The origins of this early bicycle shop are with a local bicycle enthusiast and racer by the name of Centennial ("Cennie") Arthur Engelbeck of Des Moines. He started this enterprise in 1898, probably with his two brothers, Claude Ellis Engelbeck and Ellis Ranald Engelbeck, thus accounting for the "& Co". in the title. A year or so later he is the sole proprietor of this business, and remains so until 1902 or 1903, after that he moves to Chicago, Illinois with his family.
Two former employees of Hopkins Sporting Goods Company purchase the business from Engelbeck around 1903, and rename the business Tapley-Anthony Cycle Company. Warren Earle Tapley was a bicycle repairman and racing competitor, and his partner was Edwards Paul Anthony who also repaired and raced bicycles, and early motorcycles.
Their first shop was at 630 East Grand Avenue, in a ornate 2 story retail /
apartment building. They advertised that they retreaded wheels, and sold
Iver-Johnson "truss framed" bicycles.
The business partnership between the two seems to have been short lived, as by 1904, Warren E. Tapley is now the sole proprietor of Capitol City Tire Retreading Company at 120 Grand Avenue, and Edwards P. Anthony retains the sole ownership of what was remamed the "Anthony Cycle Company".
Tapley's business lasted only one year, but the Anthony Cycle Company continued, gradually shifting it's emphasis over to motorcycles. This business remained in operation until about 1916/1917, at several locations.
Past owners and partners:
1) Centennial Arthur Engelbeck
born: July 4, 1876, Victor, Iowa
died: September 11, 1946, South Haven, Michigan
buried at: Lake View Cemetery, South Haven, Michigan
2) Warren Earle Tapley
born: August 4,1878 or 1879, Winterset, Iowa
died: March 3, 1951, Weiser, Idaho
buried at: Hillcrest Cemetery, Weiser, Idaho
3) Edwards Paul Anthony
born: March 20, 1873, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
died: November, 1964, Saint Petersburg, Florida
buried at: (not known as yet)
Contact me at TapleyAnthony@Yahoo.com with any comments or questions.
Edwards Paul Anthony
This is a photo of the building at 630 - 632 East Grand, taken
in 1936. Later it was strpped of all it's architectural decorations,
and it was torn down in the late 1960's. Oddly enough, the
front left cornerstone still remains, preserved out in front of the
Iowa Genealogical Society Library at 628 East Grand Avenue.
