# Need a Hiawatha expert.



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 11, 2011)

I inherited a Hiawatha bicycle when my father in law passed away. It needs full restoration. I know the bikes were sold by Gambles and also know there were 2 possible manufacturers. Someone told me the chain guard is not original to the bike. But that is about all I know. I do not know who the manufacturers were and I do not know what model of Hiawatha I have or what chain guard it is supposed to have. I have photos I can post.

Can anyone who knows about Hiawatha's help me or point me in the right direction to someone who knows a lot about the Hiawatha?


----------



## ratina (Jul 11, 2011)

post the photos


----------



## The Doctor (Jul 12, 2011)

Hello, 
         Here's a shot of my 1939 Gambles Hiawatha, hope it helps. Doc


----------



## then8j (Jul 12, 2011)

You came to the right place to have your questions answered, but it's hard to say what your bike is unless we are able to see it. It's like going to the doctor over the telephone. Lol

Then do the searches on this site, your questions may have been asked by someone else on here.

Good luck on your new bike


----------



## chitown (Jul 12, 2011)

Here is a good site for browsing pics to compare: 

http://www.nostalgic.net/search/hiawatha.htm

Welcome to thecabe!


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 24, 2011)

Sorry it took so long to post the photos, but here they are:


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 24, 2011)

Here are more photos:


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 24, 2011)

I have more but cannot upload them. You can view them at this link:
History and Culture by Bicycle Part 189; History of a Bicycle Part 1: Hiawatha 

I need to know everything I can about this model. Who made Hiawatha's, who sold them, etc.

Is the chain guard original to this bike? If not, did the bike come with a chain guard originally? I know the speedometer is not original. But what about the sticker that says "TEXAN"?

I want to restore this bike to its original show room condition and beauty. I want to use either the same parts that are on the bike or if something has to be replaced, then use Hiawatha parts from the time period this bike was built. What ever was not original to the bike or was not meant as an actual Hiawatha part of the bike, like the speedometer is going to go.

What is the box on the frame for and the button on the tank?

Also on the front of the bike, just in front of the head badge in between the springs on the front is a metal ring. What is/was that ring used for?

There is a number on the bottom of the bottom bracket. I can only make out the first 3, "G56" and the last one, "A". Was/is this the serial number?

Thanks for all the help.


----------



## militarymonark (Jul 24, 2011)

looks like you have a postwar Cleveland welding company, missing correct chainguard and head light. The chainguard is an easy find and I think there is one on ebay right now with the same colors. The light would be a ball light I believe. Looks like you have a pretty cool bike, I have one of those but green.


----------



## militarymonark (Jul 24, 2011)

here is the type of chainguard you'll be looking for, 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ROADMASTER-CHAI...ultDomain_0&hash=item3f0c1bdacd#ht_500wt_1202


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 25, 2011)

militarymonark said:


> here is the type of chainguard you'll be looking for,
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ROADMASTER-CHAI...ultDomain_0&hash=item3f0c1bdacd#ht_500wt_1202




Thank you for the info. Can you please post photos of your green Hiawatha so I can compare the 2? Also what about the "TEXAN" sticker and the ring between the springs on the front? Is the front of this bike what is known as a springer front end? Was/is it for suspension?


----------



## militarymonark (Jul 25, 2011)

i dont think the texan is the name of the bike since hiawatha usually when with indian names and most likely would have been a decal on the original chainguard, but yes you do have a springer front end which is one of my favorite springers.


----------



## RMS37 (Jul 25, 2011)

Your Bike is a Cleveland Welding built Hiawatha. The serial number should read G56--- ACw; the ACw suffix was used in 1950-1951 and that date is appropriate for the configuration of the frame and the sheet metal of this bike.

As you noted the Gambles retail chain used several different suppliers over the years and at the time this bike was produced it was one of their top models. I don’t have literature to determine the exact model of your bike but you may be able to find some on eBay by searching for 1950-51 Gambles catalogs. Another source sure to have model specific information on your bike is the National Bicycle History Archive of America, NBHAA on the web.

I can’t speak authoritatively on this but typically, Hiawatha tanks featured a Hiawatha decal placed in the inset panel and sometimes a second decal on the chain guard noting the model so the Texan decal on the tank may not be original to the bike

Most of what you have is correct for the original bike excepting the chain guard the chain ring, and the missing headlight (which mounts to the circular tab on the fork crown). The accessory battery box on the down tube was added, as was the speedometer. I would remove the battery box which is awkward and appears to serve no current purpose but the speedo is period correct and is not out of place as a period accessory. 

