ross was a bicycle brand that manufactured over 15 million bicycles in the united states between 1946 and 1988 .

the company , which competed with domestic bicycle manufacturers as schwinn and huffy , was widely noted for its pioneering marketing of mountain bikes .

ross ( bicycles )

get an alert with the newest ads for
ross bicycles
in ontario .
the ross name was then licensed by another bike company called rand , which continues to sell bicycles under the ross name .
plaintiff ross bicycles , inc . ( ross ) was incorporated in new york in 1946 under the name
chain bike corporation
. the name was changed to
ross bicycles , inc .
on may 21 , 1982 . since 1946 ross has manufactured and sold over ten million bicycles bearing the ross trademark throughout the united states . ross sells a complete line of bicycles including children ' s , bmx , touring , cruiser , mountain , racing and stationary exercise bicycles .
ross bicycles lost ground to foreign manufacturers in the 1980s and went bankrupt in 1989 . rand cycle subsequently bought the brand , but no longer sells bicycles bearing the ross name .
you might want to contact tom kellogg of spectrum bicycles . he worked for ross bicycles for a couple of years back in the early ' 80s . from the spectrum web - site :
november , 1980 - june , 1982 - tom sets up the legendary
signature
department at ross bicycles and develops the ross signature line . after a motorcycle accident , tom leaves ross bicycles and founds spectrum cycles . tom hires ross bicycles master builder jeff duser away from the signature division of ross in march , ' 85 .
ross bicycles have been built in factories in asia and elsewhere over the years , but former ross owner sherwood b . ross said he ' s sure this one is a valley product .
ross bicycles moved to the lehigh valley in 1969 and built bicycles at a plant on cascade drive in hanover township until 1987 , when it shifted operations to taiwan to cut costs , ross said . at one point , ross produced about 1 million bikes a year .
ross was an engineer and former president of ross bicycles , one of the top u . s . bike manufacturers from the 1950s to late 1980s . through the ’70s , ross bicycles was second only to schwinn in market share and volume of bikes made and sold .
ross bicycles , inc . , plaintiff - appellant , v . cycles usa , inc . , defendant - appellee
mr . ross became president after his father retired in 1968 . he bought out his sister , ruth , in 1980 and changed the company’s name to ross bicycles .
ross bicycles sprang from a company founded in 1940 by mr . ross’s father , albert , that galvanized the hulls of ships . after world war ii it shifted to wheeled products like lawn mowers , wheelchairs and bicycles , designed by mr . ross and made in rockaway beach , queens .
all manufacturing stopped in 1987 . the factory was vacant for a year and in 1989 the ross bicycles company went bankrupt .
ross was a line of bicycles built in pennsylvania ( usa ) between 1950 and 1989 . the range included children’s bicycles and adult’s bicycles for both sexes and they were the first company to sell a range of mountain bikes . the company was originally formed in 1940 to galvanise the bottoms of war - ships , under the name ross galvanising works , owned by sherwood ross . when ww2 ended ross began the production of a variety of wheeled goods including lawnmowers , wheelchairs , rollerskates , tricycles and bicycles .
sherwood ross , better known in the industry as jerry ross , passed away tuesday at the age of 92 .
nowadays , mr . ross , 86 , lives in florida and earns a living as an expert witness , testifying in lawsuits involving bicycles .
by this time , ross , who had manufactured and sold over ten million bicycles , had already been feeling the squeeze from foreign imports .
the bicycles proved so popular that the company , then called the chain bike corporation ( the bikes were labeled ross ) , dropped its other products .
sherwood b . ross , who turned his father’s brooklyn galvanizing company into ross bicycles , for many years america’s third - largest bicycle manufacturer , died on june 4 in pembroke pines , fla . he was 92 .
ross bicycles sued alleging trademark infringement and false designation of origin . the facts are stated in the district court ' s opinion , reproduced as an appendix .
an article last saturday about the bicycle that investigators believe was ridden by the man who set off an explosion at the military recruiting station in times square , a blue ross 10 - speed , misstated the history of the ross , a brand name that was purchased by rand international after the original owner , ross bicycles inc . , went bankrupt . rand continues to sell bicycles under the ross name ; the brand has not “faded from the bicycle market . ”
and ross put jim redcay in charge of the signature division . kellogg lured master builder jeff duser away from ross to spectrum in 1985 .
ross bicycles , inc . , plaintiff - appellant , v . cycles usa , inc . , defendant - appellee , 765 f . 2d 1502 ( 11th cir . 1985 )
plaintiff advertises its bicycles in bicycling magazines and promotes their sales with catalogs , brochures and point - of - sale materials and by participation in trade shows and the sponsorship of racing teams . the total direct and indirect advertising budget for all ross bicycles is over one million dollars a year .
rand acquired ross bicycles shortly after it filed for bankruptcy and ross stayed onboard for a few years as a consultant and then retired . more recently he worked as an expert witness on product liability cases , something he did until the past couple of years . over the last year ross’s health deteriorated after falling and injuring his back .
ross bicycles , inc . , plaintiff - appellant , v . cycles usa , inc . , defendant - appellee , 765 f . 2d 1502 ( 11th cir . 1985 ) : : justia
ross bicycle files for bankruptcy u . s . contract blamed in . . .
there were always faster and more expensive bicycles , and those with more panache , but ross held its own as a utilitarian fixture . an influx of cheaper foreign models got the blame when ross went out of business in 1987 , leaving the company on the discard pile of nostalgia .
ross convinced his father to begin manufacturing bicycles—starting with tricycles and other kids’ bikes—and eventually moved the factory from rockaway beach , new york , to allentown , pennsylvania in 1973 . it became chain bike corp . and later ross bicycles . in those days , most bicycles were still manufactured in the u . s . with very few imports , mostly from europe . also in the ' 60s and ' 70s , sales were mostly through mass merchants , which at the time were tire stores , auto repair shops and hobby shops .
advice on finding specialist repair companies can be found on www . bikeforums . net . the ross range was very broad , the bicycles are sturdily built . ross bicycles have a reputation for being of high quality . therefore , although representatives from across the range have been carefully kept and are available in full working order , expect to frequently pay prices considerably higher than for a new bicycle of another manufacturer .
ross stopped making bicycles in the u . s . two years ago when lower labor costs overseas forced the company to shift production to taiwan to remain competitively priced . the hanover township plant is still used as a warehouse for imported bikes and the ross spokeswoman said that activity will continue .
cpsc , rand / ross bicycle co . announce recall to repair mountain bikes | urltoken
lg ross hi tech mt . whitney deer head xt suntour bear trap bullmoose brooks nice
ross hi - tech mt . hood - hand made vintage bike of 80 ' s
the ross art group 532 madison avenue , 4th fl . new york , ny 10022
the comparison of the boss cruiser and the ross diamond cruiser frames shows conclusively that defendant did not copy the ross bicycle when developing the boss cruiser . moreover , the boss cruiser generally sells at a higher wholesale and retail price than the ross diamond cruiser .
the black lettering used to display the word
boss
is not identical to the block lettering used by plaintiff for its ross mark . the ross mark is displayed in various changing typestyles making it impossible to make one type of lettering unique to ross .
lotus bikes were made by people who obviously loved bicycles and wanted to provide high quality options for different types of riders .
this is the schwinn p - 13 from 1971 . the “p” stood for paramount , schwinn’s luxury group of american made bicycles .
a gifted engineer and patent holder for farm equipment designs , pedersen shifted his attention to designing bicycles in the early 1890s . pedersen’s innovative frame design was lighter and significantly more comfortable than contemporary bicycles while riding over the cobblestones and dirt roads of the time .
i can attest to the statement of john e . and a few others regarding very nice mid and high end ross bicycles circa 1983 - 1985 . there was a shimano 600 equipped signature triathlon model with a columbus sl frame . the paragon had a ishiwata 024 frame with suntour superbe derailleurs . there was a mt . mckinley with tange mtb tubing and deore xt . during this era , ross also sponsored an atb team , the ross indians . i believe there was also a road team , but i have no objective evidence . 1983 ads mention that ross has been ,
building cycling machines for american cyclists for 36 years
. so it would appear that the first ross bicycles were 1947 .
there are suppliers who have customized the basic ross frame to make hybrids which have no value as collectibles . it is important to be certain that the original features of the ross bicycle have not been removed or tampered with . in particular , signature ross bicycle frames are notably heavy . a ross bicycle which has not been repaired with lighter alloy parts from other bicycles weighs around 30 – 35lb and has a characteristic shiny trim , which shows that the rims are double - plated . randyrrross . com , the website operated by the son of sherwood ross , offers further information .
given that many bikes have had several owners , its usefulness as a clue may be limited . mr . ross said that the company had probably made hundreds of thousands of bicycles like the one the police were examining .
ross bicycle files for bankruptcy u . s . contract blamed in move - tribunedigital - mcall
vintage 1984 ross mt . jefferson hi tech 20
mtb bmx chrome frame & extras sumo
selling a ross 10 speed bike . nice condition , newer tires . will need tubes .
