Riding Through Goshen

Wyman departed Kensington Illinois at 6:45 on June 24, 1903.  He rode along the railroad tracks because recent rains had made the roads heavy with mud.  Passing through Porter, IN he continued alternating between the railroad tracks and stretches of passable road.  Along the way he noticed a peculiar order.  The smell of burning paint seemed to be coming from the motor.  When he reached La Porte around noon he investigated the issue and determined it was bad gasoline.   After a brief lunch, some repairs and getting fresh gasoline in La Porte, Wyman pressed on.

Turning southeast, Wyman rode through Goshen, Indiana at about 5:30 that afternoon.  In 1903, Goshen was a farming community with a population of about 7,810.  It was settled by "Yankee" immigrants in the 1830s.  They named it after the "Land of Goshen" owing to their Puritan and Amish heritage.  With ample daylight remaining and the motorcycle running well, he continued all the way to Ligonier, where he stopped for the night.  Wyman had ridden 130 miles, one of his best days.

Today, Goshen is the home of Janus American Motorcycles.  "Founded on the belief that the spirit of motorcycling is best understood on a small, lightweight machine, and that honoring timeless styling cues from motorcycling history isn't antithetical to modern engineering and performance. Janus Motorcycles provide riders with a more powerful sensation of speed and a more direct connection with both the road and the passing landscape than is possible with many of today's motorcycle designs."

"The design and manufacturing process developed by Janus in northern Indiana is focused on the highest level of design, quality, and performance. This approach mandates a motorcycle different from any others made today and guarantees a fundamental simplicity of operation and maintenance, making possible a closer relationship between owner and machine. All fabricated parts of our motorcycles are made within about 20 miles of our facility, with specialty cast parts such as the engine & brakes sourced from the best suppliers we could find for our purposes."

The George A. Wyman Memorial Project is pleased to announce that Janus American Motorcycles has join the Project as the hosting authority for 624.3 Goshen waypoint.  The Wyman Memorial plaque and Waypoint sign, sponsored by Roger & Kathy Allen - IBA members 436 & 437, will be mounted on the Janus American Motorcycle Company headquarters at 211 South Fifth Street, Goshen, Indiana

We are excited to have Janus as a supporter of the Project.  They bring an undeniable passion for the sport of motorcycling and a special synergy to our efforts...

"Linking the Past to the Present to Enrich the Future"

On the Wyman Trail

Our efforts to obtain authorized and secure mounting of Wyman Memorial plaques and Wyman Waypoint signs, along the historic 1903 San Francisco to New York City route, requires lots of behind the scenes coordination.  Sometimes, it takes personal site visits to get the proverbial ball rolling.

This Wyman trail excursion will be in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.  There are several hosting authorities who are in various stages of final acceptance to mount Wyman Memorial plaques and Waypoint signs in their communities.  The locations below are the focus for this trip.

626.1 Fremont
625.8 Perrysburg RON
625.4 Edgerton
624.4 Ligonier RON
618.4 Earlville
618.3 Dixon