Donley Auctions Holding 300-Item Americana Sale With 1917 Harley & Antique Carousels

Donley Auctions is hosting a unique sale of antique and vintage Americana items on November 16 at Donley's Wild West Town in Union, Illinois. The one-night event will feature 300 rare collectibles, including a 1917 Harley Davidson motorcycle, a Kiddieland carousel, and an intact soda fountain and pharmacy interior from the 1880s. Potential bidders are invited to attend a first look preview party the night before the auction, and if you can't make it, you can view the inventory the morning of the 10 a.m. sale. 

One of the first carousels ever constructed, an 1880s Hershell-Spillman Steam Carousel with 24 horses, two chariots, and the factory original steam engine, also goes to auction. The auctioneer anticipates that this carousel will appeal to collectors in several genres, including carousel enthusiasts as well as collectors of steam and train memorabilia.

"Not only did the steam engine provide power for the carousel, but it was also the advertising vehicle," said Daniel Horenberger of Brass Ring Entertainment. "Literally, the engine would ride through town, with horse and driver, to alert the folks that the carousel was in town." Horenberger, a carousel expert who restores antique carousels, will construct a brand-new top for the Hershell-Spillman for the auction.

Other auction highlights include two additional one-of-a-kind carousels: a "PTC 72" from Kiddieland that was manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the last carousel the company ever made, and a 1940s Allan Herschell Carousel, which is the only solar-powered carousel in the country.

Additional noteworthy items include a 1907 two-cylinder Horseless Carriage Automobile, a 1932 Buick Coupe, and a 1953 Packard Caribbean Convertible. The aforementioned 19th century soda fountain and pharmacy interior includes all-original displays, walls, drawer pulls, leaded glass fixtures, as well as a soda fountain complete with a polished marble counter.