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Indiana Years 1895 - 1898
Indianapolis Circa 1895 - 1898 |
Floyd Clymer was born in Indianapolis ,Indiana on October 26th
1895.His parents were Dr. J.B. Clymer and Sara E. (Duff) Clymer.
Although they moved to Colorado when Floyd was a toddler, later in life
he embraced Indiana as his birthplace. Clymer was very familiar with the
automobiles manufactured in Indiana:American Motors, Studebaker, Stutz Motor Car, General Motors Truck
and Bus Group,Cole, Cord, Crosley, Duesenberg, Ford, H.C.S., Maxwell-Briscoe, Metz
Cyclecar, Packard, Chrysler, Pope
Motor Car, Marmon Motor Car, International Harvester. Indiana has more
automotive history than Detroit, Michigan, Germany or Japan. Carl Fisher
was a native of Indiana, in 1909 when Floyd was 14 he and a group of investors built the
Indianapolis Speedway. A few years later it would play a large part in
Floyd's life. Floyd ended up in Los Angeles, California after years of
racing and loving motorcycles, not unlike Steve McQueen another Indiana
native who moved to Los Angeles.
Carl Fisher ended up in Florida ruined by the depression, after
other accomplishments like designing United States Highway 1 (US1),
building part of Miami Beach and starting a "poor mans" fishing club in
Key Largo called the Caribbean Club. Site of the famous Humphrey Bogart
movie "Key Largo" which serves as a tourist / biker bar today ( on US1).
I have both skinny dipped and and participated in a funeral there on the
pier in the last 40 years, not counting the normal drinking times. Interesting in this context is that Carl Fisher made a lot of his
pre-depression fortune by developing a patent on an automotive headlight
and mass producing them. He went on to be in the Automotive Hall of
Fame. Floyd Clymer developed a patent for an automotive spotlight and
mass produced them pre-depression. He went on to be in the Motorcycle
Hall of Fame. The Patent Business was a new kind of gold rush for the
clever.
Indianapolis is still doing its part in the Auto industry, the Indy
500 happens every year on schedule. And the Circle City (Indianapolis)
hosts the largest motorcycle / powersport industry show on the planet.
If Floyd were alive he be there like clock work. The Pembroke Arcade
(built the year Floyd was born) pictured above was torn down in the
1940's sadly, but it embodies the present day architecture of the
"Circle City".
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