Badger Cycle Company

by Florice Paulson

The Badger Cycle Company was organized in 1891 as a branch of a company from Chicago. J.C.B. Lathrop of Chicago was the president and his brother, C.A. Lathrop, a local resident, was manager and vice-president of the local factory. The company had a branch in Madison, also.

The first building was 12 foot square located on the present site, just east of the downtown water tower. The present 40 foot by 77 foot, two story structure, still standing, was built a few years later. 

In 1898 it was producing 1,000 bicycles a year. Two grades were built–one for $35 and one for $50. They were shipped to Europe, Australia, and every part of the United States.

The company employed 30 to 40 “hands” during the busy season. Evidently the “busy or even slack season” did not last very long as it ceased operating about 1900.

I could find no record of anything occupying the building until automobiles became a mode of transportation and James Schiels had an auto agency there and then Lappley’s Implement and various other businesses since.

When the factory was built, it hit upon a well which had a “remarkable” supply of water. They installed a pump and in 1897 began furnishing water to a few businesses. The water from this well was used to fight many of the downtown fires.

The second floor of the building was also used by the local basketball teams. Earlier Cronk’s Opera House was used but proved inadequate. The factory was used for a few years prior to the building of the red brick school in 1922. 

Max Gafke remembers playing there and said they not only were the game participants, but also the janitors.