The chain guard depicted on eBay is not the correct unit for your bike; it is a Cleveland Welding Roadmaster Luxury Liner unit. The Luxury Liners and Hiawathas were similar bikes built on the same frame but the sheet metal stampings and the headlights were more brand specific. You also need to find the ribbed TV shaped headlight rather than the spherical “softball” head light for your bike.

For reference, here is a link to a similar bike with the correct chain guard and light:

http://www.bargainjohn.com/t060cBicycle.htm

I have seen a number of different chain rings used in contemporary photographs of CWC built Hiawathas, CWC had and used several different pattern chain rings at the time your bike was produced (though the ring on your bike is not one of those) but I don’t have literature reference to say for certain which is correct for your bike.

I hope this helps, good luck with your project and keep us posted on your progress!


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 25, 2011)

This bike was used by my father in law on his paper route in Peru/LaSalle, Illinois. Though I don't know for sure but it is possible the original chain guard and chain ring may have been damaged and a replacement had to be used and he purchased what he could. 

Unless any one thinks it possible that Gambles sold the bike with the incorrect guard and chain ring? Did Gambles sell used bikes? If they did this may have been a used bike that was sold with the wrong chain ring and guard.


----------



## RMS37 (Jul 25, 2011)

It is possible the the bike was modified by your father or that he purchased it used and the chain guard and sprocket were changed by a previous owner or a bike shop that fixed the bike and then sold it on as a used bike. 

The badge shows that the bike was originally sold by Gambles who purchased their bicycle line form a number of different manufacturing companies. Gambles was a national retail chain of stores which also offered mail order sales through seasonal catalogs. The products offered by, branded for, and sold through Gambles were all new products. This bike, branded as a Gambles product was originally sold new by them, and it would have been equipped to their standard specification as produced for them by Cleveland Welding.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 25, 2011)

RMS37 said:


> It is possible the the bike was modified by your father or that he purchased it used and the chain guard and sprocket were changed by a previous owner or a bike shop that fixed the bike and then sold it on as a used bike.
> 
> The badge shows that the bike was originally sold by Gambles who purchased their bicycle line form a number of different manufacturing companies. Gambles was a national retail chain of stores which also offered mail order sales through seasonal catalogs. The products offered by, branded for, and sold through Gambles were all new products. This bike, branded as a Gambles product was originally sold new by them, and it would have been equipped to their standard specification as produced for them by Cleveland Welding.





RMS, first thank you for all the information. What about the head badge tells us it was sold by Gambles? There is a family member, my father in laws brother I can contact to try to find more info. about the bike. Maybe he knows why it does not have the original chain ring and guard. He also may know if their parents purchased it or if my father in law saved up his money and bought it himself and whether or not it was purchased as new or used.

The tank has a button on it. Was this for a horn that was powered by the battery box? Would a head light have come with this bike or would it have been something purchased separate? Was all of the unpainted metal chromed at one time? If it was was it the very shiny chrome seen today or the more dull appearance of chrome from the past?


----------



## militarymonark (Jul 25, 2011)

I never really looked that close at the chainguards but your right, there is a big difference. I'll have to see which chainguard i have on mine.


----------



## RMS37 (Jul 25, 2011)

Many retailers branded the products they sold in a specific way. Hiawatha brand bicycles were the exclusive branding given to bicycles sold by the Gambles chain. Thus, the Hiawatha headbadge shows this bike is one originally sold by Gambles. Gambles did not manufacture bikes but bought them from companies that did. Cleveland Welding was one of about a dozen American factories that designed and produced bicycles and your bike was made by them to a specific design for Gambles and branded by Cleveland Welding for its original sale through that retail outlet. 

The horn button would have activated a horn that was mounted inside the tank and powered by batteries also located in the tank. The bike would have originally been equipped with the ribbed, TV shaped headlight shown on the bike pictured in the link I posted. This light was part of the original equipment package for this bike and was not an add-on. The Cleveland Welding in-house built and marketed bikes similar to yours used headlights with internal batteries but I believe the version you have powered the headlights from the same tank-internal battery pack that powered the horn. The battery box on the down tube is definitely an add-on and not part of the original equipment for the bike. It probably powered an accessory horn or light that may have been mounted on the handlebars.