during the 1980s , ross bicycles grew to be a $ 30 million company selling between 220 , 000 and 250 , 000 bikes a year and production moved overseas . by this time , its sales were mostly to ibds .
but being reminded of ross bicycles does make him wish he didn ' t lose the allentown area plant , ross said .
we made a good product ,
he said .
we just couldn ' t compete with the 50 - and 60 - cent - an - hour wage
offered by foreign competitors .
in the 1970 ' s , ross double plated their rims . thus , old ross bikes often have nice shiny rims even today - a nice way to spif up your collectible ride .
plaintiff is the owner of the ross trademark for bicycles and structural parts which has been registered with the united states patent and trademark office . the ross mark generally appears in two places . a logo consisting of the letter
r
above the name ross in a rectangle appears on the head tube ( the tube running vertically between the handle bar and the front wheel ) . the name ross , in one of several different letter styles and spacing , appears on the down tube ( the tube running from the head tube to the crank ) . on some of plaintiff ' s bicycles a model name , without the name ross , appears on the top tube ( the tube running from the head tube to the seat tube ) .
ross often sold more than one million bicycles a year , trailing only schwinn , the industry leader , and huffy in sales . its prices were less than schwinn’s but more than huffy’s . notable ross models included the barracuda , a flashy cruiser with a banana seat , and some of the earliest mass - produced mountain bikes .
mixtes aren’t just for girls . the word “mixte” is a derivative of the french word for “unisex” , and mixte style bicycles handle better than standard low - step - through frames , and are simply more convenient to mount and dismount than diamond - frame - style bicycles .
1960 ' s ross convertible polo bike jr . 20 ' bike with removable tank pick up only
medium frame , message me for details mountain bike . posted by jay in sports , leisure & travel , bicycles in tuffley . 8 july 2018
ross hi - tech mt . hood - chrome - vintage mountain bike of 1984 , rare - origional
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one rare find was a 1979 cruiser which was found among abandoned stock in a closure sale in a bicycle shop in pensacola in 2009 . never ridden and in perfect condition , it sold for $ 1280 . bicycles which have been stolen are sometimes found at police auctions , for prices as low as $ 80 , for bicycles which will resell for hundreds of dollars . the urltoken database carries details of municipal sales of untraced stolen bicycles .
although there are similarities in sound between the marks , the difference in meanings makes them dissimilar in commercial impression . the mark boss gives a specific mental impression to a buyer , while the mark ross is non - descriptive . the jamis mark appears on the head tube of the defendant ' s bicycle , and
boss cruiser
appears on the front fork , top tube and chain guard . plaintiff uses ross as the brand for all of its bicycles . ross appears on the head tube in the same position as defendant ' s jamis mark and on the down tube . many ross bicycles carry a secondary model name , such as diamond cruiser , in the same manner as the boss cruiser model name .
within a decade they had begun to specialize in bicycles , and soon came to rival schwinn . the company went bankrupt in 1989 , due to fierce competition from the far east . the name ross was purchased by rand cycle from the bankruptcy courts , but has not been capitalized upon as yet . the son of sherwood ross ( randy ross ) introduced a combined stationary and road bicycle , the stepper bike , in 2007 which is available at numerous outlets .
quality mixte frame bicycles can be hard to come by , so our friend meg turned to custom bike builder jeffrey bock to make one for her .
professor sherwood b . ross expert witness product liability litigation in the design and manufacture of consumer products and the machinery to produce such as : bicycles , wheelchairs , rotary lawn mowers , motorcycles , motor scooters , playground equipment , and stainless steel medical products .
12 speeds . allentown , pa based ross bicycles have a small but loyal following . this bike is in great shape considering it is over 30 years old . excellent components including shimano ' s sis indexed lightaction derailleurs / shifters and dia compe brake set .
ross was certainly a going concern up until the late 90s ( maybe 97 ) - i have a magazine ( somewhere ) with a ross ad in it ( bicycle courier riding between two truck on a ross ) , that ' s the last i saw . afaik , it was an upmarket bike - deore xt ?
we made over 15 million bicycles ,
he said .
that ' s so many that it did not give me any particular feeling .
fred wilkens , who started working at the factory in 1955 after college and then moved into sales , was the son of jerry’s sister . wilkens’ late father , sam , and mother were part owners of ross bicycles until they sold their share to the ross family in 1981 . the wilkens family drove the sales side of the business during their shared ownership of the company .
one morning this week , 13 ross bicycles were listed for sale on the new york city page of craigslist , at prices ranging from $ 25 to $ 200 . and a recent trip through the streets of the east village , the lower east side , soho and the area around city hall found a half - dozen blue ross 10 - speeds locked to signposts and fences .
used condition smoke and pet free home collection from abbeymead trike . posted by vivien in sports , leisure & travel , bicycles in abbeymead . july 9 , 2018
an ammunition box was used in the times square bombing , but briordy said he had no indication it came from the ross plant . sherwood ross said he might be able to identify the ammunition box if he saw it .
ross bicycles continued in allentown , pa until the early to mid 80 ' s , they had reconfigured the factory to make ammo boxes for the us gov . and outsourced bicycle production to asia . the ammo box move proved disasterous , and the bike business ended up being sold to rand bicycle who in produces department store type bikes and still carries the ross name on til this day . the allentown built road bikes were probably there best . they were heavy , all were in the 30 pound range or more . teh earlier ross bikes were also imports and have a headbadge that states
ross import division
ny
the products in this case , although similar ( both being bicycles ) , are not so similar as to be likely to cause confusion . as stated earlier , the size of the tubing , the style of wheels , pedals , seats , kickstands , and the difference in the frame angles on the boss cruiser and the ross diamond cruiser are significant . the bicycles not only look different , the evidence showed that they had different riding characteristics .
she did not know how many employees ross had . in august , zoltan l . apatoczky , ross ' s vice president and general manager of the plant at 200 cascade drive , said 200 to 250 people were employed there .
ross’s father , albert , founded the company as ross galvanizing works in brooklyn , new york , in the 1940s , manufacturing and galvanizing pipes and pipe fittings for the fencing industry and later galvanized steel parts for military ships during world war ii . once the war ended , the company transitioned into consumer goods and began manufacturing bicycles along with lawn mowers and wheelchairs , including contract work for the government .
the ross bicycle that the police suspect was used in the bombing of the armed forces recruiting station in times square .
some new yorkers who know bikes said the ross was not the speediest model to use while fleeing a crime scene .
with the headline : a blue ross 10 - speed isn’t hard to find ; a bomber who rode it is .
the factory moved to allentown , pa . , around 1970 . in the early 1980s , the company helped popularize the use of mountain bikes in urban areas , but it went bankrupt in 1987 , unable to compete with cheaper bicycles mass - produced in asia , mr . ross said .
“jerry invested in promotion—he really got behind fast and early on the mountain bike movement , ” said patrick cunnane , asi’s president and ceo , who worked for ross bicycles as national sales manager from 1982 to 1988 . “he was very innovative from a marketing standpoint and willing to invest in product .
a very few ross bikes were
signature
bicycles , and from what i understand , they are actually quite nice . if it isn ' t one of these , what you have is a step or two above a murray , and maybe a half step below an entry - level schwinn .
1960 ' s ross convertible polo bike jr . 20 ' bike with removable tank . pick up only in elizabeth nj .
in addition to being a common surname , ross is also the name of the sea arm of the south pacific extending into antarctica east of victoria land . the ross dependency is the section of antarctica lying between 160 ? e and 150 ? w longtitude , claimed by new zealand . while the ross name ' s application to bicycles may be arbitrary , it still is not accorded the same degree of protection given such coined and fanciful terms as
kodak
or
xerox
. see , amstar corp . , 615 f . 2d at 260 .
see also glenn kamka ' s 1979 ross eurosport single speed conversion . built around the same low - end frame as the ten - speed eurotour , the eurosport was the drop handlebar , fenderless version . go to 1978 ross compact on this site .
by the late 1950s they were solely manufacturing bikes and trikes . at the time , chain bike corp . , was the 3rd largest domestic producer of bicycles after schwinn and huffy .
during the two oil crises of the 1970s ( 1973 & 1979 ) the company worked around the clock in three shifts and turned out over 1 million bicycles in each of those years .
this forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles , including musclebikes , lightweights , middleweights , hi - wheelers , bone - shakers , safety bikes and much more .
