Festivities of Indy's 1909 Motorcycle Meet

This article was originally published in the August 12, 1909 Indianapolis News. It is absolutely rich with history from the first motorized competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - the 1909 motorcycle races. If you love the history of the Speedway, this is a must to digest. It describes the how the motorcycle community was embraced with extreme Hoosier enthusiasm - a train ride to Kokomo, courtesy of the Kokomo Rubber Company, vaudeville entertainment at the German House, photo op at Monument Circle, a trip to the Riverside bathing beach and a motorcycle parade throughout Indianapolis. More vaudeville and a "smoker" was scheduled for the following evening.
 
Also included are reports on the Cleveland to Indianapolis endurance run, of which on 64 of 96 starting bikes survived, one hobbling in with a broken frame spliced by wood and rope. There is a small item that lists all the riders who finished the endurance run. Although not detailed, some highlights of the Connersville motorcycle hill climb competion are provided.
 
The notes in the margin are mine, and should prove useful to those wanting to quickly scan and cull out interesting facts.