One thing to consider when restoring a family bike is that whether or not the accessories (or the chain guard and sprocket for that matter) are original factory equipment, they are part of how your father modified the bike or at least how it was during his ownership. If the bike is being restored as a tribute to his memory, keeping the non-original bits is a valid way of honoring his ownership of the bike.

A corollary to the above is that the bike as it sits is presumably as close as it gets to being the bike he owned, replacing the paint and chrome will make the bike appear closer to how it looked when it was new but you do lose part of the surface he actually looked at in the day. This is always a difficult decision to make and there is no universal answer, only a personal one, as to which is the best way to go. 

As for chrome finishes, some of the parts were originally chrome plated (headset, sprocket and crank, handlebars and stem, etc) while others were cadmium plated, fender braces, seat post). The original cadmium plate was a factory applied durable finish that originally looked a lot like silver spray paint. The original chrome was factory applied to the high standards of the day. It was not “Pebble Beach” show chrome with hours of careful metal polishing to assure a flawless finish but it was a full, bright triple-plate finish over a perfect, un-pitted factory stamping or part.


----------



## RMS37 (Jul 25, 2011)

After my the last post, I remembered that I have a picture of a Cleveland Welding built Hiawatha in virtually perfect original condition from our 2010 Concours at LeMay. This bike, owned by Mick Thompson, was the 2010 event winner in the Best-in-Show, Original category. 

This provides a good reference for your project (and a good advertisement for this year’s Concours, scheduled for August 27th). It also brings up the question of how your bike was originally finished under the repaint. The show bike has the typical deluxe Hiawatha paint scheme with no contrasting frame darts and _lots_ of chrome. If you start looking for signs of the original finish, you may find chrome beneath the tank paint and on the fenders. It is also possible that these parts were originally painted in a paint scheme other than this one, with which I am most familiar.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Jul 28, 2011)

I have emailed my father in law's brother, who is only a couple of years younger. Hopefully he remembers some details about the bike and can answer some of the questions about it. I'll let you know what he says when he responds. 

Until then, thank you again for the help. I look forward to having this bike restored to more than just stable/rideable condition.


----------



## panther boy (Jul 28, 2011)

*Haiwatha*

I have 2 of these, a boy.s with the same chainguard that Phil showed us, but it has "Western Flyer" in raised chrome letters. Both have Haiwatha head badges. The same exact bike was marketed as a Hawthorne. I'll post some pics of mine later this eve. here is the same bike as mine, except mine has chrome fenders, taken from the net.






This is the light that came off my bike.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Aug 6, 2011)

My father in law's brother has not responded to my email asking about the bike. I am not going to wait any longer and am moving forward with the restoration project as much as I can. This will likely be done in stages for various reasons. 

Part one is finding parts I need that are either missing or incorrect. From what I understand I need a chain guard, front chain ring and front head light. I found a chain guard on ebay I placed a bid on. But I have not been able to find a front chain ring or head light. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 9, 2011)

panther boy said:


> I have 2 of these, a boy.s with the same chainguard that Phil showed us, but it has "Western Flyer" in raised chrome letters. Both have Haiwatha head badges. The same exact bike was marketed as a Hawthorne. I'll post some pics of mine later this eve. here is the same bike as mine, except mine has chrome fenders,




The Luxury Liner has much in common with the similar bikes built specifically for Montgomery Ward, Western Auto, and Gambles; each also has differences. The Western Flyer embossed chain guard started as the same blank the as the Hawthorne and Hiawatha guards but the name is specific to the retailer. A Western Flyer guard would not have been originally used on a Hiawatha badged bike so something has been changed out over the years. I am not knowledgeable enough to know if all the ribbed headlights are identical, I believe they were all designed to be powered from the tank while the spherical, finned Luxury Liner lights held their own batteries. The ribbed lights were used on Western Flyers and Hiawathas, Hawthorns used a large round sealed beam style headlight. Another point that came up earlier in this thread that I have yet to get back to is that early and late tanks are different in the way they are attached and in the location of the horn button. I'll try to get back to this soon and share what I know about that aspect of these bikes.


