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In 1913 the brothers [Abernathy] Louis [Bud] age 13, and Temple age 9, rode from Oklahoma to New York City on the Indian Motorcycle seen in the photo. This was not the Abernathy boy's first adventure.
In 1909 the two brothers, Louis “Bud” aged nine and Temple five, encountered a host of Old West obstacles, including wolves and wild rivers, when they rode more than 1,000 miles from Oklahoma to Santa Fe and back – ALONE!.
The following year (1910) the brothers set their sights on New York City, which they reached after a month of hard riding.
In the summer of 1911, they did the impossible. They rode nearly 4,000 miles, from New York to San Francisco, in only sixty-two days. Once again, the Abernathy Boys had made a historic ride without any adult assistance and accomplished a feat that has never been equaled.

Folks would be arrested for allowing these days.

I so lament lost childhood freedoms. It taught independence- something glaringly absent in this century.

It was so apparent when the movie "Flipper" came on some time back. The boy, 10 years old or so goes home, grabs a rifle off the shelf, hops in a Jon boat without a life vest, starts it up and takes off in open water by himself to go 'fix' something.

That was back when you roller skated without helmets and knee pads and weren't ticketed for it.

Makes you wonder what those boys went on to do.

Just a hunch but betting, as many adventurous boys of that type and age, they gravitated to flying airplanes.

Many of the men I admire from that age did and went on to other great things.

Kids today can't walk to school.

That's a good story

We've lost our culture. Those days most people knew who they were.

The NY to SF was on horseback, forgot to add that.

Years ago I read about Ross Perot riding a pony around Texas age 10-12 years old. He'd just ride into a ranch meet people- work a bit with them they would feed and house him. After a few days he'd say his goodbyes and head out to wherever ? Rinse & repeat.
He stayed in contact with some of the families he met throughout his life.

These days perverts would have their own website of places where they can kidnap and molest the kids.

Knock it off

Kids are just fine

Why, just last week, my wife's niece (9), had to sit thru dinner without her tablet!

Poor kid 😢

There was a local kerfuffle about an 11 year old being let into the backyard alone

Where did they get food, gas, tires and repair parts?

I was wondering how it could take them 63 days to make the trip on a motorcycle, even if they had to work their way across.

Later lives, from wikipedia. They didn't stay on the reservation.

Looks like Alfalfa and Spanky became bikers. I wonder if either one ever got with Darla 🙂

They likely had to push the bike at times looking for parts/gas/oil.

Picked up pop and beer bottles along the way for the deposit money?

I rode an Indian motorcycle once as passenger. Just once. In a pasture.

Cousin Roger dumped us in a pile of horse pucky and cactus. The next time I rode with him was some years later, with him in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines jet. When I found this out (remember when they used to give passengers the full names of the crew?) I asked the flight attendant (formerly known as stewardess) to ask Roger not to land us in horsechit and cactus this time. He knew who it was back there....

He tought it was funny - her not so much.

I guess you had to have insider info?

When they made their first ride to Washington on horseback it was to go see TR. he’d come out an hunted with their dad, Jack, and given him some kind of governmental appointment and he’d went to Washington to see to his duties.

He’d left the boys home with the younger ones pony and his big stallion along with a few signed checks, an open account at the local store, and instructions for the neighbors to check up on them every once in a while.

They got bored and decided to take off and go see their dad and TR in DC. By the time they were well on their way the story was out and people along the route were helpful with meals and directions. When they arrived in DC TR threw a parade for them.

They were from near Cooperton in Kiowa county OK.

What an awesome story! I'd never heard of them. Thanks for sharing!