|
Looking for Info:
Martinsburg, West Virginia,
Motorcyclists circa 1919 |
| |
While I was working on the “Day 5 Recap” (coming soon), I re-discovered one of the few remaining “mysteries” about C.K. Shepherd’s 1919 transcontinental journey. Whether or not any one person has the answer, I am hoping that “crowd-sourcing” information from the internet community might provide useful clues. In a March 2020 blog entry on my web site, I commented on one of the curious unpublished details about two other riders C.K. encountered. Unfortunately, my March 2020 conclusion about the identity of one of the riders was wrong, so I am again seeking information about this curious encounter.
C.K. Shepherd wrote in his 1922 book that, “on the whole journey of 4,500 miles from one coast to the other, I only saw FOUR other motor-cyclists on the road anywhere.” However, before he left America in 1919, C.K. authored a series of articles about his trip. Each article appeared in Pacific Motorcyclist and Western Wheelman beginning on August 21, 1919. The first article was published just two weeks after he completed his ride in San Francisco. In this first article, C.K. provided an overview of key details – coast to coast – from his trip. C.K. lamented about both the poor conditions of the roads as well as their lack of suitability for riding on a motorcycle. In this first article, C.K. included the photo at the beginning of this message with a caption: “A meeting with other tourists on the desert near Socorro, N.M.”
|
| |
Socorro is at the eastern edge of a range of hills that border a broad desert stretching westward almost all the way to Arizona. There were (and still are) very few towns between Socorro and Springerville, Arizona. Thus, this photo is remarkable in a number of respects. Between this photo, the descriptive text in C.K.’s 1922 book, and the log entries at Becker’s Transcontinental Garage in Springerville, Arizona, it seems possible – if not probable – that C.K. and these “tourists” rode west of Socorro together on July 24, 1919, camped in the high desert in western New Mexico, then rode into Springerville, Arizona, the next morning, July 25, 1919.
I believe the strongest evidence supporting this conclusion is contained in log entries from Becker’s Transcontinental Garage on July 25, 1919. Gustav Becker was a notorious promoter of “good roads” suitable for travel by automobile and kept meticulous records of every visitor to his garage and mercantile in Springerville.
|
| |
The Garage’s log entry for July 25, 1919 (excerpt above) reflects C.K.’s signature as visitor number 2,110 from “B’ham England,” riding a “Henderson M/C,” and destined for “Cal.” But the entries immediately preceding and following C.K.’s entry are also remarkable. The entry preceding C.K.’s is signed by “E.A. Bradford” from Martinsburg, West Virginia, riding an Indian, also destined for “Cal.” The entry after C.K.’s is signed by “H.B. Kneisly,” also from Martinsburg and also riding an Indian destined for California.
My most recent research led me to develop the following biographical “sketches” for these two men:
- “E. A. Bradford” was Edward Albert Bradford, a married man 27 years of age in 1919 who, according to the 1920 Martinsburg City Directory, was manager of the Monarch Pool Room franchise two blocks away from his home on 110 N Maple Ave. He was married to Mary C Heckrotte with whom he had three children at the time of his 1919 trip (Evelyn, 4; Catherine, 4; and Edward Jr, 1). They had a fourth child (Florence) in 1922. Mary was a native of Martinsburg but Edward was a native of Maryland. Sadly, Edward died unexpectedly in 1923. The Bradford family was apparently unable to recover from the loss of the patriarch because, within seven years of his death, Edward’s four minor children were each living miles apart from each other and also away from their mother. I do not know where their mother, Mary, was in 1930 but she apparently remarried and then divorced a man with the surname Elfritz. Although it seems possible that the family or descendants have no records of the 1919 encounter with C.K. Shepherd, I was able to find records that Edward’s son, Edward Albert Bradford, Jr, was a left waist gunner on a B-17 (#41-24599 “Ooold Soljer”) in WWII and was killed in March 1943 over England following a mid-air collision with another B-17.
- “H. B. Kneisly” was Hamilton Bernard Kneisly, born on Oct 6, 1894, thus he was 24 years old on July 24, 1919. The 1920 Census reflects that “H. Bernard” (as he was apparently known) made Martinsburg home and was living with his parents and some siblings on Williamsport Pike as a “farm laborer.” The 1922 Martinsburg City Directory suggests that, by 1922, he had purchased the local Willard Service Station franchise and was using it as a “motorcycle garage” at 406 N Queen Street. In 1927, H. Bernard married Bessie Catherine Hemp (first marriage for both). But Bessie died in 1935. In 1942, H. Bernard re-married to Naomi Louise Williams. I have been unable to find any evidence of children with either spouse. He passed away in Martinsburg in 1984 at the age of 89.
I provide these biographical “sketches” in hopes they might trigger the memories of someone with knowledge that might lead to information about the meetup in the desert between C.K. Shepherd and these two Indian riders from West Virginia over 100 years ago.
There are three motorcycles in the photo. One of the motorcycles is an Indian – apparently a Powerplus Twin – with a sidecar. The other is also an Indian, but without a sidecar. C.K.’s Henderson is on the right. They are all facing the same direction on the “highway” (in the middle of the road, actually). C.K. is not evident in the photo, leading me to believe that C.K. probably took the photo with his own camera. Thus, I think it is reasonable to believe that the two men in the photo are Edward Albert Bradford and H Bernard Kneisly, both of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
I am now in search of anyone (perhaps from Martinsburg or descendant from any of these folks) who may have more details of the “great Bradford/Kneisly motorcycle adventure of 1919” and the encounter they had with C.K. Shepherd. I am hoping that descendants of the Bradford or Kneisly families or friends may have letters written back home, postcards, or even photos.
In addition to this attempt to “crowd source” for information, I have also done some genealogical research and made contacts seeking relevant records of both Bradford and Kneisly. Whether from that outreach or this “crowd sourcing” effort, I am hoping my appeal will help me locate someone who remembers something about this, a story they heard from their grandfather or neighbor, a story that was probably quite interesting.
Please feel free to share and forward this message!
Mark
|
| |
|
