That Angola, a small village in upstate New York in Erie County, not far from Buffalo, should have such a motorcycle making facility is unusual in itself, because at the time of the formation of the Emblem concern, the town’s population was less than 800. Nevertheless, the Emblem factory was an awesome structure, designed and built expressly for bicycle and motorcycle production, “one of the most complete and up-to-date plants in existence, enabling us to produce Motorcycles and Bicycles of Class, Power, Speed and Satisfaction.”
The company began in 1907, initially producing bicycles but soon motorcycles appeared, powered by Thor engines (with pedal assistance), and bearing a marked resemblance to Indians of the time. A feature of all Emblem models was a tubular seamless steel frame (plus steel forgings) with…