) , farmingdale , ny . sherwood ross worked for rand for 5 years as a consultant as part of the name purchase agreement .
specializing in original vintage posters , the ross art group opened its doors over 18 years ago , and founder mickey ross has been collecting original posters for over 25 years . what started out as a hobby , sparked a true passion and developed into a thriving business .
constructed in 1969 , the former 41 acre chain bike facility ( also known as ross bicycles , inc . ) manufactured bicycles and metal ammunition boxes from 1970 until approximately 1987 . manufacturing processes during this period included metal electroplating , electrostatic spray painting , metal stamping , finishing , assembly , and warehousing . the facility ceased these operations in 1988 , but was purchased by conewago equities , lp for use as a warehouse . first industrial realty trust bought the facility from conewago in 2007 . the facility presently houses several tenants .
ken taylor , one of the brothers at jack taylor bicycles , visited the shop while in seattle not too long ago , and autographed the top tube of this unusual and interesting time machine .
i just stumbled across a few more tidbits on ross . the top line signature series was established in 1981 . as noted in an earlier post , the builder was tom kellog , who left in 1983 and was replaced by jim redcay . in 1984 there were 5 signature series bicycles and 7
sub - signature
models using crmo tubing . the top line signature road criterium cost $ 2100 . 00 us - not a typo ! in addition to these 12 top and mid - range models , ross apparently produced 90 + models of low end bicycles , tricyles and wagons . no wonder their entry - level reputation was / is hard to shake off !
the ross diamond cruiser is the plaintiff ' s model which is closest in design and price range to the boss cruiser . when comparing the 23
ross diamond cruiser to the 23
boss cruiser ( the size first developed by defendant ) the following differences are shown :
search for the model of ross bicycle below or click one of the bicycle types from the list to jump to that section of models .
nelsondamus , attached please find a picture of a ross 290s . the better ross road bikes have ishiwata triple butted tubing . this particular bike is a twelve speed , friction shift with 700c rims . at 28lbs , it is not a light weight but not a heavy bike either .
this demountable is made by bill stevenson , a talented and experienced bike builder from olympia , washington . over the years , bill has designed and built frames for gary fisher , worked as a designer and quality control inspector for ross bicycles and alpinestars usa . bill apprenticed with albert eisentraut in the early seventies and built his “limited” series of bikes .
the action involves the production and sale of
cruiser
bicycles by plaintiff and defendant . the word
cruiser
is used throughout the industry to describe fat or balloon tire bicycles ( larger than ten - speed bicycle tires ) with large saddle seats and upright handlebars which permit the rider to ride sitting straight up . cruisers generally come in single , three or five speeds . the cruiser bicycles became popular in the late 1970 ' s and defendant developed its cruiser lines to tap into this market . in florida , where defendant does most of its business , the cruiser can be used to ride on the beaches .
i had a ross mt . washington . it was a pretty good bike , i dont thnk they ever made anything top end bikes though .
this is the only ross bicycle ive ever owned , but what a smooth soft bicycle . quiet with the free wheeling . can find these for $ 50 - 100 . be an excellent bicycle for a front wheel electric bicycle kit . electric bicycles , the rebels against $ 4 gasoline scams , ' ' registration ' ' and insurance . the true electric hybrids
in 1984 , ross sued east coast cycles and imports , inc . for trademark infringement . the defendant had designed and marketed a taiwanese import bike called the
boss cruiser
which ross said was a knockoff of , not only their trademark but their diamond cruiser bike , as well . the court did not agree with either assertion and dismissed the case . ross had to pay all court costs and legal fees , including those of the defendant .
original ross centaur 59 cm biopace gear set . 12 speeds , shimano light action components . needs tires and tubes . local pickup in manheim pa .
several stores sell both the boss and diamond cruiser . the two bicycles are the biggest competitor of each other . because of the different angles in the two bicycle frames they ride different and the oversized boss cruiser tubes make the style of the bicycles look different . a number of the dealers said that the boss cruiser sold better than the ross diamond cruiser because of the
flamboyant macho image
. the market for the boss cruiser is generally for young males ages 18 - 25 . many dealers preferred the boss cruiser because of the aluminum alloy and chrome parts which reduce the amount of rust .
at the time defendant adopted the name boss cruiser for its new bicycle it was aware of the use and ownership by plaintiff of the ross mark in connection with bicycles . the name
boss cruiser
was developed by mr . jamis and his employees over a three to four month period . the name was chosen to give the bicycle a macho or strength image . defendant obtained two trademark searches as to the availability of the name boss cruiser , and neither search cited plaintiff ' s mark . although mr . jamis knew of the ross mark , he did not copy it in naming the boss cruiser , nor did defendant adopt the boss mark to confuse the public or to capitalize on the ross name .
police contacted media outlets in the new york area and lehigh valley seeking information on the 10 - speed blue ross . but the investigation doesn ' t indicate the bombing had any connection to the lehigh valley besides the origin of ross bikes , said lt . dennis briordy , commander of the nypd arson and explosions squad .
ross euro tour 5 vintage 10 speed girls bike if you have any questions or want more photos or lower price please ask . thank you for viewing my item
it seems they were making cheap martmart type bikes back then . the toll - free phone number listed is to rand international which still lists ross brand products :
apatoczky , who has retired , said it ' s possible a ross bike would still be in relatively good shape nearly a quarter - century after it was built .
ross ' s production employees have been on layoff since before christmas , the spokeswoman said . she said the layoff was both seasonal and related to the government contract .
sherwood ross was reportedly accustomed to a lavish lifestyle and he decided not to make the restrictive budget management decisions that might have kept the company afloat a bit longer .
other than the badge placement on the head tube the logos and letter styling used on the boss cruiser and most ross products are not similar in style or location .
the building has not been sold . according to records at the lehigh county courthouse , the ross building and land have an assessed value of $ 2 . 7 million .
1986 ross piranha 16 inch old school bmx , looks to be all original and in pretty good shape . typical paint scuffs and scratches no dents and seat is ripped .
1970’s ross 10 speed bikes . there are 2 bikes . if you have any questions or want more photos or offer price please ask . thank you for viewing my item
defendant has promoted the boss cruiser through trade shows , by use of posters and other point - of - sales materials , and through advertising in bicycling magazines . plaintiff ' s and defendant ' s bicycles are distributed through the same types of stores .
while the inherent degree of similarity between two bicycles is one factor to be evaluated in assessing the likelihood of confusion , sun banks of fla . , 651 f . 2d at 318 , obvious differences in the products must also be taken into account .
notable ross models are women’s eurosport , classic shark cruiser , super gran tour professional ( men’s ) , polo , coast king , and the limited edition bicentennial , produced in 1976 . spare parts for repair are readily sourced by recommendation from enthusiasts ( see below ) . specialist repair by a professional is advised as these bicycles are highly desirable as collectables if repairs can be carried out without compromising the major characteristics of the make .
the statement did not list ross ' s assets and liabilities and the spokeswoman did not know them . the figures were not available yesterday from the bankruptcy clerk ' s office .
chain bike produced a wide variety of models under the ross brand ; they also produced many private label brands including american flyer . howie had the pleasure of being associated with jerry ross , sam wilkins & freddy wilkins starting in the late 1950 ` s . this image is of an advertisement in the april 1972 issue of the american bicyclist and motorcyclist magazine . additional text & pictures pending . see the picture gallery for some in depth stories regarding the company ` s history and the death of jerry ross at age 92 in june of 2013 .
reconditioned ross bicycles are widely available worldwide , but these have predominantly been serviced with a view to use , rather than as collectables . if a collector is able to visit and inspect the item to ensure that it has not been reconditioned , some bargains can be found on ebay , mainly because while the wide usage of the site ensures a sale , the high listing fees are an incentive to price the item lower than would otherwise be the case .
i ' m not a businessman and i don ' t have access to any other information about the final years of ross bicycles inc . , beyond what is presented here . it ' s also easy to speak to what you might have done differently when viewing a situation in retrospect . however , some things seem very clear to me . in a changing marketplace , you must adapt and if one marketplace dries up you must try to appeal to another .
ronald jamis and john register , an employee of defendant , designed the specifications of the boss cruiser . mr . jamis had some experience racing and building cars and motorcycles during highschool and college . mr . register had no experience in designing bicycles . the boss cruiser was designed over a one year period . in designing the boss mr . jamis and mr . register rode various cruiser bicycles to compare and decide what features they wanted including the ross diamond cruiser . after determining the approximate frame dimensions they desired , the defendant communicated the measurements to a taiwan factory . five or six prototype frames were sent to defendant by the factory before defendant chose the final dimensions for the boss . defendant has sold over 7 , 000 boss cruisers .
instead , ross should have expanded its production of high quality bikes like the signature series . it may have taken some effort to change the stigma the company had , of being of a department - store - quality bike manufacturer but a campaign of brochures and posters in the better bike shops and magazine ads might have helped ( think you know ross ? look again ! ) .
this marvelous bike was made by the matsushita electric and industrial corporation . we know matsushita more familiarly as panasonic . panasonic has a long history with bicycles . one of their earliest endeavours was a line of bicycle lamps , first marketed under the brand name national in 1927 .
this spring , i got the ross out from behind the pile of junk in the garage . the tires and tubes were in good condition and accepted air but everything needed cleaning and lubricating .
