In 1909 brothers Frank Ashe Jr. (1894-1971) and James Ashe (1895-1966) open City Cyclery, a garage, in Granite Falls, Snohomish County. They sell and repair motorcycles and will also open a Model T dealership. In the 1920s they will focus on GM cars, in particular Oldsmobiles.
Minds for Motorcycles and Cars
The Ashe brothers were the sons of Frank and Martha Ashe. Frank Sr. had followed his own brothers, who sold mining equipment, to Granite Falls in 1906. A blacksmith with a mechanical bent, Frank Sr. set up a blacksmith shop in town.
Three years later his sons, Frank Jr. and James, opened a shop called the City Cyclery. They sold Excelsior motorcycles and later added Model T Fords, expanding to GM automobiles. The shop was crammed from floor to ceiling with spare parts and tires, work benches, and motorcycles for sale. The sign outside read “City Cyclery and Model T Fords.”
During World War I, both brothers served in the military from 1918-1919. They were honorably discharged, returned to Granite Falls, and moved their business into a large 20 by 120 foot brick building on the northwest corner of Granite Avenue and Galena Street, formerly the Granite Falls Mercantile. The brothers took their old sign with them and painted over the words “City Cyclery,” replacing it with "Ashe Brothers." Somewhere around this time they took on a dealership in Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Their repair shop was “well equipped” and employed five experienced mechanics.
Going Separate Ways
In 1926, the brothers expanded their operations, opening a garage and service station on Stanley Street to "house the Studebaker and Chevrolet cars, for which they have the local agency" (Whitfield, p. 462). Things seemed to be doing well, but suddenly in 1928 they opened up the Ashe Brothers Motor Company in Bellingham, at 206 and 208 Prospect. Perhaps the 1926 closing of the Waite Mill, a major employer in Granite Falls, put a strain on the business. The Depression was around the corner. James and his wife Katherine lived on New Street and it is possible that Frank lived there with them.
In 1929 Ashe Brothers Motors continued to sell cars in Bellingham, but advertised for used cars. A year later, Frank moved to the Leopold Hotel in Bellingham. James and his wife moved to a new place.
By 1931, Frank was back in Granite Falls running the Ashe Brothers garage. In 1932, James's family moved to Broadway, a fine neighborhood of bungalows in Bellingham. They raised their children there.
Frank Ashe Jr. stayed in Granite Falls. In 1934, he ran for county commissioner in Snohomish County. He served from 1935 to 1941.
Today (2008) the Ashe Brothers Garage building houses the Granite Falls Fire Department.