----------



## panther boy (Aug 9, 2011)

*lights and other issues*

I have a set of matched bikes, boys and girls. I got them about 15 years ago from clients who were in thier 80"s. He told me he bought his new in 1950, from the Western Auto store in Tampa, Fl. His new bride liked it, so he ordered one for her. Her's came in with  the Hiawatha head badge and chainguard, whereas his had the Western Flyer chainguard and the "Hiawatha" head badge. All colors matched, so I doubt they did any" mixing and matching". I'm fairly certain he didn't do anything to these bikes, because the bearings in the boy's bike were seized and rusted. He could barely change a light bulb.

In any case, both fenders on both bikes are chrome, as are the tanks and the chainguards. Since no one on this forum was there when these bikes were built, and since i removed these bikes from their resting place in the back of their garage, I will assume that perhaps the folks at Cleveland Welding were a little lax on which headbadge went where, or maybe a mistake was made? In any case, there is a picture of a western Flyer with chrome femders , painted tank and chainguard, labelled 1947-1959 Western Flyer Super, on page 166 of Neil S Wood's book, _THE EVOLUTION OF THE BICYCLE_

I in no way consider myself an expert, but in 25 years of collecting, restoring, and loving the hobby, I've seen enough wierd little differences in factory original bikes to know that nothing in those days was written in stone, whether it be Schwinn, Hawthorne, clev Welding, Mercury, or any of the others. 

I just like to see the differences, rather than point out the impossibilities.


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 9, 2011)

Panther Boy, Thank you for the additional background on your bikes, I’ll check out your reference to the Evolution when I get home tonight.

My observations regarding Western Flyer parts on a Hiawatha weren’t meant to discredit anyone’s opinion regarding the originality of the equipment specification of your bikes but as a generic comment about the “typical” build specification for these bikes. In reading and replying to your post I was only aware of the cross-branding of the bicycles and not the back-story provided by the previous owners or that you had drawn an opinion based on both that and your own observation of these specific bicycles. 

I did categorically state the parts mentioned would not cross paths in a factory build but I didn’t use the word impossible. I can easily come up with a several scenarios that would have the result of a cross-branded bicycle. Those range from a factory mistake or exigency with getting a product out the door at CWC to something that happened between shipping and final pre-purchase assembly at the store. Another possibility is that an early modification was made by the original owners or a family member; people do forget things. If I were writing a novel (I probably should considering the typical length of some of my posts) I might build a story around two brothers; one owning a Western Autos store and the other owning a Gambles outlet in the same town. As you noted, none of us were there at the factory when these bikes were made or were present to see them when the original owners first brought them home. What we have to go on can produce several possible reasons for the cross branding but it will always be a matter conjecture what the full truth of the matter is. 

What is fact is that the Gambles chain of franchise stores (Hiawatha brand bicycles) was headquartered in Minnesota and Western Autos (Western Flyer brand bicycles) was a similar chain with headquarters in Kansas City. While similar in nature both were autonomous chains with no connection to each other save they did purchase from some of the same manufacturers, CWC being one of them. 

By design, CWC produced bicycles for a number of second tier distributors and retailers many of which were in competition with each other. By design, the specifications and many of the parts used for Western Flyers, Hiawathas, Hawthornes, and Roadmasters were different. The whole reason for producing physically and visually different models was to give them brand recognition for the companies that were actually selling them. Wherever the cross branding occurred on your bikes, I’m sure it would have been an issue at corporate level for everyone involved from CWC to Western Autos and Gambles.

On the factory floor, I can imagine a worker might not care as much but if the bike were examined by a conscientious quality control supervisor at CWC, I would think it would have been rejected considering the importance attributed to branding and the concern for keeping ones job. Still accidents happen (indeed, the long-term relationship between CWC and Western Autos seems to have gone haywire in 1952-3 with the introduction of the Murray built X-53.)

After all of the above I think more to the point of this thread (and what I was speaking to) is that SUX Vision R40 Rider is gathering information for a restoration of a bicycle that is missing several key parts rather than refurbishing or restoring a complete bike with unusual components. Any such restoration is ultimately going to be a replication of a best guess of what the original was. To that end, the “best practices” restoration would be to build the bike as closely as possible to a documented standard form as that is the specification that is most likely the intended and actual original condition of that bicycle. It would make less sense to spend money collecting cross-branded parts for the rebuild especially if both are generally available and can be had for similar money 

Back to the Hiaflyers, There are very good reasons to keep a bike intact even with an unlikely array of parts if under scrutiny those parts hold up as original build parts. Many collectors rush in to modify a bike back to “original” specification when in actuality they are erasing one of the many anomalies that left the factory and add richness to the hobby and history.