upon albert ross ' s retirement in 1969 the ownership of the company was turned over in equal shares to sherwood b . ross and his sister teddy , allowing the company to be half controlled by the wilkens family . this would create some bad blood between the two families . sherwood was the president , engineer and driving force behind the company and deeply resented the equal control arrangement .
enter graftek . the sporting goods division of the exxon corporation . we’re not sure if this was a nervous attempt at diversification during the opec oil embargo or merely a natural extension of their fishing rod factory , but exxon designed and built carbon fiber bicycles from 1976 to 1978 .
but so far at least , the ross has seemed to have provided a clean getaway in the times square case , and tracing the cyclist who dropped off the bomb might be difficult for investigators .
on appeal , ross contends that the district court erred by finding no trademark infringement , failing to rule on its false designation of origin claim , failing to award it attorney ' s fees , and denying its motions to amend the pre - trial stipulation . we affirm the district court ' s holding as to trademark infringement on the basis of its opinion . we also reject ross ' other contentions .
one of the first weeks on the job , randy said his father sent him to chicago to see how schwinn made its bicycles . “i spent two weeks watching their assembly line , ” he recalled . “back then it was all friendly competition among the six or seven major manufacturers . ”
ross was born in 1921 in brooklyn , new york . he studied mechanical engineering at brooklyn technical high school , the pratt institute and lasalle university . he served in the navy and loved boats . he would often entertain scores of ross dealers on his personal yacht . he lived large and was known for hosting lavish parties at dealer events or trade shows that were black - tie affairs in huge ballrooms .
, was just getting started as ross was in decline . cannondale thrived , producing innovative bikes of a quality that you could not get ( and still can ' t ) from a far east factory .
finally , because ross has not prevailed on any issue it has not satisfied the prevailing party requirement of 15 u . s . c . § 1117 and is not entitled to attorney ' s fees .
there is no “blue book” value for bicycles . bikes are simply worth what someone else is willing to pay for them . bicycle values tend to be highest when the weather is warm , in places where it’s pleasant to ride , and wherever there are a lot of people who like bikes .
in my opinion , it was a mistake for ross to continue to manufacture low - end bicycles and to attempt to cheapen the line beyond its already inferior status . they couldn ' t possibly compete with foreign imports which were shipping with better quality components at the same or lower cost . becoming an importer was not the answer either . one low - quality import is much like the next . if you try to compete in this market , your product will get lost in a sea of sameness .
i can tell by looking at it ,
ross said .
there are certain manufacturing things that are unique . if i had a serial number , i could tell when it was made .
the valley plant started producing ammunition boxes for the u . s . government , but ross filed for bankruptcy in 1988 , according to zoltan l . apatoczky of allentown , former general manager of the plant .
ross , 86 , now lives in the miami area and provides expert testimony in product liability cases . he said he is not bothered that one of his creations might be tied to such a notorious crime .
chainbike , welcome to the forum ! i have a ross bike that my daughter rides . i think it is mid 80 ' s but i ' m not sure . it is a very nice ride .
there are some obvious similarities between the appearance and sound of the mark ross and the mark boss . both marks end in
oss
. defendant ' s mark is followed by the word
cruiser
, which is generic in the context of bicycles . although the marks ultimately must be considered as a whole , the focus of the inquiry regarding appearance and sound and meaning is on the non - generic portion . john h . harland co . , 711 f . 2d at 976 . with respect to the meaning , ross is a common surname , while boss conveys a definite meaning to the public . the word boss commonly means one who exercises control or authority ; being in charge ; or is slang for excellent .
23” og mt washington ross mountain bike frame and parts . there are some old rims too that i’ll throw in . this is selling as - is . needs work . frame is still in good shape though .
aging but functioning bikes occupy a flourishing market niche in new york city because they are cheap and tend to be ignored by thieves . and certain riders might choose a ross simply because it confers a degree of anonymity .
for many years , sherwood ross was the president of the bicycle manufacturers of america ( bma ) . by his mid - 80s , he was living in south florida and working part - time as the pre - eminent
i have specs for the 1985 ross 294 . it had the ishiwata 024 frame and a campagnolo triomphe gruppo . however , the rims were spec ' d as rigida 1320 . the retail price was $ 449 us .
the district court ' s denial of ross ' motions to amend the pre - trial stipulation was not error . the pre - trial stipulation was filed january 5 , 1984 . on march 7 ross moved to amend the stipulation to add seven additional exhibits and three witnesses , all with respect to a survey it had conducted on february 3 and 26 concerning the likelihood of confusion issue . on march 26 , at the opening of the trial , ross moved to further amend the pre - trial stipulation to add thomas payne as a trial witness . payne was to testify to an incident that occurred four months prior to the submission of the pre - trial stipulation .
when the war ended , at the suggestion of albert ' s son , sherwood ( jerry ) , and sherwood ' s brother in - law samuel wilkens , the company switched to the manufacturing of wheeled goods including bicycles , tricycles , wheel chairs , lawn mowers and roller skates . the company was incorporated in 1946 as
yes , during the 1980s , ross briefly stepped out of character with a few respectable road bikes and a couple of semi - decent mountain bikes . ( my younger son rides a rock machine mt - 1600 , whose frame is far better than the original wheelset and crankset , both of which i have replaced with upgrades . ) most other ross offerings were strictly low - end - - heavy , nonresponsive , and lacking schwinn ' s craftsmanship .
defendant east coast cycles and imports , inc . , was incorporated in florida in august of 1975 . defendant ' s principal , ronald e . jamis , entered the bicycle business in 1973 . defendant is engaged in the business of having bicycles manufactured for it for sale , and distributing various types of bicycle parts and accessories .
the day after the times square attack , the police released a photograph of a bicycle , which they believe the bomber abandoned on east 38th street . it was a blue ross 10 - speed , the bike of many childhoods .
lance armstrong - us postal tour number 7 - - on ross tricycles ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! last year it might have been unfair advantage in crash - ridden stage 3 on the roubaix route .
if you need a bike for exercise , you can sometimes find these ross bikes for sale cheaply . the eurotour will give you a good workout going up the hills and reward you by going reasonably fast downhill and on level stretches .
# 1795 : 1980s ross gran tour . model : gran tour . we are a non - profit collective ( madison freewheel bicycle cooperative ) in madison , wi . a portion of the profits from every item supports charitable bicycle programs .
if avoiding tranquilizers wasn’t enough for you , schwinn also suggested that cycling would save you from heart disease , and save you some cash… “we ought to replace the automobile with bicycles … it would be better for our coronaries , our disposition , and certainly our finances . ” … dr . irvino h . page , president , american heart association
were removed from another bike due to being too small for me . i made them work on the ross by extending them with thick plastic . i may replace them at some point but they work fine for now . the shimano down tube
interesting stuff - my dad has a ross bike from when i was a kid - still in really good condition , no rust , runs well . he claimed it was a nice racing bike , but i was like
huh ?
because i had no idea who ross was . i can tell him he was right now . i ' ll have to get a digital camera and get a picture and post it here so folks can see what i ' m talking about . koffee
a ross bicycle , a one - time signature product of the lehigh valley , is a key piece of evidence in the investigation of a bombing last month in new york ' s times square , and police are asking whether anyone here recognizes it .
saying that a u . s . government contract for the manufacture of ammunition boxes was draining it financially , ross bicycle inc . of hanover township , lehigh county , last week filed a petition to reorganize under bankruptcy protection , according to the company .
one of the more famous bicycles in the museum collection , jaime used this colnago super to win the fifth stage of the 1974 giro d’ italia… oops , sorry . our mistake . that was piermattia gavazzi who won that stage . jaime was still a toddler . pretty sure she could have won it though , if they allowed baby girls to race the giro .
he was also an early adopter of technology , using mobiles phones in the early 1980s . ross holds several bicycle - related patents and he was president of the bicycle institute of america and the bicycle manufacturers association and served as committee chairman at both groups .
if you need a bike for commuting or long trips , and there will be hills on the way , you should look for something lighter . otherwise , a ross eurotour can provide dependable transportation and no one in their right mind would consider stealing it .
sherwood bernath ross was born in brooklyn on april 5 , 1921 . he grew up in brooklyn and attended the pratt institute before enlisting in the marines during world war ii . he was shot in both legs in the pacific and received two bronze stars .
i have a ross adventurer that looks like no other . it was bought in dover pa at an auction with another bike , and both are in great condition . looking for more info on what i belive to be a very rare bike thank you !
star bicycles were originally manufactured by the smith machine company in smithville , new jersey . the american star was designed with the smaller wheel in the front to avoid the tendency found in other high wheelers ( that have smaller trailing wheels ) to pitch forward . the star pedals ratchet up and down around a flywheel , a design that also incorporates two different gear options .
the ross bicycle arrived just after world war ii , along with the baby boom , the modern suburb and the cul - de - sac . millions of the bikes left the company’s new york city factories and wound up on streets all over the united states .
the petition was filed feb . 3 in the u . s . eastern district court of new york in brooklyn . up until a few months ago , ross had been headquartered in rockaway beach near brooklyn . the company moved its headquarters to the lehigh county plant .
the following draws heavily , but is edited and expanded , from a post to the urltoken c & v forum by andrew ross , grandson of the founder . primary sources were used for the corrections and additions . this history will be updated as more information comes to light .
