Getting the story Wright

Initially, Wilbur and Orville Wright's printing and cycle businesses were in separate buildings. April of 1889 through October of 1890, The West Side News, Evening Item print shop was at 1210 West Third. Then from November 1890 through Spring of 1895, Wright & Wright Job Printers was located at the second floor level of the Hoover Block, southeast corner of Williams and West Third. The Wright Cycle Exchange had first been operated from 1015 West Third December 1892 through May of 1893. It then relocated to 1034 West Third a few doors east of Wright & Wright Job Printers in the Hoover Block.

On September 12, 1894, Wilbur wrote his father Milton, and shared "The bicycle business is fair. Selling new wheels is about done for this year but the repairing business is good and we are getting about $20 a month from the rent of three wheels...." Several weeks later, Wilbur, writing to his father October 2, 1894, "We will give up our bicycle store room in about a week and will probably move our repair shop upstairs in the printing office. There is hardly enough business to justify us in keeping so expensive a room any longer." Assuming this move took place, 1034 West Third was vacated of their Cycle Shop, and from late October 1894 through early Spring of 1895, Wright Cycle Company and Wright & Wright Printers shared space at the Hoover Block.

Wright Cycle Company price and availability announcement for the 1895 season, as printed in the January 19, 1895 issue of Snap Shots At Current Events, a publication of The Wright Cycle Company. Printed while occupying the second floor level of the Hoover Block, prior to moving to 22 South Williams Street.

The Wright's moved both the printing and bicycle businesses to 22 South Williams Street in early 1895. They would remain at this location into early 1897. The Benson Ford Library Archives include information shared by Orville Wright in November 30, 1936, "In the early part of 1895 they moved again, this time to Williams Street where they began building the Van Cleve bicycle in 1896, making about fifteen the first year. In addition to this they continued to sell other makes of bicycles which bore the trade name 'Redding'.......After starting the manufacture of the Van Cleve bicycle....A couple years later they started the manufacture of the St. Clair, a medium priced bicycle and then added the Wright Special which sold at $18.00 each. This was of seamless tubing and was equipped with Morgan & Wright tires. The Wright Special was made to meet competition and they did not make so many of them."

22 South Williams, 1983, prior to renovation. (2)

Thanks to efforts made in the 1980's and leading toward the centennial celebration of first flight in 2003, the Hoover Block and 22 South Williams buildings were saved and renovated. Both buildings are now a part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, with free admission.

Restored 22 South Williams Street, Wright Cycle Company. Photo by Author, 2020.

Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio. The rectangular building to the left is the renovated Hoover Block structure. Photo by Author.

Prior to being occupied by the Wright Cycle Company, 22 South Williams was a saloon! When the Wright's Cycle Exchange was at their first location of 1015 West Third Street, a saloon owned by John J. Witbeck was operated at 22 South Williams. As the Wright's occupied their second location at 1034 West Third, Ernest. E. Elkins tried his hand at operating a saloon at 22 South Williams.

"E. E. Elkins, of Williams street, and Abner Cain, of North Dayton, have been matched to fight at 134 pounds, Thursday, September 21, within twenty-five miles of Dayton. Each man has up a forfeit of $25." The Dayton Herald, September 1, 1893.

Elkins was an interesting character. In September of 1893, he had challenged Abner Cain to a boxing match. "Elkins had quite a reputation as a pugilist [boxer], up to last night, when, alas, his 'rep' was shattered beyond repair, and trampled in the dust. His first fight was in 1886, when he defeated Dannie Gibbs at Defiance, O., in a fierce six-round mill. In 1888 he bested Charles Stencel, of Sandusky, near Lansing, Mich. In 1890 he fought with Carrol, of Cincinnati, the mill ending in a draw. Last night's contest occurred at the 'Pinnacles' in a frame building......the building was packed and jammed an hour and a half before time was called.....In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, Elkins was knocked down repeatedly. At the end of the sixth, he was knocked silly....In the seventh round, Elkins showed up with his left optic swollen shut, and blue as indigo...Cain...with a terrific left, followed by a right, knocked Elkins down in his own corner. He attempted to rise, but sank tot he floor, and the fight was ended." (1) Elkins' saloon's survival wasn't much better, and perhaps leaving town due to the boxing loss, he moved to Camden, Ohio.

