By: David L. Morrill
@Mototique Racing
Updated: July 31, 2021
In the late 1800s, a bicycle craze swept the United States. Bicycle shops sprung up around the Country, and bicycle races became a common occurrence at State & County Fairs. Champion bicycle racers became well known sports stars, and their exploits were reported in newspapers nationwide. A local example of this is Jay Eaton, who founded the Eaton Beach Complex on Lake Weir in Weirsdale, Florida.
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| The Tennessean - August 4, 1896 |
Eaton was a champion bicycle racer, who retired to Central Florida and purchased the Eaton Beach property in 1924.
In the early days of motorcycling, motorcycle companies would advertise in local papers to find local Agents to handle their products. Because many of these companies, had also produced bicycles, it was common for local bicycle shops to become the agents for Indian, Harley-Davidson, etc., and this was the case in Ocala. Local bicycle dealer R. E. Yonge sold his business to Benjamin Franklin Condon in 1907. Yonge's son Walter went on to become a prominent Ocala motorcyclist.
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Ocala Banner - December 13, 1907
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Condon probably became the Marion County Agent for Indian Motocycles of Springfield, Massachusetts some time in 1907.
FYI: Indian referred to their bikes as "Motocycles" to stand out from other brands, until the early 1930s.
The Condon Bicycle Emporium was located in the "Ocala House Block" in downtown. The Indian Motocycle Agent, Condon was probably the first motorcyclist in Ocala, and Walter Yonge soon joined in purchasing one of the new Indians.
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Condon Ad
Ocala Evening Star 1908 |
The new motorcycles soon attracted the attention of the City Fathers, as a notice appeared in the Ocala Evening Star of an ordinance, requiring all Bicycles, Motorcycles and Automobiles operated within Ocala City Limits to be equipped with lights. This was followed by a notice in the Evening Star on September 23, 1908 from City Marshall W.C. Bull warning automobile drivers, and motorcycle riders, that the City Speed Limit was 10 miles per hour.
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| Ocala Evening Star - September 23, 1908 |
With the new attention from the City Marshall, the young men who now owned motorcycles sought another place to test the speed of their machines and their ridding skills. This was the Golden Age of early motorcycle racing. Steeply banked circular wooden tracks known as Motordromes were being built around the country. The numerous dirt oval horse racing tracks were also used for motorcycle racing. The top motorcycle manufactures like Indian, Excelsior, Cyclone, etc. hired teams of professional riders to promote their brand, and drive sales of their motorcycle to the public, however Harley-Davidson did not form a factory racing team until 1914. Many of the riders also took part in the the Annual Daytona Beach Speed Carnival held on Ormond Beach, Florida beginning in the early teens. Numerous "World Records" were set on the sands of the beach at low tide and were reported in newspapers around the County.
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| Buffalo Evening News - December 20, 1906 |
There's an old adage in motorcycling that the first motorcycle race took place, when the second motorcycle hit the street. That certainly seems to have been the case in Ocala, as a Motorcycle Race was included in the July 4, 1908, Festivities at the Marion County Fair Grounds off West Emporium Street, which today is close to the intersection of Hwy 40 and Martin Luther King Blvd.
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Marion County Fair Arch - 1913
Mark Hammer Collection |
There was a half mile oval dirt horse track there, with a large grandstand, that hosted automobile & motorcycle races, along with the horse races.
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Automobile Race @ the Marion County Fairgrounds - ca. 1912
Marion County Court Clerk's Office Collection |
The scheduled motorcycle race was included in the articles detailing the 4th of July activities in the Evening Star on June 18, 1908.
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| Ocala Evening Star - June 12, 1908 |
Despite the anticipation of a motorcycle race, the Ocala Banner reported "for some reason the motorcycle race did not materialize.", while the Evening Star reported a motorcycle exhibition was run, but gave no details. It would be more than a year before the first actual motorcycle race in Ocala would take place. Ocala would continue to be an Indian town.
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1908 Indian 3.5 H.P. V Twin
Kip Kolter @ Old School Biker Site
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Ben Condon was the only Motorcycle Agent in town. He would continue to build his bicycle business in Ocala.