1984 ross , curb crusher in good condition . one nick on the seat seen in photos . the pictures show a rear flat tire but will arrived repaired . owners manual and bill of sale is included in sale . i am not the original owner but obtained the history .
great for getting to class , training , short or supported tours , club rides or races ! material : lugged cromoly steel , forged dropouts . model : centaur . make : ross . we are a non - profit collective ( madison freewheel bicycle cooperative ) in madison , wi .
when i was a shop mechanic back in the late ' 90s a ross mtn bike came in for repair . this one was very high end : ball - burnished aluminum frame , full xt componentry , rock shox judy fork and the latest mavic rims and foldable kevler tires . i tend to believe that the frame was made for ross by gt or somebody like that . i was pleasently suprised the see this but you never know what shows up at a shop . i also once saw an early ' 70s murray with a complete first - generation dura - ace component group !


laxton brothers was a business founded by edward augustine lowe laxton mbe ( 1869 – 1951 ) and william hudson lowe laxton ( 1866 – 1923 ) who were notable horticulturists , pioneers of plant breeding and experts on fruit production creating several new strains of fruit such as ' laxtonberry ' , ' laxton 's delicious ' plum tree , laxton 's no. 1 red currant , laxton ’s superb apples and the award winning lord lambourne apple .

laxton brothers

laxton ' s fruit tree manual , produced by laxton brothers of bedford . printed .
other apples introduced by laxton’s are : barnack orange , laxton’s advance , laxton’s early crimson , laxton’s epicure , laxton’s fortune , laxton’s favourite , laxton’s herald , laxton’s leader , laxton’s pearmain , laxton’s peerless , laxton’s reward , laxton’s royalty , laxton’s superb , laxton’s triumph , laxton’s victory , and lord lambourne .
laxton ' s fruit tree manual , produced by laxton brothers of bedford . printed . | the national archives
63 edward de v . corocan , wine merchant 63a laxton brothers william and edward open a shop selling seeds
developed by the laxton brothers nursery in the early 1900s . it’s still grown commercially on a small scale . it remains…
the company also introduced plum varieties such as early laxton , laxton’s gage , and laxton’s supreme .
laxton’s fortune apples were developed 1904 by laxton brothers , bedfordshire , england from a cross between cox’s orange pippin apple and the wealthy apple . they were introduced 1931 and received the award of merit from the royal horticultural society in 1932 .
laxton ' s superb was first introduced in the uk during 1922 , raised by laxton brothers in bedford . the company first started business in 1885 and sadly they went into voluntary liquidation in 1957 . at that time it was bought by bunyard nurseries ( now also not trading ) and a joint catalogue for the two companies was produced for a couple of years .
there were two other brothers , stephen , who was abbot of clairvaux , and peter , also a cleric , but they died before the bishop , and as none of the brothers had any children , their inheritance passed to their nephews , william sutton and robert de markham , the children of their two sisters . the lexingtons had large estates , and the laxton portion of them came to robert de markham . from william sutton was descended robert sutton , created baron lexington of averham , by charles i , but this branch of the lexington family had no connexion with laxton .
the rectory of laxton was appropriated to the colledge of jesus in rotheram , founded there by thomas rotheram , sometime bishop of lincolne . there was a chantry in the church of laxton , to which lands in laxton did belong .
63 edward de v . corocan , wine merchant 63a laxton bros . , florists
thomas laxton and his successors . the gardeners chronicle , 29 th november , 1930
in 1777 the 3000 acre bishopsoil common was enclosed . laxton grange was built - so called because the land on which it stands was allotted to laxton in the enclosure of bishopsoil . in fact , adjoining land is still owned by laxton church .
63 p . phipps and co . , wine merchants 63a laxton bros . , florists
the laxton’s fortune apple is somewhat fragrant and some detect an anise or banana aftertaste .
63 p . phipps and co . ltd . , brewers 63a laxton bros . , florists
63 mrs l . monger , baby linen 63a laxton bros . bedford ltd . , florists
laxton’s fortune apples have pale yellowish - green skin with red blushes , and some russeting .
two of the most well - known apples introduced by laxton’s are allington pippin and peasgood nonsuch .
in re : thomas laxton , i don ' t know if it ' s the same branch of the family ( and i ' m a complete amateur at this ) , but check out caldwell county , in the foothills . my understanding from my grandmother is that there were three laxton brothers who settled in that area around the revolutionary war , but i ' m not clear on who stayed and who left . sorry i can ' t be more helpful , but it might be a start for you .
e . a . l . laxton noted horticulturist and plant breeder . bedfordshire times , 22nd february , 1963
images from laxton catalogues cecil higgins art gallery and bedford museum . not for publication or reproduction for commercial purposes
the brothers concentrated their attention on crossing the best varieties of apples , pears , plums and small fruits . lord lambourne , a dessert apple , raised by laxton bros . in 1907 was awarded the rhs bunyard cup in 1921 and an award of merit in 1925 . in about 1900 they set up tollgate nurseries ( 140 acres ) at goldington road , opposite newnham avenue where the university of bedfordshire is now .
one of a number of new varieties developed by the laxton brothers nursery in the uk in the early 1900s and grown commercially on a small scale . it remains a popular garden variety in the uk , but is a noted biennial bearer . it is a useful substitute for cox ' s orange pippin ( one of its parents ) , having some of the aromatic flavour of that variety but much easier to grow .
brogdale collections search for laxton in the national fruit collection for details about the many varieties of fruit propagated . urltoken
the town of bedford has since created a community orchard in which it has planted many of the laxton varieties .
the guest book is expired please restore the guest book to share in the life story for lillian g . laxton
the business was carried on successfully by sons and grandsons , who adjusted the name of the business to “laxton bros ( laxton brothers . ) ” the business had 140 acres for trials and growing , and a shop in bedford at 63 high street . most of the apple varieties that came out under the laxton name came out under their watch , and they introduced a further 47 varieties of strawberries . in 1897 , the company put out a book called “the strawberry manual” ( published by hulatt & richardson . ) in 1937 , winston churchill ordered raspberry plants from them for his chartwell estate in westerham , kent , at a cost of £2 13s 7d .
park wood local nature reserve and community orchard , bedford urltoken the orchard has been stocked with laxton fruit tree varieties .
the following laxton ' s fortune trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree .
laxton ' s superb deserves to be grown far more frequently than it is in the uk . one of its parents is
thomas laxton was a plant breeder who introduced many new varieties of strawberries , and worked with charles darwin in experiments on peas .
modern florists : messrs laxton ' s new shop front . bedfordshire times and independent , 29 th september , 1933 p . 12
laxton ' s delicious has beautiful pinky - red fruit with a distinct lavender - blue bloom . the plums are very juicy and have a rich sugary flavour . less prolific than laxton ' s cropper , but the plums have a slightly better flavour and keep just as well . although laxton ' s delicious is self fertile , yields are likely to be improved by planting with an appropriate pollinator . supplier : r . v . roger ltd . we donate half of our profit on sales of laxton ' s delicious plum trees to common ground
the son of thomas laxton , edward was the driving force behind the nursery . in 1888 he went into partnership with his brother william to form laxton bros . by 1890 , laxton bros were at 4 - 6 bromham road and subsequently opened a shop at 63a high street , bedford . he was awarded an mbe in the 1951 new year honours and died at 73 bushmead avenue in the same year .
bedfordshire has an extensive list of native apple varieties , many due to the laxton family at their bedford nursery . more details . . .
pest and disease resistance for laxton ' s superb is very good with high resistance to canker and mildew , two common apple tree problems .
we list below varieties which are suitable pollination partners for laxton ' s superb which is in pollination group 4 and partially self - fertile .
in october 1827 thomas and robert bell , aged four and two years , were both killed by the sails of gilberdyke mill . they were living at scalby and their burials are recorded in the blacktoft parish register . nathaniel bell died in 1898 but by then the mill was being run by the harrison brothers . some people will remember the stather family who were the next owners of the mill .
you are in : home > places > c . s . & c . s . orwin , the history of laxton , ( 1935 )
i ' m so sorry ! i should have specified that i was talking about caldwell co . , n . c . my apologies , but my grandmother is mary pinkney estes laxton ( just in case there is a connection ) grandfather was joseph malcolm laxton . thanks for the message , though !
wildman , r . laxton of bedford : the family and firm , bedfordshire magazine , volume 23 , number 182 , 1992 , pp . 244 ff .
readman , sue . laxton of bedford : pioneers of plant - breeding , bedfordshire magazine , volume 23 , number 182 , 1992 . p . 250 ff .
a popular english cox - style variety , with a sweeter flavour and easier to grow , raised by the famous laxton bros . nursery in bedford , uk .
