Sylvester H. Roper

Sylvester H. Roper
Line drawing of a man standing next to a bicycle with a steam engine
Boston Daily Globe obituary
Born(1823-11-24)November 24, 1823
Francestown, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedJune 1, 1896(1896-06-01) (aged 72)
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Cause of deathHeart failure, motorcycle crash
Occupation(s)Machinist, inventor
Known forRoper steam velocipede, repeating shotgun, shotgun choke
SpouseAlmira D. Hill
ChildrenCharles Roper
AwardsMotorcycle Hall of Fame (2002)

Sylvester Howard Roper (November 24, 1823 – June 1, 1896)[1][2] was an American inventor and a pioneering builder of early automobiles and motorcycles from Boston, Massachusetts. In 1863 he built a steam carriage, one of the earliest automobiles.[3][4][5][6][7] The Roper steam velocipede of 1867–1869 may have been the first motorcycle,[8][9][10][11][12] for which he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2002.[13] He is also the inventor of the shotgun choke[14] and a revolver repeating shotgun.[15][16]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cochrane1895 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference BostonDailyAdvertiser1896 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "S. H. Roper, of Roxbury [...]", Lowell Daily Citizen and News, no. 2050, Lowell, Massachusetts, 6 January 1863, S. H. Roper, of Roxbury, has invented a steam wagon for common roads, which stops, turns corners, backs, 'keeps to the right as the law directs,' and does many other intelligent things under the hands of a skilful driver.
  4. ^ "Miscellaneous Items; Mr Sylvester H Roper of Roxbury, Mass has invented a steam carriage…", New Haven Daily Palladium, no. 52, New Haven, Connecticut, 3 March 1863
  5. ^ Pearson, Drew (May 16, 1965), "Ford Museum Houses U.S. History", Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal, p. 8, retrieved 2011-02-06
  6. ^ McCann, Hugh (2 April 1972), "Museum Traces History of Wheels", The New York Times, p. IA27
  7. ^ See also:
  8. ^ "Died in the Saddle", Boston Daily Globe, p. 1, 2 June 1896
  9. ^ Falco, Charles M.; Guggenheim Museum Staff (1998), "Issues in the Evolution of the Motorcycle", in Krens, Thomas; Drutt, Matthew (eds.), The Art of the Motorcycle, Harry N. Abrams, pp. 24–31, 98–101, ISBN 0-89207-207-5
    Michaux-Perreaux year 1868. Roper year 1869.    {{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  10. ^ Setright, L. J. K. (1979). The Guinness Book of Motorcycling Facts and Feats. Guinness Superlatives. pp. 8–18. ISBN 0-85112-200-0
    Michaux-Perreaux year 1867    {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  11. ^ Kresnak, Bill (2008), Motorcycling for Dummies, Hoboken, New Jersey: For Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p. 29, ISBN 978-0-470-24587-3
    Roper year 1869.    {{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  12. ^ Kerr, Glynn (August 2008), "Design; The Conspiracy Theory", Motorcycle Consumer News, vol. 39, no. 8, Irvine, California: Aviation News Corp, pp. 36–37, ISSN 1073-9408
    Roper year 1869.    {{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  13. ^ American Motorcyclist Association (2002), "Sylvester Roper; American inventor and transportation pioneer who built a steam-powered motorcycle in 1869", AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, retrieved 2011-01-27Roper year 1869{{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ^ Simpson, Layne (February–March 2005), "All choked up: all you need to know about interchangeable chokes", Hunting, p. 30(2)
  15. ^ US 255894, Christopher Miner Spencer & Sylvester H. Roper, "Magazine Fire-Arm", issued 4 April 1882 
  16. ^ US 316401, Sylvester H. Roper, "Magazine Fire-Arm", issued 21 April 1885