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| Ocala Evening Star - March 15, 1909. |
As the 1909 Marion County Fair rolled around, a motorcycle race was scheduled on November 24.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 18-1909
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The Sunday before the race, the Evening Star reported that motorcycles entertained early Fair Grounds patrons.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 22, 1909
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Ocala's first documented motorcycle race took place at the Fair Grounds on Wednesday November 24, 1909. This type of race was referred to as a Tradesman Race, as they often involved riders who worked in the motorcycle trade. Two riders, Ben Condon and Ed Bennet competed, with Condon coming out on top with an average speed of 35.2 miles per hour. It appears both rode Indians. This was the first of two 5 Mile Heat Races.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 24, 1909
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The races packed the grandstands with Fair Patrons.
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Ocala Banner - November 26-1909
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The second race held on Friday November 26th, featured Ben Condon ridding an Indian, and Walter Yonge riding a Reading Standard. It appears, despite the fact that the Walter's family were prominent members of the Ocala Business Community, the Ocala Evening Star miss-spelled his last name in their article that gave the details of the race.
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Ocala Banner - November 26, 1909
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After the race, Ben Condon, who owned both of the motorcycles in the race, ran a Motorcycles For Sale Ad for them in the Star Banner.
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Ocala Evening Star - December 7, 1909
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1910 was a relatively quiet year for motorcycling in Ocala. On July 20th, the Star Banner reported that the City Father's had adopted a new ordinance setting the speed limit for Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Automobiles at 10 on straight roads in the city, and 6 miles per hour on curves. The Motorcycle Races were mentioned as being scheduled during the Marion County Fair in November, but there is no mention of the races being run, or the results.
By early 1911, a new player had entered the motorcycle business in Ocala. Hampton Smith Chambers, who was Ocala's Fire Chief at the time, became the Marion County Agent for Harley-Davidson and Excelsior Motorcycles.
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Ocala Fire Chief Hampton S. Chambers ca. 1915
(Passenger) in the Fire Department's First Automobile
Ocala Fire Department Collection |
Chambers owned the Ocala Bicycle Shop, which was located on SE Osceola Avenue between the back of the Old Baptist Witness Building and the City Fire Station at Osceola Street and Broadway Street.
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H. S. Chambers Ocala Bicycle - SE Osceola Avenue
(Cropped Photo ca. 1915)
Kent Sperring Collection |
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Ocala Bicycle Ad
Ocala Banner - October 24, 1911
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In August 1911, Chambers launched a new package delivery business out of his Bicycle/Motorcycle Shop. As Ocala expanded, motorcycles would be the obvious choice for delivering parcels, as they had been used for this purpose in many other cities.
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Ocala Evening Star - August 25, 1911
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On September 11th, the Evening Star reported that George Chambers, and Laurie Yonge, made a round trip to Gainesville on their motorcycles. They reported that the "bad" roads in Alachua County slowed them down and it took two hours each way.
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Ocala Evening Star - September 11, 1911
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It appears riding a motorcycle in Ocala has always been a dangerous affair. On October 20th the Star Banner reported the details of a bizarre accident involving a Horse drawn fire truck and motorcyclist Frank Gates.
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Ocala Evening Star - October 20, 1911
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Despite the extensive damage to Gate's motorcycle in the accident, Chamber's mechanics had it repaired "good as ever' by November 1st.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 1, 1911
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On November 8th, the Evening Stat reported Mr. Gates had submitted a bill for damages caused to his motorcycle in October 20th accident.
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| Ocala Evening Star - November 8, 1911 |
Business, went well for the new Harley-Davidson Dealer, and in November, the Star Banner reported H.S. Chambers was expanding his shop on NE. Osceola Avenue.
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| Ocala Evening Star - November 11, 1911 |
With two motorcycle dealers in town, the annual motorcycle races on the half mile track Marion County Fair in November took on new interest. Surely Indian and Harley-Davidson would duke it out for dominance on the track, as well as sales of motorcycles to local enthusiasts. A $100. cash prize was announced by the Fair, which was a princely sum for an amateur motorcycle race at a time when the largest professional motorcycle races generally offered $500. in gold as their first prize. Mr. Chamber's son George was already preparing for the races in mid-October.
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| Ocala Evening Star - October 16, 1911 |
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Ocala Evening Star - November 1, 1911
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On November 13th, The Evening Star reported that racers were already taking practice laps at the Fair Grounds for the much anticipated upcoming motorcycle races.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 13, 1911
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Meanwhile on the streets of Ocala, motorcycles were gaining a bad reputation for causing mayhem with the horse and buggy folks!