1936 rose trees catalogue had colour photographs of red roses on front and back covers ( mrs edward laxton on the front and bedford crimson on the back ) .
readman , sue . laxton of bedford : pioneers of plant - breeding , bedfordshire magazine , volume 23 , no . 182 , 1992 . p . 250 ff .
i was just wondering who your grandma was . my husbands great grandfather was the thomas laxton you are speaking of if you are talking caldwell co . missouri . please reply
on a kind of a pew there is engraved a shield with five weeping eyes on it , and robert trafford , vic . de laxton , hoc fieri fecit anno domini 1532 .
veda ann laxton , 104 , of fayetteville , passed away peacefully on thursday , april 13 , 2017 , following a short illness . born on march 4 , 1913 , in mammoth , wv , to the late george moore and emma proctor moore . veda was a homemaker and a member of fayetteville baptist church . in addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband , darrell william laxton ; infant daughter , darla ann laxton ; 4 sisters , three brothers , and a stepson , ray laxton . she is survived by sons , joe r . moore of mt . lookout , william
bill
laxton of fayetteville ; daughter , carol gilliam of scarbro ; brother , john moore of mt . lookout ; sister , ilene sizemore of dixie ; 8 grandchildren , 11 great grandchildren , and a host of nieces , nephews , and friends . funeral services for veda will be conducted at 1pm saturday , april 15 , 2017 , at the high lawn funeral home chapel in oak hill with pastor ron george , jr . , officiating . interment will follow at ida baptist church cemetery in gauley bridge , where family and friends will serve as pallbearers . friends may call from 12pm until the time of services on saturday at high lawn funeral home . online condolences and memories of veda may be shared by visiting www . highlawnfuneralhomechapel . com . professional services by high lawn funeral home , 1435 e . main street in oak hill .
i remember eating a laxton fortune in 1975 , grown by pank of sussex , i believe . best apple i ' ve ever tasted . does anyone know if the orchard still exists ?
son of edward a . l . laxton , he inherited the horticultural talents and enthusiasm of his father and in 1923 became a partner in the laxton nursery business shortly before his uncle william died . he produced new varieties of fruits , roses and garden peas . tragically he was killed by direct hit on his home at 176 kimbolton road , bedford during an air raid in 1942 .
i have information on the whereabouts of luke laxton from wyoming county west virginia . i am interestedin knowing who you are and why you are looking for him please reply at my e mail adress
fortune is often referred to as laxton ' s fortune - do not confuse with the 1995 variety also called fortune , released by cornell university in the usa , a cross of empire and schoharie spy .
the laxton seed catalogues show the huge number of vegetable and flower seeds and many , many varieties , on offer . the same goes for the fruit trees , small fruit and shrubs , and rose catalogues .
( fn . 39 ) the vicarage of laxton was 10l . when the colledge of rotheram had the patronage , ' tis now 11l , value in the kings books , and william pierpoint , esquire patron .
sunset - slightly more acidic compared to laxton ' s superb . tip top disease resistance . this is our choice for a container grown tree or for smaller gardens , the apple size is slightly smaller than average .
the son of thomas laxton , in 1888 he formed a partnership with his brother edward and was also the joint owner of a brickworks in kempston hardwick . he died in 1923 at 28 , the embankment , bedford .
certainly laxton ' s superb has few pest and disease problems and it also withstands the changeable british climate very well . we are hard - pressed to find many weak points with this variety and can find very many positives .
i ' ve got a 3 year old laxton ' s fortune tree . i love the apples . true they don ' t keep , but they are so sweet , aromatic and juicy . mine look spectacular too , deep scarlet .
( fn . 8 ) matildis de cauz gave the town of ronstone ( in lincolneshire , in which county a good share of this barony lay ) with the advowson of the church to the knights templars , and it belonged to the preceptory of temple bruer , ( i . e . on the heath ) to which robert de everingham afterwards gave and confirmed that manor . her husband , adam fitz - peter , and she , gave to god , and saint john , and the monks of pontesract , half the mill of stainburgh , to which deed thomas fitz - peter , and roger fitz - peter , his brothers , and robert his son , amongst the rest were witnesses . he likewise gave and confirmed to them half a bovat in fareburne . his son john for the health of his own soul , and of joane his wife , and for the safety of their bodies , gave and confirmed to the said monks thirteen acres of meadow in smethall , which his said father gave , and two oaks every year against christmas in his wood of byrkin , and one buck in his park , in the feast of st . john before port latin , and half the mill of stainburg , with the suit belonging to the moyety of the mill . peter , and roger , and william , his brothers , were witnesses amongst the rest to his deed .
it ' s difficult to suggest alternatives to laxton ' s superb because it is an excellent variety for uk gardeners with other varieties finding it difficult to compete . when considering alternatives to laxton ' s , the key features to look for are a mid to late season apple tree , good looking green / red skin , long storage capabilities . it should also be partially or fully self - fertile and have excellent taste and aroma . the following have some or all of those characteristics :
fiesta - slightly less sweet compare to laxton ' s superb but still lots of apple flavour . this variety has no real drawbacks , a great tasting apple with good looks and excellent pest and disease resistance . produces apples slightly earlier in the year .
( fn . 37 ) there was a quare impedit recovered , 13 e . 4 . by richard roos , esquire , against isabell roos , widow , robert roos , esq ; and william roos , chaplain of the advowson of the church of laxton .
we have a laxton ' s fortune in our garden in harrogate . it has fruited really well this year . we had it identified last year by rhs harlow carr who were offering a free apple identification day . delicious juicy red apples with red flashes inside .
all our plum trees , including laxton ' s delicious , are bare root . at the height of the lifting season - between november and march - there may be up to a month ? s delay between placing the order and dispatching due to pressure of orders , which are dealt with in date sequence , and the weather . orders for laxton ' s delicious plum trees from march to september are confirmed in late october / early november ready for dispatch from november . please consult our planting and care guide on receipt of your order .
the mother of this variety is wyken pippin which was grown in holland as far back as the late 1600s and first making an appearance the uk in 1714 . the father is cox ' s orange pippin so laxton ' s superb has a pedigree going back several hundred years .
lillian g . laxton , age 96 , of south holland , formerly of hamlet , in , born july 4 , 1906 in frankfort , ky , to levi and addie , nee herndon cook , passed away wednesday , feb . 12 , 2003 at windmill nursing pavillion , south holland , il , due to an illness . she was a retired school teacher , and she is survived by one son , lowell laxton , of calumet city , il ; two sisters , polly davies and frances patton , both of chicago , il ; nine grandchildren ; and 11 great - grandchildren . she was preceded in death by her husband that passed away in 1993 , william laxton , whom she married september 2 , 1928 in valparaiso , in ; one daughter , darleen robinson ; and three brothers . she was a member of hamlet united methodist church where she served as treasurer of philathea class for 20 years ; past president of united methodist women of hamlet church ; grad of iowa state teacher ' s college ; past president pta franger h . s . chicago ; past president pta mt . vernon elementary school , chicago , she also taught in iowa ; co - owner of wildwood motel in hamlet from 1950 - 1976 ; past president of hamlet women ' s club . services will be held saturday , feb . 15 , 2003 at 2 p . m . cst , at rannells funeral home , hamlet chapel , 102 w . davis st . , hamlet , in , with rev . jean mccan , officiating . burial will be in fletcher cemetery , hamlet , in . visitation saturday , 10 a . m . cst , until time of services .
returning now to bertha de longvilliers , the other daughter of robert de markham , she inherited , in 1289 , the other half of the sub - manor of laxton , and it remained in this family for three generations . the longvilliers were also a prominent nottinghamshire family , resident , possibly , at tuxford , as both sir john and sir thomas de longvilliers founded chantries there in the fourteenth century . in 1361 their laxton property passed to an heiress , agnes de longvilliers , who married reginald de everingham , but as they had no children , this land passed to her next of kin , john stanhope , grandson of her aunt . the stanhopes were a family very prominent in nottinghamshire , with large estates , and the laxton property remained with them through the fifteenth century , until in 1541 sanchia stanhope sold it to mr . augustine hynde , or hinde .
robert de markham died in 1289 , leaving no son . his three daughters were cecilia , wife of thomas de bekering , bertha , wife of william de longvilliers , and agnes , wife of william de santa cruce . agnes , left a widow , retired into a convent ; the other sisters divided the sub - manor of laxton between them , and the descent of their inheritance can be traced to the present day . it was known as ' bekerings manor ' for several centuries , but they almost certainly did not live in laxton , having other estates elsewhere in nottinghamshire .
for you with victoriana nursery on all trees you buy from them . they are a family run business with a horticultural history dating back to the 1700 ' s . they currently stock laxton ' s superb if you want to buy one with the 10 % discount . if you click the picture below
the average flowering time ( optimum time for pollination ) and date when fruits are ripe for harvest in the uk for laxton ' s superb are set out below . if you have set your home town we can give you a more accurate estimate , if you have not set your home town (
we inherited a laxton ' s fortune with a house we bought in bedfordshire in 1978 . it was still going strong when we moved away in 2005 . the apples were identified for us by a wholesale greengrocer relation as ' laxton ' s fortune by a bedfordshire grower ' . it can sometimes be found on sale as an organic fruit . lovely crispy , juicy apple , it tended to bruise as it was being eaten - even straight from the tree - and it was always a race to harvest the ripe fruit before the starlings found them ! we ' re now in the process of sourcing a dwarf variety for our norfolk garden .
