Shelby Bicycle Museum showcases Mansfield's bicycle heritage
SHELBY — The city of Shelby has a new historical site.
The Shelby Bicycle Museum held a dedication ceremony Thursday evening at the Shelby Justice Center on Mack Avenue to introduce the new museum to the public.
Members of The Shelby Cycle Historical Society, a group of people dedicated to collecting and preserving the memory of the companies that comprised a vital part of Shelby’s significant source of commerce in the 20th century, are responsible for pushing forward with the museum. The committee consists of 30 members who live anywhere from Shelby, Ohio, to Texas to California.
Shelby is known for having a rich history of bicycle production. The current location of the Shelby Bicycle Museum used to be the grounds of the original Shelby Cycle Factory and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Shelby Cycle Frame Builders, which went on to became the Shelby Cycle Company.
"I think it was about three or four years ago, Stan Cain and Lance Combs started talking about putting a few bikes up on the walls to honor the bicycle industry that was there," said Christina Drain, president and founder of the Shelby Cycle Historical Society.
$29,000 grant from Ohio Humanities Council
The Shelby Cycle Historical Society received a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council to create the interactive museum in the Shelby Justice Center. They were awarded a $29,000 grant that included more than $10,000 of volunteer research time and $5,000 to purchase a display case, bicycle racks, and interpretive panels and murals.
The idea came from Cain, a Shelby bicycle collector, and Combs, the Shelby Police Chief, who both envisioned a bicycle museum which would be open anytime for families to bring children and out-of-town guests.
"It's not just bicycles but there were several industries that were in that factory before it became the Shelby Cycle Factory," said Drain. "So, we're honoring those industries."
Some of the those industries were the Shelby Electric Company, which made lightbulbs and were on display in the museum. Other industries that used to be stationed in Shelby were the Shelby Steel Tube Company, Shelby Cycle Manufacturing Company, Chicago Handle Bar Company, and the Mack Ave Industries, which was a corn husker manufacturer.
A unique aspect of the museum is that there is a large mural on the wall of Clarence "Whippet" Wagner, who in 1927 traveled on his Shelby Whippet racing bike 3,169 miles from Newport Beach to Atlantic City in 20 days and 17 hours, breaking his own transcontinental record. He averaged about 160 miles in 14 hours per day, with no mechanical issues along the way.
Historic bicycle found in the Dallas area
Tim Newmeyer found Wagner's bike in Texas in the Dallas area. He was present at the dedication with the bike.
"I've been in possession of it for 10 years now," said Newmeyer. "I found it and fixed it up."
"There's so much information on these murals," said Drain. "Every time someone comes in they're going to see something that they missed before. I think that's the unique thing about it. It's not a traditional museum by any stretch of the imagination but it is telling our history. There were many businesses that started in Shelby and a lot of investors, entrepreneurs and people willing to put money in the businesses."
The Shelby Cycle Historical Society will also host an Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at the museum.
Twitter: @JamesSimpsonII
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby Bicycle Museum features Mansfield bike history