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Ocala Evening Star - November 11, 1911
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Motorcycle racing is not without casualties, and on November 17th, Harry Cole learned that lesson. Cole and Frank Gates were taking practice laps at the Fair Grounds Racetrack for the upcoming Marion County Fair Race when Cole hit a hole in the track, causing him to crash.
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Ocala Evening Star - November 17, 1911
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The Fair's first motorcycle heat race race took place on Tuesday November 21. H. S. Chamber's son, George Chambers claimed the $25 First Prize riding an Excelsior motorcycle, with Laurie Yonge finishing second on a Harley-Davidson. George Chambers, like his father, was now an Ocala Fireman.
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| 1911 Excelsior - Bonham's Auction |
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Ocala Evening Star - November 22, 1911
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The second race took place on Wednesday November 22, with Walter Younge claiming the $25. First Prize on an Indian Motocycle.
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1911 Indian Motocycle - J & P Cycles
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Ocala Evening Star - November 22, 1911
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| Ocala Evening Star - November 24, 1911 |
In early 1912, H. S. Chambers formed the Ocala Motorcycle Brigade. The purpose of the new squad is not explained, but it appeared to be connected with the Ocala Fire Department. A photo of the new squad appeared in the June 20th, 1912, edition of the Evening Star. This appears to be the first motorcycle photograph the Evening Star published.
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| Ocala Evening Star - June 20, 1912 |
The riders in the Motorcycle Brigade were identified in two editions of the Evening Star.
The motorcycle races at the Fairgrounds continued through 1912. Both Chamber's Harley-Davidson and Condon's Indian dealerships were prospering confirming the old "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage.
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| Ocala Evening Star - September 16, 1912 |
The Evening Star continued to report motorcycle accidents in the city, some of which appear to be the result of dangerous riding practices by local motorcyclists. Riding passengers on the handlebars like a bicycle???
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Ocala Evening Star - April 23, 1913
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For 1913 the Fairgrounds featured a new Motordrome Motorcycle Thrill Show, which appears to have replaced the motorcycle races.
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Ocala Evening Star - September 11, 1913
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These Motordrome Thrill Shows featured motorcycles lapping around steeply banked circular wooden tracks, similar to the modern-day Wall of Death Shows.
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Early Motordrome Thrill Show
S. E. Rochelle Collection -Durham County Library |
For 1916, the Fair's Motordrome Show featured female rider Hazel Russell, who was billed as the "Society Girl". Hazel, and her husband Ira Watkins preformed death-defying stunts, while riding motorcycles on the 90-degree wooden wall.
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| Ocala Evening Star -November 30, 1916 |
By 1917, the early motorcycle shops had changed hands, and were passed down to the younger generation. H. S. Chambers Harley-Davidson Shop, and B. F. Condon's Indian Shop, were now combined on the ground floor of the old Baptist Witness Building and were owned by Laurie Yonge. B.F. Condon had moved on selling automobiles.
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Ocala Evening Star - December 20, 1917
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At the end of 1917, the Motordrome Show at the Fairgrounds closed it's gates, and the motorcycles were sold off in Evening Star Ads.
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| Ocala Evening Star - November 28, 1917 |
As America's involvement in World War One approached, motorcycle dealers were hit with a double whammy. First the supplies of new motorcycles, gasoline, spare parts, and tires, went to the military. Then their primary customers, young men, were drafted, sent off to training, and to service in Europe. This put an end to the first decade of motorcycling, and many local motorcycle dealers across the country, either switched to automobile sales, or closed their doors.
In June 1919, the City Fathers passed a new traffic Law, which raised the speed limit for Automobiles & Motorcycles to 15 Miles per hour on straight roads. The limit remained at 6 mph on curves. They also banned the use of exhaust cut out valves on motorcycles in the city, due to the increased noise they provided. No loud pipes in the city!
Epilog:
Today, the location of the original Ocala Fire House is marked by the Fire House Bell, which is located on the corner of NE Osceola Avenue and Broadway Street. Ocala's original motorcycle shops were located south of that location.
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Ocala Fire House Bell
Osceola Avenue & Broadway Street |
Sources:
Bonham's Auction
Buffalo Evening News
Durham County Library
J&P Cycles Collection
Kent Sperring Collection
Kip Kolter's Old School Bike Site
Marion County Clerk's Collection
Mark Hammer Collection
Ocala Evening Star
Ocala Fire Department Collection
Ocala Fire Rescue on Facebook
Newspapers.com
S. E. Rochelle Collection
The Tennessean