( fn . 38 ) the owners of laxton town 1612 , are said to be the lord vaux , gilbert roosse , esquire , francis rosse , gent . augustine hynde , thomas chappell , thomas beedam , john shipton , john samon , richard smith , robert grene , rowland taylor , edward snowe , thomas taylor .
peter roos of knesale , his brother , had to wife frances , the daughter of — marshall , and by her four daughters , and a son , gilbert roos , who married elizabeth , the daughter of augustin hinde of laxton morehouse , and died 1661 , and left issue , gilbert , peter , mary , frances and troth .
in 1957 , both the store and the nursery business were closed . the orchards have all been built over now . it’s not certain what happened to the assets and the intellectual rights : they may have been merged with another nursery at the time called “laxton & bunyard nurseries ltd” that still existed in brampton , huntingdon ( cambridgeshire ) as of 1969 .
near this town lies a small hamlet called laxton morehouse , where there was a small chapel and lands which belonged to a guild there . laxton morehouse is now the inheritance of augustin hinde , gent . descended from one of that name , alderman of london , and elizabeth his wife , after his decease married to sir john lyon , alderman of london also ; she was a lee , as in norwell may be noted ; she made her will 10 jan . 1566 , which was proved 21 jan . 1569 , by which it appears henry lee was her brother , and that by augustin hinde she had four sons , roland , austine , edward and john , and two daughters , one married to edward gresham , who had richard , and the other to—dodsmore .
if some classic apples are slightly acidic for your taste then this variety will be a surprise , it ' s slightly sweeter than the accepted
best
normal but at the same time it ' s truly refreshing and juicy . in our experience many prefer the taste of laxton ' s superb to cox ' s orange , it ' s just possible that some of the apple tasting experts are not quite in touch with popular taste .
augustine hynde was a liveryman of the clothworkers ' company and an alderman of the city of london . he was sheriff in 1550 , and lord mayor elect of london at the time of his death in 1554 . mr . hynde was a representative of a new class that was acquiring land in england at that time , the city merchant who had made money in industry and wanted an investment for it . he left his laxton property to his second son , also augustine , and he and his descendants probably lived there , or at the hamlet of moorhouse , until the eighteenth century . the third augustine hinde sold five farms ( about 300 acres ) to sir william courten in 1630 , and these were included by him in the sale of the rest of laxton to the earl of kingston . the remainder of the hinde property was acquired , at various times , by the denison family , of ossington , who still hold it .
in january 1839 there was a terrible storm which blew down several local mills including the bishopsoil one . it was probably after this that the mill was rebuilt in brick . it was sold in 1854 to john jewitt . the mill was sold again in 1865 to the morrell family who also owned laxton grange . the mill fittings were offered for sale in 1893 , as were 70 , 000 bricks . it seems likely that this was the demolition date of the mill .
though , as has been shown , laxton has been a manor held in chief of the king by knights ' service since the days of the conquest , a sub - manor was created within it at an early date , held , not direct from the crown , but from the lord of the main manor . in the twelfth century a de caux made a grant of land to one richard , of laxton or lexington , in return for certain services . this grant was added to by his successors , the de birkins and de everinghams , and in 1232 these grants were all set out clearly in a royal charter , which confirmed them to richard de lexington ' s son , robert , and his heirs . this charter is very interesting , as the lands are described in great detail , and some of them can be identified to - day , as their names , such as eastkirk , southlound , crouchwell , & c , still remain .
once more the property passed in the female line , sir thomas rempston leaving three daughters , elizabeth , wife of john cheyne , isabel , wife of sir brian stapledon , and margaret , wife of richard bingham . elizabeth cheyne had the laxton part of sir thomas ' s property , and in 1515 it passed to her granddaughter , another elizabeth cheyne , who married the son of lord vaux of harrowden . some time in the sixteenth century lord vaux sold the laxton property to sir thomas broughton , who had married mary roos , sister of peter roos , the lord of the chief manor . when his son , gilbert roos , sold the manor to the marquis of buckingham , he reserved about 100 acres for his cousin mr . peter broughton . these lands remained with the broughton family until the eighteenth century , when they were bought by the earl of scarborough , of rufford . in 1867 earl manvers acquired the property , in exchange for land in the parish of eakring .
richard de lexington had a very remarkable family , and his sub - manor at laxton passed , in turn , to three of his sons , each famous in his own sphere . the eldest , robert de lexington , was a prebendary of southwell and a judge under king henry iii . in 1240 he was the chief justice itinerant for the northern division of england . the second brother , john , was a clerk in the chancery and also a judge . he was keeper of the great seal during vacancies in the office of chancellor , and he was sent on several missions abroad by the king : in 1241 to the emperor frederick ii , and in 1250 to arrange a truce with france . in 1255 he was chief justice of the forests north of the trent , and tried , at lincoln , the jewish murderers of the boy , hugh of lincoln . he founded a chantry in the church at laxton , dedicated to st . mary and st . thomas the martyr .
whilst most apple varieties are not self - fertile ( they cannot pollinate themselves and need a nearby apple tree of a different variety to set fruit ) it is interesting that there is a streak of self - fertility running through cox ' s orange pippin and its offspring , and laxton ' s fortune is partially self - fertile . this means it will probably set light crops even if there is no pollination partner nearby - but cropping will be better with another variety to cross - pollinate the blossom .
laxton ' s superb is a reasonably strong growing tree and it produces a large crop of apples . in common with epicure , it can miss cropping on the occasional year especially as the tree ages . the solution to this is to be vigilant and thin the fruit out on those years when it over - produces . this is a self fertile variety although it will crop better when a good pollinator is nearby . click here to go to the bottom of this page and see a list of suitable pollinators .
thomas was born 1830 in tinwell , near stamford , lincolnshire . he began his work as a plant breeder in 1865 , interested mostly in peas and strawberries . he started his plant breeding in stamford , then later moved his operations to orchards and fields in bedford , bedfordshire and in nearby girtford in sandy , bedfordshire . he consulted with charles darwin on pea - breeding experiments . laxton was , in fact , close to the genetic discoveries that gregor johann mendel ( 20 july 1822 – 6 january 1884 ) would make around the same time .
“recently mr . laxton has made numerous crosses , and everyone had been astonished at the vigour and luxuriance of the new varieties which he has thus raised and afterwards fixed by selection . he gave me seed - peas produced from crosses between four distinct kinds ; and the plants thus raised were extraordinarily vigorous , being in each case from 1 to 2 or even 3 feet taller than the parent - forms , which were raised at the same time close alongside . ” — charles darwin . the effects of cross and self - fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom . chapter v .
thomas was one of the earliest nurserymen to use scientific methods in plant breeding . he selected parent plants from close observations of their most desirable characteristics rather than simply from well - known varieties as was common at that time . thomas laxtons trials and observations aided the work of charles darwin and were referred to in darwins published works . his aim was to improve the quality of plants , rather than make money and he believed that seed from all commercially produced plants should be saved . three generations of the laxton family and over 100 years of horticultural work raised at least 182 new varieties of plants .
“so , again , mr . laxton , who has had such great experience in crossing peas , writes to me that “whenever a cross has been effected between a white - blossomed and a purple - blossomed pea , or between a white - seeded and a purple - spotted , brown or maple - seeded pea , the offspring seems to lose nearly all the characteristics of the white - flowered and white - seeded varieties ; and this result follows whether these varieties have been used as the pollen - bearing or seed - producing parents . ” — charles darwin . the variation of animals and plants under domestication . volume ii . chapter 2 . xiv .
in 1425 the laxton property passed to thomas de bekering ' s daughter alice , who had married sir thomas rempston , of bingham , notts . sir thomas was a soldier , who went to france in 1415 , under henry v , and was at the siege of harfleur and the battle of agincourt . he was with sir john fastolf at the battle of the herrings in 1429 , and was taken prisoner by the french under joan of arc , but a large ransom was arranged for him by the english parliament . after the defeat of the english and the end of the hundred years war , sir thomas returned to england , where he supported the yorkist cause at the beginning of the wars of the roses , and died in 1458 .
my neighbour has an apple that could be a laxton fortune but i have never eaten that particular apple to be able to comment . the tree was mature when i moved in 23 years ago so it is obviously an old variety . this apple is red with yellowish / green streaks travelling from top to bottom . the flesh is soft and an almost yellow colour ; the flavour is just devine - it has be likened to strawberries but i cannot see the connection . the flesh is not red but it has red
flashes
. when i first ate one i thought my gums were bleeding . i would dearly love to purchase one of these trees so if anyone knows of a grower in the uk that sells them i would appreciate it . failing the purchase of a tree i will try to graft a cutting onto existing apple stock but this is not my ideal solution . s e pearston
( fn . 32 ) joane was married to sir william elys , who died at saint albans in his journey towards calis , and had a son by her called robert ; she after married john de waterton . catherin was wife of sir john etton , son of sir thomas , which sir john had several sons , miles , ivo , william , alexander ; but this manor descended to the four daughters & heirs of sir miles eton , who died before his father the said sir john , who held this manor of laxton , with the advowson of the church , and the manors of egmanton , and north leverton , by the courtesie of england , after the death of his wife the said katherin , till 11 h . 6 . ( fn . 33 ) that he left it to his grand - children , elizabeth the wife of john northwood , isabell of john roes , margaret of robert moresby , and anne of robert roucliffe .
