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Let's Hit the Open Road!

It’s the final month to view our featured exhibit, “60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County.” Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. This exhibit highlights sixty objects from the historical society’s collection. Object 52 is a 1915 contract between the Harley-Davidson Motor Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the three Bottlemy brothers of Alden, Illinois.  

This contract is for the purchase of eight 1915 motorcycles from the company. The contract describes the Bottlemy brothers’ territory as the two northern tiers of townships in McHenry County, Illinois, and Sharon and Walworth Townships in Walworth County, Wisconsin.   

Clarence (1881-1962), Ervin (1890-1981), and Glenn Bottlemy (1896-1981) were sons of Charles (1862 – 1934) and Elizabeth Schnacker (1869 – 1925) Bottlemy. All three brothers were born in Alden, Illinois, and grew up helping their father on the family farm. In 1921, the Bottlemy brothers opened a “Bottlemy Brothers” garage on the west side of Alden Road just north of what would become Illinois Route 173. It was out of this garage that the brothers sold and serviced Harley-Davidson motorcycles. They had an exclusive Harley dealership agreement for McHenry County and southern Walworth County. Glenn Bottlemy eventually expanded the motorcycle shop to include automobile repair.








Photo Label: The three Bottlemy brothers. 

Clarence (left), Ervin, and Glenn of Alden. Photo taken before 1924.

Visit the McHenry County Historical Society’s Museum during museum hours to view the Harley-Davidson Motor Company contact and the other 60th anniversary objects on display. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 1 pm to 4 pm, and Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm, now through December 7, 2024. We will reopen with new exhibits in March 2025.

 

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