William Harley and Arthur Davidson: Men Behind the Iconic Motorcycle

Harley and Davidson established their first Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee in 1906. They then began producing motorcycles for sale to the general public.

In 1907, Harley completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

That same year, Harley-Davidson became Harley-Davidson, Inc.

In 1910 Harley married Anna Jachthuber, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. In his free time, Harley enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing golf, and was also noted for his affinity for sketching and photographing wildlife.

After over 40 years of dedication to his craft, Harley died of heart failure in Milwaukee on September 18, 1943, at the age of 62. He remained involved in the company until his final days.

Arthur Davidson

Arthur Davidson was born in 1881 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to William C Davidson, a cabinetmaker born in Angus, Scotland, and Margaret Adams McFarlane, from Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Davidsons had five children: Janet May, William A., Walter, Arthur, and Elizabeth.

Little is known about Davidson prior to being hired as a pattern-maker at Barth Mfg. Co. His favorite pastime as a boy is said to have been finding remote spots in Wisconsin to fish—which he reached by bicycle.

Although he had entertained the notion of a motorized bicycle that would replace pedal power, he’d never considered building one himself. That is, until he met William S. Harley, a draftsman at the company where he worked.

They quickly discovered that they had a shared interest in mechanics and design. Davidson was intrigued by Harley’s idea to motorize bicycles.