Kegel Harley-Davidson in Rockford, Illinois, has received a new distinction from Harley-Davidson Motor Company after newly uncovered historical records pushed the dealership’s recognized start date back to 1909.
The Kegel family announced Sept. 12 that Harley-Davidson confirmed an Aug. 9, 1909, start date for the dealership, making Kegel Harley-Davidson the world’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealership, according to the dealership. The discovery resolves a decades-old question surrounding the dealership’s history.
The Kegel family had previously relied on a March 30, 1912, date recognized by Harley-Davidson. Family members continued researching the dealership’s history and recently uncovered newspaper records documenting the August 1909 transfer of a Freeport, Illinois, motorcycle and bicycle business to Joseph and Julius Kegel. That business was already a Harley-Davidson agency.
According to Kegel’s historical research, Joseph Kegel was 20 years old when he purchased the business from Joseph Redlinger on Aug. 9, 1909. The Kegel family has operated the business continuously since then…