T. H. Merritt Motorcycle Garage, Vassar Building, State Street Watertown, NY

Located at the Vassar Building on State Street, the T. H. Merritt Motorcycle Garage, as shown here in 1913, had just settled into its new location a year after residing on Goodale Street.

Thomas Henry Merritt, proprietor, was an authorized seller of the Harley Davidson motorcycles and would, like Ward Smith of Smith’s Studebaker further down State Street, show his goods at the State Armory when they had automobile shows.  One such showing, reported by the Watertown Daily Times in 1912 noted–

The Harley Davidson Machines being shown by Mr. Merritt are also drawing many people.  There are three models of his machines shown, one a chain drive (indecipherable) which is a feature of the exhibit.

The store was, at the time, located a (very) short walk down the street and across from Solomon’s Temple and the Olympic Theater.

Interesting tidbit:  Barnum & Baily advertisement in the Merritt Motorcycle Garage store window showed they were to visit on Tuesday, July 3, 1913.  The show was traveling from a show performed on the 2nd in Malone, N.Y.  After the Watertown show, they would be on their way to Auburn, N.Y. for a show the next day.