Virgil Drummelsmith in 1949
Owosso Police Officer George Lucas
1948 Owosso
Memorial Day Parade
Looking northeast at S. Washington St. and Corunna Ave. Shell Station
Owosso Police Officer Robert Pipes in 1950 Owosso Memorial Day Parade.
LaVern Berndt drove this Harley Trike back from Milwaukee, Wisconsin factory in the early 1950's. The Department had several Harley's over the years.
In the early 1960s, Officer Ken Nixon recalls that he had to learn how to lay down a motorcycle in case of an emergency. So he went out to the Owosso Airport, with one of the city's old harleys and practiced laying the bike down on the runway, at about 30 mph. He said that one day, while crusing through Westown on M-21 at 20 mph, a lady opened her car door, without checking to see if the traffic was clear. "All the training came in handy, as I just automatically laid the bike down, coming within inches of smashing into the car." "However, the lady was very angry that I had taken off the heal of her new shoe." I said, "Lady, you're lucky I didn't take you whole foot off!"
There were a few accidents, but mostly with the trikes and the city discontinued the use of Harley motorcycles by the early 1970s.
1953 Ad
Richard Miller....Owner
The City also used a few Cushman scooters for servicing the parking meters.
Today, the meters are gone, but a new two wheeler is in service. In the early 1990s, the Police Dept. began testing bicycles in the downtown area. They were so successful that today they are used during the Curwood Festival, the Car Show and in the summer evenings in the downtown area.
Its a great way to keep in shape, but don't you miss that Harley Davidson rumble?
Rex Smock in 1959... Annual salary $6,000......Rex later served as Owosso Police Chief. After retiring from Plant Protection at GM in Flint, Rex developed Lupus and spent many years raising money for research. He passed away in 2003.
Nelson Morris in 1959
Those were the days!
Paul Ball, Owosso Jeweler, was the Indian Motorcycle Dealer
for Shiawassee and Clinton counties in the early 1900's.
More Old Harley Motorcycle Pictures