| The Society has used the photograph at right of
a Shelby County biker in its literature for youth education programs. It was found in the
Ross photo file in the Amos Memorial Public Library in Sidney. Society member Doris Dilbone recently found more information
about the biker — "Birdie" Dickas — in the Shelby County Democrat,
Aug. 26, 1927:
"One of the
interesting pictures displayed at the Sixty Year Club banquet by G. H. Dickas and also at
the antique show was a picture of his brother C. O. Dickas. "Birdie" as he was
more familiarly known in early days. The picture is that of Charlie and his famous
bicycle, a sixty inch wheel which had to be made to order. The picture was taken in 1881
and shows Mr. Dickas standing at the side of his bicycle in his bicycle suit wearing one
of the badges he won in one of the many races he took part in.
"One especially interesting race in which he was the winner was at the Shelby
County fair when in his anxiety to hurry along and win the race he went over the top of
his bicycle and broke the back of his bicycle. One of the bicycle riders of those days was
Hugh Mathers. He was at the fair with his fifty-four inch wheel and Dickas borrowed the
Mathers wheel and finished and also won the race.
"When the report was circulated over the fair ground about Dickas having his wreck
in the bicycle race the report became garbled and when it reached the ears of his mother
who was at the fair, it had been changed and she got it that Charlie had broke his back in
the wreck instead of the back of the bicycle being broken and she was overcome but was
soon all right after being correctly informed.
"The bicycle is a relic now held by the Dayton Bicycle club, presented to it by
the late Edward Burkhardt, former mayor of Dayton, who was a former Sidney resident. Mr.
Dickas is one of the best known residents of this city. He has been in the barber business
all his life in this city and is still at that business."
[ Back to Sports Index ] |
"Birdie" Dickas
and his 60-inch, custom-made wheel, 1881.
|
