Cleveland

1890 Cleveland Ladies made by H.A. Lozier in Cleveland, Ohio.

Henry Abram Lozier started to sell bicycles in 1887, when he was working as an agent of sewing machines manufacturer, New Home Sewing Machine Co. Two years later he started his own company together with another sewing machine dealer, Joseph L. Yost. Lozier and Yost Manufacturing Company was a seller of "Little Giant" line of juvenile bicycles.

Witnessing a big demand on seamless steel tubes used for building bicycles, Lozier and Yost decided to invest their money in building a mill. Lozier-Yost Seamless Tube Company was formed in January 1890, and soon renamed to Shelby Steel Tube Company when the mill was finally built in Shelby, Ohio with help of a local merchant, Colonel D.L. Cockley, who became third major underwriter in the new venture.

In late 1891 Lozier bought Yost's half of their bicycle company and used his Shelby profits to start his own bicycle manufacture: Lozier Manufacturing Company of Toledo. He also founded another company, Lozier & Co., to market his bicycles under the name "Cleveland". Within two years Lozier became one of four major bicycle manufacturers in U.S., together with Pope, Overman and Gormully & Jeffery.

By the end of the 1890s, Albert Pope (see: Columbia and Pennant bicycles) had bought out most of his competitors in the bicycle industry, including Lozier. He sold out to Pope Manufacturing for the record sum of $4 million dollars and invested his money in the new business of motor engines. By 1901 Lozier’s new company – the Lozier Motor Company, of Plattsburgh, New York – produced marine engines and steam launches. The company’s first cars were introduced later that year as prototypes. In 1905 Lozier & Co exhibited their first vehicle at the New York Auto Show.

In 1895 Lozier opened a branch of his bicycle business in Toronto. It was second biggest bicycle operation in Canada after Massey-Harris, a local manufacturer of agricultural machinery and bikes. These two companies and three smaller ones merged to form the Canadian Cycle & Motor Company (CCM) in 1899. CCM survived the recessive economic climate despite strong competition from the USA, and exported bicycles to Australia and South Africa. (based on article from oldbike.eu)

1901 Cleveland bicycle poster. By courtesy of oldbike.eu