There are also many “Lazy Restorations” (great point and phrase Bob U.) that are the product of time, money, and research restraints that float around our hobby and out into the broader public. Historians generally dislike them because they (especially the better ones) cloud and crowd the edges of the representative surviving field of originals and moreover the actual minutiae of bicycle history. Still it is very understandable that any restoration of any quality will obliterate some part of the history of a given bike in the pursuit of a chosen end. Even more importantly, history is made every day, a custom or a restoration to taste that satisfies the builder is both their right and a really just a new piece of history 

In light of all of that I think the best thing we can do collectors, restorers and historians is to share our observations and stories with the idea that the more we can absorb as a group the more we all learn and benefit. Nothing should be written in stone, much better composed in Word where the updates, changes, and rewrites come much more easily.


----------



## panther boy (Aug 9, 2011)

*Hiawatha---*

Phil, When you write your novel, you can use the scenario of the brothers--they get together and mix and match a bike that they use for robbing banks and liguor stores. The bike is eventually bought by a doctor in Tampa Fl, who sells it to his realtor, who has a more than passing interest in old Bikes. Fifteen years go by, the realtor joins a bike forum, where his interest is rekindled and he decides to restore the bike. He sells the ladies bike to another collector, who takes the tank apart, and finds a document outlining the disposition of the stolen loot, buried in the yard of a house owned by one of the brothers , but occupied by his mistress. The mafia connected descendants of the mistress learn of the bike, and mystery and intrigue abound in this story of murder and pursuit of several bike collectors across 6 states as the mob closes in on the treasure map.

In the meantime, I"d just like to keep the bike as original as possible to when I got it. I need a set of handlebars, and maybe some grips. 
and if the mafia come calling, I'll teLL em I sold the bike to a guy named Phil'
TOM YOUNG
TAMPA BAY

ANYBODY WANT TO BUY A PUPPY??


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 9, 2011)

That sounds like a better story than the one I would have come up with....It also explains that dark sedan with the tinted windows that's been parked across the street from my house.


----------



## panther boy (Aug 9, 2011)

*Hiawatha---*

yOU NEED A PUPPY. THEY  MAKE GREAT COVER WHEN DOING COUNTER SURVEILLANCE.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Aug 13, 2011)

Ok, now you guys have me a little concerned here with this talk about cross branding parts with bikes. Is it possible this is what happened to my father in laws bike? The chain guard and front chain ring were a used on other models CWC manufactured like the Western Flyer and were used on this particular Hiawatha? If so that would make this bike original, wouldn't it?


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 13, 2011)

Panther Boy’s story shows that impossible is to strong a word to use when a bike appears to have mismatched parts from more than one version or brand built by the factory.

There is a lot a ground between impossible and possible, which like winning the lottery is best explained by probability.

If unusual parts are part of the spectrum of parts manufactured by a company it is understandable through error or design, mix-ups can occur. In the case of your father’s bike, the chain ring and the chain guard on your bike are *not* standard Cleveland Welding parts that were used on any of their contemporary models for any of their brands. As such it is very improbable that those parts were at the factory to be placed on this bike when it was “factory new”

The point I added is that by the time a consumer buys a bike, it has passed through many hands between the factory gate and the distributor and there are numerous opportunities for changes to be made to the content of the bike by second tier distributors or store assemblers. Any changes at that level are essentially historically untraceable but the result would be that the consumer has purchased an original bike that is not factory-original.

As I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, _one thing to consider when restoring a family bike is that whether or not the accessories (or the chain guard and sprocket for that matter) are original factory equipment, they are part of how your father modified the bike or at least how it was during his ownership. If the bike is being restored as a tribute to his memory, keeping the non-original bits is a valid way of honoring his ownership of the bike._

Sentiment and back-stories can provide us with a picture of a bike that differs from what is held to be “factory/catalog correct” and they can be valid reasons to keep unusual equipment on a bike during a restoration or refurbishment. Beyond those areas, a “best practices” restoration will compensate for unexplained changes by replicating a known original specification for the bicycle. While cross-branding is possible it would be an odd choice to replicate without a back-story personal to the bike being restored.

