18 December 1918: "Too old for a toy and too young for a gun"

On this day in 1918, and throughout the week, Athens Cycle Company ran this clever rhyming advertisement in the Athens Banner encouraging parents to buy their children bicycles for Christmas:

Athens Cycle Company was located at 279 Lumpkin Street in downtown Athens, in the building where The Arch Bar is today. Besides bicycles, Athens Cycle Company also sold motorcycles and sewing machine motors.

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Dec. 1918 - July 1919 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Bicycling Magazine's New Bike Owners Guide in the general collection.
• Cyclist BikeList: The Book for Every Rider by Laura Robinson in the children's collection.
• The Complete Book of Bicycling by Eugene A. Sloane in the general collection.
• A Kid's Guide to Stay Safe on Bikes by Maribeth Boelts in the children's collection.
• The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes by Todd Downs in the general collection.
• The Noblest Invention: An Illustrated History of the Bicycle by Lance Armstrong in the general collection.
• Bicycling Magazine in GALILEO. (call 706-613-3650 for current password) 
• Around the World on a Bicycle by Fred A. Birchmore in the Heritage and general collections.
• Yesterday's Motorcycles by Robert F. Karolevitz in the general collection.
• Sewing Short Cuts: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques by Pamela J. Hastings in the general collection.
• The Practical Book of American Guns by John Houston Craige in the general collection.
• Toys and Games by Helen McNiven in the children's collection.
• A Christmas Story in the DVD collection.
• Bike Athens website.