Higley Automatic Sulky Co - 1900 circa Unissued Stock Certificate - Most Likely Horse Sulky for Racing

General Stock. Eagle vignette in upper left corner and female portrait in lower center. Unusual business. Unissued. Rare!!!

The Higley Automatic Sulky Co. was a short-lived and unusual business in the early 20th century, best known today through the rare unissued stock certificates that occasionally surface in the collectors' market. The company's name suggests a focus on manufacturing "automatic" sulkies—the lightweight, two-wheeled carts used in harness racing. While the specifics of what made their product "automatic" are not clear from available records, the company's existence reflects a period when niche manufacturing businesses could emerge to serve specific, small markets, like the world of horse racing. The collectible stock certificates feature an eagle vignette and a female portrait, a common design element of the time, and offer a tantalizing glimpse into a forgotten piece of American industrial history.

Despite its intriguing name, the company's story remains largely a mystery, with minimal information surviving beyond these financial relics. It is believed that Higley Automatic Sulky Co. most likely manufactured horse sulkies for racing around the year 1900. As with many small enterprises of that era, it is possible the company did not last long or was absorbed by a larger entity. For modern collectors, the scarcity of these stock certificates and the unusual nature of the business make them a fascinating and valuable piece of historical ephemera, representing a bygone era of specialized manufacturing and niche entrepreneurship.