In 1897, industry pioneer George M. Hendee founded a bicycle production company called the Hendee Manufacturing Company. Along with co-founder and chief engineer Oscar Hedstrom, Hendee opened the company’s first factory in downtown Springfield in 1901.

In 1923, the company changed its name from The Hendee Manufacturing Company to The Indian Motocycle Company – no ‘r’ in ‘motocycle’ when the word was first used with the name Indian. Less than two decades later, Sturgis, South-Dakota -based Jackpine Gypsies rider group held a race called the Black Hills Classic, which evolved to become the world’s largest motorcycle rally.

Over its early years of existence, the company displayed extraordinary resilience as its trailblazing success in innovation and on the racetrack continued despite the advent of the Great Depression and two world wars. In fact, not only did the brand survive these tumultuous times, but its considerable contribution to the war effort during WWI and WWII provided essential vehicles to both the American and French troops on the ground.