Article:Howard & Harley & the OPP

The earliest photo (No. 1) of Howard, age 19, with a motorbike is a Harley-Davidson F Head with a 1923 license plate. This Harley came out around 1917 and was rated at 7 HP. There is a good photo of a similar bike at http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/harley-davidson-classic-motorcycles.php - scroll down to any of the photos labeled 1919 Harley-Davidson.

The next photo (No. 2) is Howard, age 22, with an Henderson De Luxe and a 1926 license plate. This bike was rated at 28 HP and was noted for being capable of a speed of 100 MPH. The apparent uniform he is wearing is that of an Ontario Department of Public Highways motorcycle patrol officer. Note the Sam Browne belt crossing his chest and the white arm band on his left arm. A better photograph would have shown that the arm band had the black letters H.T.O, meaning Highway Traffic Officer. Not visible is a button behind the goggles on his hat. Only the button and the arm band were provided by the Province. The officers had to provide their own uniforms and motorcycles. On March 11, 1930 all H.T.O. officers were officially transfered to the OPP.

Howard Jackman won quite a few motorcycle trophies, not for speed racing but for rally racing, similar to car rallying. Little is known of where or when he participated. He always had a good sense of speed, distance and time. When his kids used to ask the typical; "How much longer Dad?", his answer was almost always to give his travel speed and remaining distance and let the kids figure it out.

He liked to tell the story about a trip in the 1920s along highway 17 which, in those days, was more like a deeply rutted logging road. He was on his motorbike slowly traveling in a rut to avoid tipping when he realized he was gaining on a skunk walking in the same direction. After a time he gave up waiting for the skunk to get off the road, stopped, dragged his bike to a parallel rut, got back on, looked, and the skunk was now walking in the new rut!

The date when Howard started to wear the uniform of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is not known, however it was probably 1929 or perhaps in 1930 when the OPP introduced motorcycle patrol . He is shown here at age 25 in a group OPP photo (No. 3) taken at Maidstone, Essex County, Ontario. He is the officer immediately to the right of the weigh scale building. The officers are all wearing uniforms provided by the Province, however their motorbikes were personal property, a requirement which continued until 1946.

1930 -Toronto Star, March 20, 1930 [excerpt]: TREAT MINOR CASES - Nine Persons Have Injuries Treated at Toronto General Hospital - Minor accident cases treated at Toronto General hospital yesterday included: Howard Jackman, left hand fractured and dislocated when jammed by a car;.... [He often mentioned how he could tell approaching low pressure weather by the aching of his hand. Apparently it was crushed so badly it was to be amputated but a visiting USA surgeon offered to operate as a teaching operation with no guarantee of success. He was lucky.]

Photo No. 4 is believed to have been taken in Manchester, NH in 1930 when Howard was 26 and visiting his sister Bernice. The other two males haven't been identified. Mounted on Howard's front fender, above the license plate, is a plate that says "H. Jackman / Kennedy & Menton / Toronto". Kennedy & Menton was a motorcycle dealer on College Street in Toronto, Ontario. The boys are wearing summer clothes indicating that Howard's hand was well enough healed from the March accident to be able to handle his motorcycle. There is a good photo of a similar bike at http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/harley-davidson-classic-motorcycles.php - scroll down to the one labeled 1930 Harley-Davidson V, 1280 cc.

In 1931 Kennedy & Menton (see Image #1) tried to entice Howard from his OPP position by offering him the management job of a potential new Harley-Davidson store at an implied higher salary.

1933 June 9: Transferred by order # 10 as OPP from Wardsville to London - see Image #2. Howard was replaced at Wardsville by John L. Whitty. Unlike Howard, John's entire career was with the OPP and he ended up as an assistant commissioner at his retirement in 1971.

Police Officer Howard Jackman was sometimes mentioned in newspapers. June 20, 1934 - Two would-be church robbers avoided Officer Jackman who was waiting for them at Elginfield. / July 23, 1934 - Helped track down a hit-and-run driver.

1937 January 21: Transferred by OPP order from London to Richmond Hill - see Image #3.

After his transfer to Richmond Hill the Toronto Star often mentioned him. July 19, 1937 - 18 year old on bicycle hit by car, thrown 50 feet into ditch, killed instantly. / 20 June 1938 - tire blows and car rolls injuring passenger. Also on same item - Newmarket 3 car pile up injures 4 people. / June 28, 1938 - Man getting out of car hit and dragged 62 feet; killed instantly. / July 28, 1938 - Investigated burning death of soldier in car when gas tank exploded from rear end collision. / December 5, 1938 - Cars collide, adults injured but 2 babies not hurt. / December 16, 1938 - Almost blind widow struck by vehicle found lying beside road.

One incident not reported by the newspapers was when Howard received a message to check out a vicious dog attack in Richmond Hill. It was his dog! His son was sleeping in the baby carriage on the front porch with the dog Joe nearby. A traveling salesman came to the house, and when Howard's wife Nora came to the door he commented on the lovely baby. She thanked him but told him not to try and touch the baby. He went to the carriage anyway and, before his hand could reach the carriage, Joe attacked.

April 10, 1939, The Globe - Chased 3 men in a car to a bush near Langstaff. Got near-by resident to telephone for help. [It may seem strange for a reader in 2010 or later that Howard asked a resident to phone the police. In 1939 there weren't cell phones, iPod, Blackberries, CB radios or compact wireless of any sort, consequently a motorcycle policeman had no means of communication. Typically an OPP officer had a patrol route and locations on the route such as garage service stations where someone could leave him a message knowing he would be stopping to check. Because of this system the Jackman home always had a telephone and messages were left with his wife who knew Howard's route and where he stopped to check for messages. The OPP phased out motorcycles in 1942 and by 1947 had radio communications in all their patrol cars.]

May 18, 1942 - Drunk arrested. Tried to throw a fish in the police car. {Howard now patrolling in a police car.]

January 8, 1943 - Truck hits parked car driving it into next. 28 year old killed when crushed between cars while attempting to unhook a tow chain. / January 25, 1943 - Truck runs over and kills 5 year old; driver arrested.

July 20, 1943 - Thirty young roller-skaters told they would have to walk north beside Yonge Street and not roller skate on the pavement. [The young people were heading north to Wilcox Lake. In 1943 the street car still went as far as Richmond Hill. They figured they could roller skate the extra miles north to Oak Ridges and Wilcox Lake.]

September 13, 1943 - Passenger ejected from car which struck a pole.

At about this time, Howard had become more interested in cars than motorcycles and he quit the OPP and with a partner, John Marrow, opened a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership on Yonge Street at Bond Lake.

Return to Howard Jackman's page.

No. 1, Early model Harley-Davidson. Howard at age 19.	No. 2, Henderson De Luxe. Howard at age 22.	No. 3, 1929 OPP group photo at Maidstone near Windsor, Ontario.	No. 4, Howard, relaxing with friends - Manchester, NH.
No. 5, Ontario Provincial Police Constable, Howard F. Jackman	Image #1, Letter offering management job of Harley-Davidson outlet	Image #2, Transfer Orders from Wardsville to London.	Image #3, Transfer Orders from London to Richmond Hill.