model that they had...I was able to find a few pics using that name.


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## RMS37 (Jan 5, 2012)

spoker said:


> its a pre war with rear dropouts,shelby built,cleavland built had horizontal top bars,i have a 42 bought from original owner,has a gil tank,no horn and biscuit light,mine has the head badge with the hiawatha trin on it the one on yours seemto be a later one,always some differences,they were sold through gambles stores who later bought shelby




*?*

   This bike is AMF/CWC built, produced in Cleveland, and the serial number decodes as 1953.  

AMF bought Cleveland Welding in 1951. Gambles purchased Shelby in 1953 and resold to AMF near the end of 1953/early 1954. 

   The last Shelby-Ohio built frames produced before the takeover were constructed in 1953.  When AMF took over the remains of Shelby, they closed the plant in that city and moved production to Cleveland. The earliest of the CWC framed Shelby’s and Hiawatha’s have 53Cw stamped crank hangers which is interesting considering the time of the takeover (I would have expected 54Cw) so it is possible that the transfer occurred before the end of 1953.

  All Shelby built bicycle frames have rear exit toe plates and CWC did not introduce forward dropout toe plates until building the Flying Falcon model in 1953. In 1954 AMF/CWC produced both rear and front exit toe plate frames.

  While the serial number will not decode the specific original model of this bike, the badge on your bike frame carries information that probably does. To the best of my knowledge, no one has yet taken on decoding this badge information in the public domain but it is probably in the archives of the NBHAA.


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## spoker (Jan 5, 2012)

*rear drop outs*

nope,shelby built pre-war


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## Gordon (Jan 5, 2012)

*hiawatha*

Here is a restored one.


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## spoker (Jan 5, 2012)

*gambles bike*

i bought from a 72 year old man who bought in 1942 to do his pa[er route,ser. no. under crank is B38/053,the head badge has the pic of the hiawatha train,had a biscut light on front fender,not a roader on front,no center rear fender braces as it hooks to rear carrier,dosent look like retored pic looks like alot of shelby gill tanks,only mine has no horn,almost loos like a shelby safty or aa 26 duck bike,thanks AJ there isnt alot of info on these,also has a morrow rear hub,very well built bike


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## ratina (Jan 5, 2012)

ct_sibfarms said:


> Taking a chance some one might be able to tell me a little more about a bike I found.  I'm sending pics of the frame, the badge and what I think is the serial number.  From what I've been reading so far I'm guessing it's a 1953 made by Cleveland Welding.  Does it have another name?  Does anyone have a pic of this bike restored?  Any answers would be helpful.  Thank you!




Are the first 2 numbers on the headbadge "05"? I've been collecting these numbers when I see them, They are all very similar. Seems like the last 4 are slightly different. My 51 Hiawatha is the same and the last 4 digits are 1035, 2 off from yours.


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## ratina (Jan 5, 2012)

hatfulofhollow said:


> I have a late forties Hiawatha girls bike, under a coat of paint on the chainguard I found the word "Seneca".  So, thats one model that they had...I was able to find a few pics using that name.




I think the mid to late 50's ones had model names. Seems like most earlier Hiawatha's didnt, at least that I've seen


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## spoker (Jan 5, 2012)

*head badge*

look he trains head badge wichis earlier and find your up hiawatha head bade on ebay or rat rods,take alook at yours and you will see yours is an indian head witch is a newer model


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## ratina (Jan 12, 2012)

Did you ever get a chance to look at the first 2 numbers on the badge? I'm really curious to see what they are.


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## 67goat (Nov 6, 2013)

*Were you ever able to cypher the serial # on your Hiawatha?*



ct_sibfarms said:


> Taking a chance some one might be able to tell me a little more about a bike I found.  I'm sending pics of the frame, the badge and what I think is the serial number.  From what I've been reading so far I'm guessing it's a 1953 made by Cleveland Welding.  Does it have another name?  Does anyone have a pic of this bike restored?  Any answers would be helpful.  Thank you!




I am also having trouble trying to cypher the serial # on a recent Hiawatha purchase...Serial # on bottom of crank is A60055  54 CW ....Head Badge 45 WG6  24 1057...Any input would be helpful.   Thanks, Ken


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## Hermanator3 (Nov 7, 2013)

*Hiawatha Navajo Huffman build*

We have a 24" girls Hiawatha Navajo which I believe is completely original.  I am almost  certain that it is a Huffman build.  It has rear facing drop outs, 1/2" chain & the serial # is on the seat post clamp which makes it a 1948-49, I believe.  It is a plain Jane; no tank, rack or light.  The serial # is 3H254861 & on the Indian head badge is stamped 45W68 24 1237A


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## Gramps ride (Nov 12, 2013)

*Hiawatha numbers for identification*

I have a Hiawatha with the swinging front fork/spring assembly. The stamped # on the bell crank housing are  A53380  followed by  "A" after a few spaces.  The pedals have Pearson cast into them also. thx


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