History - 2013
2013 - The dream of the St. Francis Motorcycle Museum is born...
Visitation between friends results in the idea of building a motorcycle museum in the small Northwest Kansas community of St. Francis. Many questions needed to be answered and funding needed to be raised to even begin to realize the dream. With determination, a small group of promoters began to meet and discuss ideas for the museum, and the project gradually began to develop.
2014 History - May
Exhibits at Cheyenne County Cruisers Car Show...
- The "Saturday in the Park" Car and Bike Show was well attended. (The show is held the 2nd Saturday of May each year.) Several vintage motorcycles were displayed in Sawhill Park at the car show, and the idea of the museum was mentioned to all in attendance at the awards assembly. Several Pro Drag motorcycles were also displayed.
- This 1912 Flanders bike was one of several vintage motorcycles displayed at the show. This Flanders motorcycle is also on display at the museum.
2014 History - August
Fund raising begins in earnest...
The fund raising plans began to take shape with museum promoters visiting with many community members and spreading the museum concept though the local newspaper. Promoters visited several other museums to learn what they could about the endeavor.
1914 Indian Displayed
The promoters displayed an antique motorcycle (1914 Indian) at the Cheyenne County Fair and discussed fund raising with people inquiring about the vintage motorcycle on display.
Cheyenne Co. Fair Parade
A group of local motorcycle riders participated as part of the Cheyenne County Fair Parade in an effort to draw attention to the project.
2014 History - September
September, 2014 - Funds come in faster than expected...
The museum project began to receive donations from many generous community members. With the acceptance of several large donations the goal of raising $42,500 by the end of the 2014 calendar year to match the funds donated by Eddy and Sherry Schultz was quickly met.
The Museum Board began to gather information on properties in the St. Francis community as the future location of the museum. The desire was to locate the museum in downtown St. Francis, if possible. Proposed site of the St. Francis Motorcycle Museum.
History 2014 -November
November, 2014 - An initial board forms...
With the project beginning to take shape, an initial Museum Board was formed from the group of promoters. The board began to meet more regularly forming plans for the construction of the museum. Initial board members included: Kent Kechter, J. R. Landenberger, Brett Poling, Eddy Schultz, and Scott Schultz.
History 2014 - December
December, 2014 - Motorcycles on display...
(1920 Reading Standard)
Three vintage motorcycles were displayed in the three local banks (Bankwest, First National Bank, and Western State Bank) to promote fundraising and display the quality of motorcycles planned for the museum. The motorcycles displayed in the banks were a 1920 Reading Standard, a 1914 Flying Merkel, and a 1928 Henderson.
(1914 Flying Merkel)
(1928 Henderson)