Then, Mrs. May Watson tried her hand at a saloon here in 1894. Much competition existed that year, with saloons along West Third street at 702, 1023, 1029, 1102, 1212, 1246, 1247, & 1252. 1029 West Third was operated as a saloon by William Orth just a few doors east of the Wright Cycle Company when they were located at 1034 West Third. The 1029 building was expanded in size and experienced an address change in 1939 to be renumbered 1034, which confused historians such that the Orth Building had been mistakenly identified as the location of the Wright's second Cycle Shop. If it had been, they would have shared the space with a saloon! Not the case.

As the Wright's occupied 22 South Williams, they opened a second location in downtown Dayton. The Dayton Herald reported May 13, 1895, "The Wright Cycle Company will continue to handle the Halliday-Temple Scorcher, and have beside the Wright special, New Reading and the Featherstone wheels."

Milton Wright wrote in his diary entry of May 24, 1895, "..In afternoon called at....Wilbur's store, 23 W. Second Street." It could be surmised from this entry that Wilbur ran the downtown location, while Orville ran the West Dayton location, including the print shop.

The Dayton Herald reported July 10, 1895, "The Wright Cycle Company has removed from the West Side to Second street, a few doors west of Main". This announcement was correct in that the store at 23 West Second Street was opened, but incorrect in claiming the Wright Cycle Company was no longer located on the West Side, at 22 South Williams. The Wrights operated both locations in 1895. The downtown location would remain open for less than a year.

Advertisements for Wright Cycle Company at 23 West Second Street, July 1895.

In a letter dated September 16, 1895, Wilbur wrote to Milton, "Our bicycle business is rather quiet at present except repairings which brings in ten or twelve dollars a week most of the time...."

Orville wrote to Milton October 8, 1895, "Our bicycle business is beginning to be a little slack, though we sell a wheel now and then. Repairing is pretty good. We expect to build our wheels for next year. I think it will pay us, and give us employment during the winter."

Milton wrote in his diary January 1, 1896, "...This is Bicycle Exhibit day at Y.M.C.A. Building & our boys are very busy preparing for it...."

March 13, 1896, Milton wrote, "Boys trying to adjust business. Bicycle frame came..."

On May 16, 1896, Milton Wright wrote in his diary, "....The boys got the first 'Wright Special' bicycle ready for sale, and a ladies' wheel about so- both their own manufacture." The exact date of the first Wright Special cycle manufactured for sale is unknown. As noted earlier, a year prior to this entry by Milton, the Dayton Herald had reported, "The Wright Cycle Company will continue to handle the Halliday-Temple Scorcher, and have beside the Wright special, New Reading and the Featherstone wheels." One possibility is that the Wright Special mentioned here by Milton is the first made available for the Spring 1896 season, and not to imply none were made for the previous 1895 season.

Wright Cycle Company ad for both 22 South Williams and their downtown location at 23 West Second. These ads appeared in the Dayton Herald, July 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, and 25, 1895.

Stationary letterhead for 22 South Williams Street Wright Cycle Company, letter from Wilbur to his father Milton, courtesy of the Library of Congress Archives.

The Oberlin Review reported in the September 30th issue that "Miss Wright went home after summer school to nurse her brother through typhoid fever." Orville had begun to feel unwell the last week of August. Initially neither his father Milton, nor his sister Katharine were in Dayton. Katharine rushed home to assist.

Oberlin Review, September 30, 1896. Author's copy.

Wilbur, writing to his father August 25, 1896, said, "Orville is complaining some for a day or two, but is taking quinine and I think will be all right in a few days.....Business affairs are very dull in Dayton. Nearly all the shops are practically shut down. Every one seems to be out of work or expect to be soon. We are not making or selling any more bicycles at present. We are planning our next years pattern. Kate sold here bicycle at Oberlin, getting $35 cash, and is waiting for us to make her a new one." The United States was in a state of a deep recession from late 1895 through mid 1897, which had it's roots in the "Panic of 1893" when runs were made on banks, resulting in many failed financial institutions.

