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Its a: Trinity Cycle Mfr. Co

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cycleage202518971898nati_0457.jpg
 
I just found the following history online at: http://sdf80120.com/projects/Trinity.html


TRINITY BICYCLE COMPANY - KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Frank T. Fowler organized a new bicycle company that became the Trinity Bicycle Company in Worcester, New Hampshire, but around the time he returned to Chicago, the company relocated in Keene, NH.

Trinity Cycle Co. Factory, C.A Jones Block, Keene, New Hampshire; Constructed 1897. Historic view courtesy of the Cheshire County Historical Society

TrinityFactory2000.jpg


This is the south-facing Railroad Street side view of the building identified as the 1887 location of the Trinity Cycle Manufacturing company factory in a paper titled Factory Remnants: The Heritage of 19th and 20th Century Cycling by Robert McColloughin:
“The Trinity Cycle Manufacturing Company factory leased the Charles A. Jones Block between Railroad and Church streets in Keene, New Hampshire. Built exclusively for that company in June, 1887, the building was completed by November 11th when the New Hampshire Good Roads Association and Monadnock Cycle Club jointly sponsored a dedication ceremony. Architect Walter B. Nourse, in partnership as Barker & Nourse in Worcester, Massachusetts, designed the building, and Charles E. Woods and George A. Gordon from Keene were the principal builders.”

“The Jones Building at 35 to 41 Church Street in Keene is probably more closely related to the transportation industry than almost any other building in the city. The building, which stands directly behind the former Woolworth Store, was constructed by Charles Jones in 1897. Jones was the owner of the J. & F. French Company, manufacturers of sleighs and carriages.

The French Company was founded by Jones’ father-in-law, Francis French, and his brother Jason. The French’s originated the popular “Keene Sleigh” and were producing 400 annually in the 1860s. The firm continued until 1910 when a dramatic development in the transportation industry, the automobile, brought an end to the French carriage company.

Several years earlier, at the turn of the century, Jones had shared his building with the Trinity Cycle Manufacturing Company. Bicycles had become a popular means of transportation, but the Trinity Cycle Company was concerned with automobiles at that time. The company was producing an auto developed by the firm’s superintendent, Reynold Janney. Trinity Cycle was sold in 1901 to the Steamobile Company of America, which continued to build autos there for another year or two before it closed due to financial difficulties.

Despite the closing of the Steamobile Company and the end of the French carriage company in 1910, the Jones building remained closely linked with the transportation industry. In 1920 an auto dealer moved into the structure and thereafter the building was continuously occupied by a series of car dealers selling Studebaker, Lasalle, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Chevrolet automobiles. Consequently, the Jones Building has given more than 90 years of service to the transportation industry.”

After Frank T. Fowler sold out and returned to Chicago, the Trinity Cycle Company started manufacturing automobiles at the turn of the century. The following from the Cheshire County Historical Society explains why:
“In the early days of the auto industry it was not unusual for small firms to produce cars in small towns throughout the country. Keene was the home of one such company.
Reynold Janney built an experimental auto in the Trinity Cycle Manufacturing Company plant on Church Street in 1900. Janney was the superintendent of this bicycle factory that was housed in the Jones Building where Woodward Motors and Walier Chevrolet were later located. The experimental machine, a light pleasure wagon, was given its trial run on June 26, 1900. The car had three cylinders attached to a revolving shaft. The shaft activated gears that powered the vehicle. Steam power was used to run the engine.
The trial run was successful and in January of 1901 the Church Street factory began production the new auto. During the next month the "Keene Sentinel" announced that the Steamobile Company of America, a Delaware corporation with capital stock of $500,000, had acquired the factory, machinery, and patent rights of the Trinity Cycle Company and were to commence the manufacture of the new auto under the name "Steamobile." The new firm was to test the model built the previous summer and then begin work on 125 of the new vehicles.
Although the firm advertised different models, including the "Model C" that sold for $950, the Steamobile Company was apparently not a success, going out of business within two years. Illustrations of these early Steamobiles are all that remain of Keene's brief entry in the nation's automobile industry.”

Historical Society of Cheshire County

TrinityFactory1897.jpg




36ChurchStKeeneNH-2.jpg

In the initial enthusiasm, the cycle factory may have occupied the entire C.A. Jones building in 1887, but later shared the facility with the French Company as indicated below. So, at some point the location of the Trinity Cycle factory moved to the north side of the Jones block, at the intersection of Wells and Church Streets. The picture to the left is a Google map view of the address cited below of 35 Church Street. The building is still there, converted to apartments.
There may have been more of the building to the right of what is shown, because the citation below also indicates that the factory address was “35 to 41” Church Street.
 
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I just found the following history:


TRINITY BICYCLE COMPANY - KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Frank T. Fowler organized a new bicycle company that became the Trinity Bicycle Company in Worcester, New Hampshire, but around the time he returned to Chicago, the company relocated in Keene, NH.

Trinity Cycle Co. Factory, C.A Jones Block, Keene, New Hampshire; Constructed 1897. Historic view courtesy of the Cheshire County Historical Society

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Yes there is lots more out there but I've gotta run!!! Hope this little bit of stuff I posted has helped out and it's a good way to start off your Monday!

Cheers
corbettclassics
 
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