M. A. Cherry, inventor of the tricycle

   
M. A. Cherry was a African American Inventor who created several devices for the transportation industry, including the velocipede, the tricycle and the street car fender.

The velocipede consisted of a metal seat frame upon which were attached two or three wheels which allowed someone sitting on the seat to propel themselves forward at considerable speeds by moving their feet along the ground in a fast walking or running motion. Cherry’s model of the velocipede greatly improved upon other similar devices, and over time evolved into the tricycle and the bicycle.

In May 1888 Cherry received a patent for creating the tricycle, a three wheeled vehicle that is used today mostly by pre-schoolers although it is used for many other purposes in different countries. In Asia and Africa tricycles are used for commercial transportation and deliveries, while in the USA and Canada they are also used extensively for shopping and exercise.
After receiving the patent for the tricycle, Cherry set out to solve a problem with streetcars.

At the time, whenever the front of a streetcar accidentally collided with another object, the streetcar was severely damaged, often having to be totally replaced, so he invented the street car fender – a piece of metal that was attached to the front of the street car and acted as a shock absorber which diminished the impact of an accident and added safety for passengers and employees.

Cherry received a patent for the street car fender on January 1, 1895 and the device has been modified through the years and is now used on almost every transportation device.

Hoosierboy Restorations donates its services to restore the clock on Beech Grove City Hall

Hoosierboy Restorations donates its services to restore the clock on 

Beech Grove City Hall

The clock on Beech Grove City Hall was pretty simple-looking. Built by Neon Clock Company in 1949, the clock had some minor restoration done to it, but otherwise the years had taken its toll.

“It was in pretty sad shape,” said Tim Showalter, Beech Grove resident and owner of Hoosierboy Restoration. “It worked but it was really dirty and corroded. The outside had been painted at least six times. Whenever they painted the building I think they just slapped a coat of paint on it. There was even paint on the lens of the clock, covering up some of the numbers.”

When Allen Whitaker, of Whiteland, stopped in Showalter’s shop a month ago, the topic of neon clocks came up. Whitaker mentioned how he’d love to see the Beech Grove clock get restored.

“So I contacted the mayor and offered to restore the clock free of charge if he would be interested,” Showalter said. “The next day the clock showed up in my office.”

Neon Clock Company went out of business in the 50s, so there aren’t a lot of parts available. Whitaker, who has more than 200 neon clocks in his Whiteland business, helped obtain those parts. They stripped the coats of paint, keeping the metal finish visible on the exterior. They also constructed a marquee, stating “Beech Grove” to sit on top of the clock as was custom in the early 50s.

Neon Express, near Keystone Ave., donated the neon. The neon is the clock’s original colors: pink and green.

“I’m excited to get the response from people, see what they have to say about it,” Showalter said. “It’s not a real iconic looking clock. Hopefully it will be a little more visible with restoration. It had a lot of potential. It should really brighten up that front entrance.”

The restored clock was hung by the Beech Grove Department of Public Works on May 11.