Ending on a high note, I was looking through my files yesterday and came across pictures of your bike’s twin brother. The bike is rough but has the original ribbed headlight and the Hiawatha chain guard. In this case the guard in not embossed but carries a Chippewa decal for the model name. If you PM me an email address to send them to I will forward those pictures to you for reference.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Aug 13, 2011)

RMS, I PM'd you my email address. 

I just received the chain guard I bid on EBAY yesterday. It is chromed, with the ribbing on the one end and has the Hiawatha name stamped or embossed in it. I based this off of the one photo you posted. It is pitted with rust and has a minor bend in the top lip, just above the bracket that attaches it to the bike. Once cleaned up, re chromed and the bend removed it will look just like the one in your photo. Is this not the correct chain guard?

As far as knowing what my bike looked like when my father in law had it is hard to tell. Either no one knows/remembers or will not tell me for what ever reason. His brother is a bit stand off-ish when it comes to things like this. He wanted my father in law brought back to Illinois where they are from to be buried. My mother in law followed my father in law's wishes and he is buried in Des Moines, across from his favorite golf course. His brother has also alluded to wanting certain things given to him my father in law has had since they were younger. I am not sure the bike may be one of those things even though it has been willed to me.


----------



## SUX Vision R40 Rider (Aug 17, 2011)

One thing I have not asked yet is who you would recommend I have help restore this bike? My local bike shop will do the mechanical part of it. But what about the body work on the bike? Should I find a local auto body shop who may be able to help? If so a friend of mine manages a collision for one of the car dealerships. I had him do the repair to my car when a deer hit it, yes I said a deer hit my car, I did not hit the deer.


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 17, 2011)

Hi, I just sent you an e-mail with the photographs I mentioned of your bicycle’s twin. 

In reality that bike is perhaps a year or two newer than your bike so while it is a close visual match to your bike, some of the details may have changed between the production of the two bikes. 

To be certain of what constitutes a stock build for your bike would require at the least a Gambles catalog from the same year as your bike with clear pictures of your model. That information might be available through the NBHAA or by finding a copy for sale on eBay. 

The pictures I sent you show the same guard you purchased on eBay but without any embossing. Without documentation, it is hard to say for certain if the embossed chain guard is the true correct guard for your bike or not. It is specifically correct for certain deluxe Hiawathas, but it may be that your bike would have used the non-embossed version. 

Regarding restoration, a good body man should be able to take care of the sheet metal work on your project and a good painter should be able to paint the bike to factory specification or better. The other thing that will be a major expense is chroming and the metal prep that needs to precede it. 

The big question is whether someone in the auto repair business will know what is correct and if their cost or the time they waste figuring out what is correct will ultimately cost more than the cost of someone with the specific skills, experience and background knowledge already in hand. There are several people specializing in bicycle restoration in the country and in the end their work may be less expensive than farming it to people who are learning on the job.

Someone on this site closer to your location may know a person who has bicycle restoration experience and would be available to tackle part or all of your project.


----------



## scottiebyers (Dec 27, 2013)

*I have a Hiawatha universal tank 20 inch cadet flite kids bike and need info on it*






I have a Hiawatha universal tank 20 inch cadet flite kids bike and need info on it. I can't find another one like it on the internet. If anyone knows when this bike was made, please let me know.


----------



## bdt91 (Jan 10, 2014)

Sounds like your bike is a Hiawatha "Chippewa"...same as the Western Flyer "Super" and Wards-Hawthorne "All-American."  I have spoken to a guy who said his bike was a similar anomaly...bought at a Western Auto, but with Hiawatha badging and chainguard, etc.  Very strange.  At the very least, you would thing the Western Auto sales department would send it back, not being badged as a bike they sell.  The ribbed headlights on both the Flyer and the Hiawatha are the same.  The carrier used on the Hiawatha is the same as the one used on the Wards bike.  The only difference being that the Western Flyer carrier has oblong reflectors on each side of the taillight reflector, as directional signals....where the Hawthorne and the Hiawatha have arrow-shaped lenses for the turn-signals in the carrier.  The Hiawatha and Hawthorne both have chrome fenders with ribbed embossing along the back/bottom of the fenders...where the Western Flyer peaked fenders lack the ribbing and are painted.  Attached is a couple pics ...one of the Western Flyer Super I restored and an original Wards-Hawthorne "All-American."  The Super is my dad's childhood bicycle and I meticulously made sure to use all original parts for authenticity.  If the part wasn't on dad's Super originally, it came directly off another one.


----------

