Harley Davidson

The history of Harley Davidson dates back to the early 1900s, when a 21 year old William Harley completed a blueprint drawing of an engine small enough to fit into a bicycle. He and his partner, Arthur Davidson, would sell their first motorcycle to their schoolyard friend Henry Meyer in 1903. Davidson's brothers William and Walter would soon join the motor company to assist with the assembly of their motorcycles.

Only a year later, the first Harley Davidson dealership was opened in Chicago. To accommodate the demand for motorcycles, the first Harley factory was opened in Milwaukee. In 1907, the Harley Davidson Motor Company was incorporated.

By the 1920s, Harley Davidson had branched out to over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries, making them the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world at the time. Not only did they sell the bikes to normal customers, but also mass produced them for military use. Harley Davidson sold an estimated 20,000 motorcycles to the US military for use in World War I, and 90,000 in Word War II. The company also began to sell biker apparel in 1947, starting with their signature black leather jackets.

Harley Davidson's reputation was hurt by the numerous biker movies made from the 1950s through the 1970s. Outlawed biker gangs, such as the Hell's Angels, also gave a bad name to motorcycle enthusiasts. But all of the bad press surrounding bikers was not enough to stop sales completely, and Harley Davidson never stopped making and selling their products. They are such an important part of American culture, a Harley Davidson museum has recently opened just in time to celebrate the company's 105 years in business.