Wilhelm: Fremont a waypoint for riders following historic motorcycle route

A bit of two-wheeled history will be recalled by motorcycle enthusiasts in Fremont June 1.

On that day, Fremont will be one of the “waypoints” for riders participating in the George A. Wyman Memorial Project.

In 1903, Wyman, a native of California, became the first person to make a transcontinental journey across America by motorized vehicle.

Wyman departed from San Francisco May 16 and arrived in New York City July 6, a journey of 3,800 miles that took 51 days, reportedly 11 days too long for him to earn a $500 reward offered by the California Motor Company. He completed his journey 20 days before Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to cross the continent by automobile.

Because the dirt trails and wagon tracks of the day were often impassable, Wyman followed the railroad tracks for more than half of his journey. He sometimes slept in railroad company housing or at rooming houses located in railroad settlements. His motorbike suffered several breakdowns, requiring him to make improvised repairs until he could get to a larger town to obtain new parts.

According to Wikipedia, “Outside of Albany his engine lost all power, and he was required to pedal his heavy motorbike the remaining 150 miles (240 km) to New York City.”

Tim Masterson, project manager for the Wyman Memorial Project, reports this about the Fremont connection:

“After departing the Leaf Hotel, the morning of June 26, 1903, Wyman retrieved his motor cycle from its overnight storage place in the Perrysburg Post office” and “traveled directly to Fremont along the road which followed the Lake Shore Electric RR line.”

Wyman, in his diary, provided this account:

“From Perrysburg I got a 7 o’clock start, but soon discovered that I did not have any more lubricating oil than enough to last for 30 miles.  By economizing I managed to reach Tremont (Fremont) where I got some oil at a machine shop. It was so thick that I had to heat it before it would run, but it was better than nothing. After leaving Fremont the roads began to grow very poor. There had been several days of rain on them just before I came along and as they were simply dirty roads for repeated stretches of 10 miles or more the mud was deep and wide.”

In Fremont on June 1, motorcyclists who are following Wyman’s entire route across the country (about 10 participants at this writing) and others who will “rendezvous” with the project will pass through or visit as they desire.

There will be no time-consuming event locally as the trip, which took 51 days in 1903, is to be completed in one week beginning May 27. Interested persons can follow the trip across the country online.

The website address is wymanmemorialproject.blogspot.com.

Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.