DURHAM: THE BIRTHPLACE OF

MOTORCYCLING IN NORTH CAROLINA

One of Durham’s most interesting historical figures,

Sidney Edgar “S.E.” Rochelle (1878-1960), was a veteran,

an entrepreneur, and most notably, a motorcycle enthusiast.

Left: S.E. Rochelle posing on a motorcycle with a bald eagle.

Courtesy of Sonnie Rochelle, Jr.

Rochelle reportedly graduated from Durham’s first ​public graded school, which was established in 1882, ​located in the Wright Factory on West Main Street

Right: Photo of the first Durham Graded School

in the Wright Factory, c. 1882.

Courtesy of Open Durham, Preservation Durham

MILITARY SERVICE

Rochelle served in the Spanish-American War and fought in the ​Philippines, surviving a battle that saw 80% of his company killed.

He returned to Durham in 1901 and remained active with the ​company, attending several national engagements with it.

Above: Rochelle’s Reunion Medal, 1931.

Courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of History.

Left: Company E, 43rd Regiment, US Volunteer Infantry served ​during the Philippines Insurrection. Rochelle is second from the ​left in the middle row.

Courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of History.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

After the death of his father, Rochelle took over ​his fish stand at an old city market located at the ​south end of Church Street. When the city market ​moved to the new Academy of Music and ​municipal building located at what is now CCB ​Plaza, Rochelle decided that the rent was too ​high and left the business.

Rochelle then began working with a man named ​H.A. Gaskins, who ran a phonograph, music, ​bicycle, lock, and gun store. By 1910, he decided ​to strike out on his own, opening a gun, bicycle, ​battery, and motorcycle shop at the northeast ​corner of Corcoran and Parrish Streets. In 1912, ​Rochelle and his wife moved into their new house ​at 1714 Chapel Hill Road.

“My motto: if I haven’t got it, and you want it,

I’ll get it for you if it’s made.”

-S.E. Rochelle

Above: Durham’s municipal building and Academy of Music,

ca. 1904. Courtesy of Open Durham, Preservation of Durham.

Above: Rochelle and wife in front of their home on Chapel Hill Road.

Courtesy of Open Durham, Preservation Durham.

Left: Advertisements for Rochelle’s businesses.

Courtesy of the Durham County Library.

A NORTH CAROLINA FIRST

From 1910 to 1954, Rochelle owned and operated North ​Carolina’s first Harley Davidson / Henderson / Indian ​dealership on the corner of Parrish and Corcoran Streets, ​and later at 200 Mangum Street in downtown Durham.

Above: S.E. Rochelle pictured second from ​right, in front of the shop at the corner of ​Parrish and Corcoran Streets. Courtesy of the ​Durham County Library.

Left: Interior of the 200 Mangum Street ​store, ca. 1920. Courtesy of the ​Durham County Library.

BUILDING DURHAM’S ​MOTORCYCLE COMMUNITY

Rochelle not only provided Durham motorcyclists ​with bikes, he also created a motorcycle ​community through the promotion of his ​motorcycle-related attractions at the

local amusement park, organization of a riding ​club, and coordinating many local versions of the ​American Motorcycle Association (AMA)-​sanctioned Gypsy Day Tour rides. The Gypsy Day ​rides often consisted of a round trip from Durham ​to Greensboro. Rochelle’s Durham Motorcycle ​Club also traveled all over the United States.

Above: Posing for a picture on a road outside Durham, ca. 1920.

Courtesy of The State Archives of North Carolina.

Below: Motorcycle race at the NC State Fairgrounds racetrack,

ca. 1917.Courtesy of The State Archives of North Carolina.

CONTINUING THE LEGACY

Many of the exhibit photos seen here have been preserved by one of ​Rochelle’s surviving relatives. His great nephew, Sonnie Rochelle, Jr., ​maintains the original prints and artifacts; many of these were originally kept ​in a makeshift museum behind Sonnie’s former East Durham home and were ​curated by his father, Sonnie Rochelle, Sr.

Left: Motorcycles at Bennett Place in Durham, ca. 1905.

Courtesy of Sonnie Rochelle, Jr.

Right: Motorcycle race at the NC State Fairgrounds racetrack,

ca. 1917.Courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina.

The exhibit’s curators were welcomed into the home of Sonnie Rochelle, ​Jr., to discuss his “Cousin Sid”, as he called him. The curators are ​grateful for the honor to carry on the story of one of Durham’s most ​interesting motorcycle figures. Sonnie and his own son carry on the two-​wheel tradition- it can only be surmised that it’s in their blood!

CONTINUING THE LEGACY

Inspired by Rochelle, local nonprofit Ton Up North Carolina ​carries on Durham’s motorcycling history by organizing an ​annual ride in Rochelle’s name. Ton Up North Carolina also ​hosts the state’s largest vintage motorcycle show, the Bull ​City Rumble, here in Durham on West Main Street in the ​Brightleaf District every Labor Day Weekend.

The event is free and open to the public. In 2019, the event ​honored S.E. Rochelle by bringing a Motordrome (similar to ​the Whirl of Death, seen here) back to Durham for the first time ​in over 100 years.

Left: Motordrome

arena interior with

cyclist performing

a stunt, ca. 1910.

Courtesy of the

Durham County

Library.

Top: Durham Gypsy motorcycle tour, June 17 , 1923.

pictured in front of Old West Building at Trinity College

(now Duke University). Courtesy of the State Archives of North ​Carolina.

Bottom: Members of the Ton Up UNC organization in a

“Rochelle Ride-In” recreating the historic photo from 1923.

Courtesy of Ton Up NC.

Durham: The Birthplace of Motorcycling in NC was originally curated by Ton Up NC in 2019,

as part of the Museum of Durham History’s “Durham 150” programming.

This digital exhibit was created by Clay Harrison in 2024.