Rockville’s Park Avenue Motorcycle Club, 1912
First motorcycle club in Rockville, Maryland. One Harley Davidson, one Indian, and Three Excelsior motorcycles on Park Avenue, 1912. Lewis Reed, far left.
Take a step back in time with this glimpse into an almost forgotten era of Montgomery County history in the early 20th century… the motorcycle era.
Motorcycle clubs began forming in the early 1900s as manufacturers stressed the social, sporting, and healthy outdoors potential of the motorcycle. Both Lewis and Edgar Reed, along with brother-in-law Bernard Hanshew, began their riding adventures with a group of friends from the Park Avenue community in Rockville in the early 1900s.
Historically, riding motorized bikes, like horses, began as a gentleman’s sport. In the early days of motorcycling, propriety dictated that a gentleman be presentable when he went out for a spin. Full-length boots derived from horseback riding and a sporty cap with goggles were adapted to the new pursuit of motorcycle riding.
On Park Avenue, ca. 1912. L-R: “Happy” Hicks, Lewis and Edgar Reed, Frank Higgins, and Alvin Luctor.
Lewis (back) & Edgar Reed
Early motorcyclists were often pictured in riding groups. From its beginnings, motorcycling developed very much as a social activity. Gentlemen of the day often used it to spice up their sunny weekends and impress ladies.
The Reed motorcycle gang on Rt 118 in Darnestown.
Edgar Reed and an unidentified lady on an Excelsior motorcycle.
Motorcyclists on Rt 118 in Darnestown. Edgar Reed, middle
Left – right: Lewis Reed with camera, Edgar Reed, Bernard Hanshew. The photo was taken 1914 in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The wooden frame Victorian-style train station dating from 1889 can be seen in the background.
Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, 1914
2 responses to “Rockville’s Park Avenue Motorcycle Club, 1912”
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Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
That would be quite the one-day ride in 1914 from Rockville, Maryland to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Those bikes had no suspension to speak of and, judging from the picture on 118, the roads were all dirt and gravel. The young Reed Brothers were both tough and adventurous. Thanks for sharing these great photos.
Hello Edward, Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave your comment. So happy you enjoy the pictures!
My Best Regards,
Jeanne Gartner