 harley
was born Charles W. Furnas in West Milton, Miami County, Ohio in 1880. He was the second
son of Tanzy and Elizabeth Furnas. His father managed the Rutledge Woolen Mills in West
Milton, and lived in what is now the Hale-Sarver Funeral Home at 284 North Miami Street.
Charley's grandfather had been a farmer near Fredrick, Ohio, but sold his farm to become a
plumber in West Milton. At that time — the late nineteenth century — plumbing
was a brand-new trade, and Grandfather Furnas was on the cutting edge of industry. This
may have influenced Charley in later endeavors.The turn of the twentieth century was a
rough time for a young man with ordinary skills. America was just emerging from a long,
stubborn depression, and traditional jobs were scarce. On the other hand, the country was
also beginning to mechanize and there were new positions opening up for people who
understood machinery. The "safety bicycle" had become the dominant form of
personal transportation in cities and towns, and motorcycles were beginning to appear.
Dayton was building the "Interurban" railway system and automobile companies
were springing up everywhere. All of these businesses offered opportunities for trained
machinists. In fact, machinists or mechanicians, as they were then called, had the
same high-tech aura about them at the turn of the twentieth century that computer
programmers enjoy today.
These circumstances apparently persuaded Charley to join the Navy in 1902, seeking
training and experience with machinery. He got his wish, and served a four-year hitch as a
mechanic's mate in the United States Navy. He received an honorable discharge in 1906. |
The house where Charley grew up in West Milton, Ohio. A portrait of him hangs
in the entrance, and the Furnas family tree, which Charley painted on oil cloth, hangs in
the parlor.
Charley Furnas, about the time he was discharged from the Navy.
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