Hampshire Cycle Manufacturing Company (1894-1900)
1894 - Hampshire Cycle Manufacturing Company begins building bicycles in a modest way. Produces 350 bicycles.
February 1, 1895 reference – Hampshire Cycle Company is a new partnership composed of Taintan, McAlpine and CE Herrick. The new concern will manufacture and deal in bicycles.
September 23, 1895 reference – Hampshire Cycle Company reorganizes from a partnership to a corporation. Plans to manufacture 1500-2000 bicycles in 1896.
December 13, 1895 reference – Hampshire Cycle Mfg. Company will call their gentlemen's wheel the Nonotuck, the name of a celebrated mountain in their locality. The ladies’ wheel will be called Kathrina, after the well-known poem.
January 18-25, 1896 – First time exhibiting was at the Third Annual Exhibition of Cycles at Madison Square Garden.
1896 – Manufactures the Nonotuck and Kathrina and Hampshire (medium grade) bicycles.
1897 – Manufactures the Nonotuck, Kathrina and Hampshire (medium grade) bicycles.
1898 – Manufactures the Nonotuck, Kathrina and Hampshire (medium grade) bicycles.
December 22, 1898 – Company decides to close.
January 5, 1899 – Charles E. Herrick continues the business. He owns the factory.
April 17, 1900 – Corporation is dissolved.
The bicycle posted above looks to be the Hampshire model per name badge not a Kathrina. Serial number 6455 may make it a 1898 model if 1500-2000 bicycles were made in 1896 and at least that in 1897 and 1898.
I will not post all period references I found. If anyone is interested in them, please PM me and I will get them to you.
Selected period references:
January 9, 1896 issue of
The Referee and Cycle Trade Journal:
View attachment 1082062
View attachment 1082063
View attachment 1082064
January 9, 1896 issue of
The Referee and Cycle Trade Journal:
View attachment 1082065
January 23, 1896 issue of
The Referee and Cycle Trade Journal:
View attachment 1082066
January 24, 1896 issue of
The Wheel and Cycling Trade Review:
View attachment 1082067
February 21, 1896 issue of
The Wheel and Cycling Trade Review:
View attachment 1082068
May 7, 1896 issue of
The Referee and Cycle Trade Journal. Hampshire Cycle Company to use Bi-Gear:
View attachment 1082069
January 7, 1897 issue of
The Iron Age:
View attachment 1082070
February 11, 1897 issue of
The Referee and Cycle Trade Journal:
View attachment 1082071
View attachment 1082072
February 12, 1897 issue of
The Wheel and Cycling Trade Review:
View attachment 1082073
1898 Nonotuck catalog (fourth annual catalog meaning the first one was 1895) that sold at Copake Auction:
View attachment 1082074
View attachment 1082075
View attachment 1082076