( fn . 34 ) the posterity of this john roos got all , or most of this manor by purchase or otherwise ; his sons name was robert roos , and he had to wife elizabeth , daughter of sir william midleton , and by her william roos , who married eleoner , daughter of sir christopher wainsford , who brought him humsrey roos , who for his first wife , bad anne , daughter of richard restwold , and his second was margaret linne of southwyke in northamptonshire ; ( fn . 35 ) he died 17 july , 13 h . 8 . leaving francis roos his son , by his first wife , his heir , which francis by elizabeth his wife , daughter of thomas scrimsal , of morbery in the county of york , had peter roos , who first married — the daughter of sir james harvey , ( fn . 36 ) by whom he had a daughter married to sir griffin markham , and after to his second wife had brigit , the only heir of robert roos of ingmanthorp , by whom he had gilbert and peter . . this woman after her husbands death , married one richard clark , and as the inhabitants say , by her own misfortunes and the wicked unthriftiness of her son the said gilbert roos , the last lord of laxton of this noble race , was reduced to so great poverty , that she gleaned corn amongst other poor people in laxton field . peter roos her husband , had a brother named thomas , of whom there are ma ny grand - children yet alive , and six sisters married , one to— fairfax of gilling , another to — broughton , another to — stapleton , ( named in burton jorz , ) another to — schrimshire of norbury , another to — maxfeild , another to— whitmore . gilbert roos married — the daughter of —orrell , afterwards wife of sir peter killegrew , and by her had two daughters , one married to —thomas of the county of essex , who had part of north leverton with her , the other never married .
under the arch , that leads into this place of filth , stands an old tomb almost 6 feet high , on which lie three figures , seemingly a knight and his two wives ; but so covered with dust , that i found it difficult to sketch them . the annexed plate , fig . 2 . represents the figures . opposite , in the chancel , is an alabaster trunk of another figure , on an old mutilated tomb , head and armless . on the south side of the church lies a loose head , probably once belonging to the trunk above named . near which lies part of a cross legged knight , represented fig . 4 . on another old abused tomb lies another trunk of the figure of a man ; below which , a figure is represented , fig . 3 , same plate . while i viewed with indignation , the insulting devastations around me , the deeds of the modern goths and vandals , in france , rushed , like a rapid stream , into my mind : in idea , i saw the atrocious , if not similar , destruction of the arts in the churches of that once fair country . how has it happened that not one fostering hand has been found in laxton or its neighbourhood , to shelter these monuments of our fore - fathers from the most shameful abuse ? could not their uplifted hands , and their prostrate bodies in the solemn acts of prayer for mercy , command respect nor pity ? is it left for the present age to despise , contemn , or neglect , the memorials of the pious , the charitable , and the good ; the founders of our holy sanctuaries , the munisicent patrons of religious establishments , whose zeal for the service of god was ever marked with dutifulness and obedience ?
( fn . 22 ) the jury , 9 e . 1 . said that adam de everingham held when he died of the king in capite , the moyety of the barony of shelford , where he had a free court from 3 weeks to 3 weeks , the custody of shirewood , this manor , that of north leverton , and gedling , and that robert de everingham was his son and heir ; who about 15 e . 1 . ( fn . 23 ) left all these matters to his son adam ; who 4 e . 2 : ( fn . 24 ) had an ad quod damnum returned for settling the manor of westburgh in lincolnshire , on thomas de suthwell , & c : by a fine 7 e : 3 : ( fn . 25 ) he settled this manor of laxton on himself for life , and then to adam de everingham his son , who , in 15 e . 3 . ( fn . 26 ) he left his heir . he had other sons robert , edmund , alexander , and nicolas . this adam de everingham chr . 33 e . 3 . ( fn . 27 ) had an ad quod damnum returned concerning his settling 10l . and 9s . rent in gedling , nottingham , colewyke , stoke bardolf , schelford , newton , and carleton by gedling , and eight marks , and 6s . 8d . rent issuing out of the lands and tenements of the said adam in gedling , on william his son , and alice his wife , ( daughter of john grey of codnor , ) william it seems , 43 e . 3 . ( fn . 28 ) died before his said father , and so did robert , son of this william ; adam died 8 febr . 11 r . 2 : ( fn . 29 ) his son reginald de everingham chr . was his heir male , and then aged thirty years ; which reginald by his wife agnes , the daughter of john lungvillers , lord of hoghton upon idell , had a great estate , but no issue by her ; ( fn . 30 ) but by another wife called joane , he had edm . de everingham , who died at 15 years of age , in the kings custody , ( fn . 31 ) without issue , so that joane , and katherine , his elder brother william de everinghams daughters , were his heirs , as they were their grand - fathers , the said adam , son of adam , & c .
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born in tinwell , rutland , he originally trained as a solicitor . developing an interest in the hybridization of plants , by 1858 he had started plant breeding . in 1872 he began to develop strawberry varieties from his work . moving to bedford in 1879 , he is listed in kellys directory in 1885 as seed grower and merchant , at 1 harpur place , bedford ( now 41 harpur st , bedford ) . by the time he had retired in 1890 he was living at 78 tavistock street , bedford . twice married , he had three daughters from his first marriage and four sons from his second .
he became head of the firm in 1951 . in 1956 the decision was made to sell off the land belonging to the firm and in 1957 the nursery ( the land was overworked ) and shop were sold and the firm went into voluntary liquidation .
where to buy at bedford , an illustrated local review , 1891 p . 51 . hl bed / whe
modern florists : messrs laxtons new shop front . bedfordshire times & independent , 29 th september , 1933 p . 12
ricketts , bob . the laxtons in bedford ( 1879 - 1957 ) , bedford architectural archaeological & local history society , newsletter 82 , october 2008 , pp . 14 - 28
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the nursery that he founded , carried on by his descendants for many generations , became famous for the apple varieties that it introduced .
in 1872 , thomas began producing new strawberry varieties . he himself would introduce seventeen varieties in all , including king of the earlies ( 1888 ) , noble ( 1884 ) , and royal sovereign ( 1892 . )
‘a party without cake is just a meeting . ’ — julia child . ( 15 august 1912 – 12 august 2004 )
henry john heinz life and times henry john heinz founded a empire of commercially - prepared foods . such products provided convenience to housewives , who previously had to make all their home products from scratch . heinz wasn’t the first to market with such products in america . in fact , imports of british commercially - prepared foods had been underway for several…
charles mason hovey from : fruits of america , vol 1 . published 1847 life and times charles mason hovey was born 26 october 1810 , cambridge , massachusetts . he is known today for his plant breeding and promotion , particularly with strawberries . he also promoted the zinfandel grape , and was the one who shipped it first to california . charles’s parents…
stollen is a yeast - risen fruit and nut bread made particularly at christmas in germany . it …
i planted two as cordons three years ago . one has succumbed to canker this year , the other has collapsed under its fruit load . i removed all but four apples and we have been eating them for three weeks now , they seem to be happy in a cool kitchen . the stock is m106 and i intend to replant in out orchard this winter and grow as a tree . best flavour we have after a shy ashmead ' s kernel
i am getting ready to graft this variety on a tree that i am changing it ' s varieties .
the earlier comments say it all : fortune is the best tasting of all dessert varieties , and it is commercially a non - starter because it bruises so easily . but if you have a tree , or know of an orchard , then now ( late sep ) is the time to get busy . boxford farms ( suffolk ) used to grow them in substantial quantities , but i expect they may have been grubbed in favour of something saleable .
there is a number of small heritage fruit tree nurseries near christchurch in nz . we got a laxtons fortune apple along with russets and other heritage fruits . plus oh joy - a damson that i haven ' t seen since i left dorset in 1984 . the orchard is only 3 years old so i can ' t wait for the little trees to grow big enough to start producing .
i used to work with fortunes and they are my favourites next to beauty of bath , but can never find either of them in the shops . do you know where i can get any in the poole district ?
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fortune - an american variety , with the same name , but not related .
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