Milton wrote his daughter Katharine on August 31, 1896, "I am sorry that Orville is sick, and sorry that I am away when he is sick. While I hope it may prove but a mild attack, I have grave apprehensions that it may prove a severe siege. Inform me by mail, and by telegraph, if the latter is necessary. Put him in the best room for air and comfort. Sponge him off gently & quickly with the least exposure & follow with mild friction. Let no one use the well water at the store henceforth. Boil the water you all drink, and set it in ice water to cool. Use the best economy about rest. Be temperate in articles eaten. Be regular." Milton and Katharine assumed the source of Orville's typhoid was the well water at 22 South Williams.

September 4, 1896, Milton wrote, "....Found Orville very sick with typhoid fever. The temperature at one time, days ago, ran to 105.5 degrees. Temperature is now about 102 or 103 degrees." Over the next several weeks, Orville slowly recovered.

Prior to Orville's illness, on August 10, 1896, Otto Lilienthal, at age of 48, died from injuries he had suffered the day before, having fallen from a stalled glide at Rhinow, near Berlin. In "The Wright Brothers" (1943), Fred Kelly wrote, "In 1895, both [Wilbur and Orville] were impressed .... by a brief item they had come upon about the glider experiments, in Germany, by Otto Lilienthal.....their interest in anything relating to Lilienthal was still strong in the summer of the next year...Then, at a time Orville was still delirious from the fever, Wilbur read that Lilienthal had been killed in a crash of his glider. After Orville was well enough to hear about Lilienthal's fatal accident, both he and Wilbur had a greater eagerness than ever to learn more about what Lilienthal had accomplished, as well as what had been tried by others, toward human flight."

In his October 8, 1896 diary entry, Milton wrote, "...Orville had tapioca to-day for the first time. He has lived for six weeks on milk, with a little beef broth for a couple of weeks past. He also sat up in bed for the first time in six weeks."

Dayton Evening Herald, October 29, 1896, "Mr. Orville Wright, of Hawthorne street, is able to be around again after a long and severe illness of typhoid fever."

Charles Webbert remodeled a residence on West Third during the winter of 1896/97, constructing an addition to the front for conversion of the residential structure to a commercial building. The Wrights had made the decision to vacate 22 South Williams and occupy part of the 1125/1127 Webbert building.

The Dayton Herald March 2, 1897 issue reported on Bicycles, "The Different Kinds That Will Be Handled in Dayton the Coming Season.", that the Wright Cycle Company would provide the Van Cleve at their location at 1125 West Third. Customers would have been surprised to find caskets in lieu of bicycles, as Fetters & Shank Undertakers had advertised they had moved to 1125 West Third in the May 29, 1897 Dayton Herald. Earlier, in the April 27, 1897 Dayton Herald, it had been reported "Messrs. Fetters and Shank, the undertakers, have moved into their neat and spacious apartments in the new Webbert Block, on Third Street, just west of Williams street." The Wrights were located just west at 1127 West Third, offering bicycles, repair work, printing services, photography equipment, but no caskets. By May 8, 1897, Brandenburg Interior Screen Company had moved in to 22 South Williams.

Wilbur Wright at 22 South Williams Cycle Shop

Wilbur Wright working at Wright Cycle Shop, 22 South Williams Street, 1897. Image courtesy of Wright State University Special Collections and Archives, CoreScholar image ms1_15_1_18.

Restoration of work area in photo above, 22 South Williams Street Wright Cycle Company. Photo by Author, 2024.

Wright Cycle Company museum display, first floor south wall, looking west toward front entry. Photo by Author, 2024.

Wright Cycle Company 22 South Williams Street, museum display at first floor north wall, looking west.

Wright Cycle Exchange, 1015 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio

The Wright Brother's Print and Cycle Shop Locations

The Gem City Ice Cream Building and the 1st Wright Cycle Shop

Getting the story Wright

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22 South Williams Street- Wright Cycle Company/Wright & Wright Printers (1895-1897)