The local bicycle company, which at its heyday in 1910, was one of the largest manufacturers producing 100,000 bikes and employing 1,000 people. It actually was the spin-off of a promotion for Sorg’s tobacco company, said Sam Ashworth, a member of the Middletown Mural Committee.
When bicycles began growing in popularity, Sorg began including a metal pin in the packages of his plugged tobacco, advertising that if a customer collected enough, they could be cashed in for a free bicycle.
“Well the response was overwhelming, and he saw the opportunity to start a bicycle company all of his own just to meet the demand of that promotion,” Ashworth said.
Its most famous bicycle was the Racycle, which was advertised as the most popular bicycle in the world at the turn of the 20th century.
The facility was formerly located on Grand Avenue near where Cohen Brothers stands today.
In 1912, Sorg bought a Pennsylvania motorcycle company and added the wildly popular motorized bike, the Flying Merkel, to its line, Ashworth said.
The mural will incorporate a building billboard depicting an advertisement for The Flying Merkel as well as a downtown street scene during that period. The Ridge Family, who were the highest bidders during a fundraiser for the mural, also will be included, dressed in period attire.
Jennifer Ridge said the bid was more to support bringing the art downtown than to be included in the mural. However, she is excited to know her kids will be memorialized in the art.
“We love that our children is depicted in it because they are being painted as children,” she said.
The new mural will be visible from cars driving down Central Avenue as well as participants in a new walking tour under development, said Judy Bober, mural committee member.
The mural will be painted by Eric Henn, an artist from Franklin who also is the author of two existing paintings on the mural committee office and TV Middletown buildings downtown. Henn also completed the “1914 Middletown Street Carnival” mural that was placed on the garage downtown that is currently seeking a new home.
The cost of the mural was raised through donations at several previous fundraisers, Bober said.
While the murals help beautify downtown, Ashworth said they are also educational.
“What I am hoping is that people will understand a little more about Middletown’s history that we didn’t know,” Ashworth said. “It’s an interesting story about a company that was a significant part of Middletown.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.
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