07/08/2026
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 8, 1906, Orren “Putt” Mossman was born on a farm in Hardin County. He would grow into one of the most celebrated stunt motorcyclists of the twentieth century.
Before motorcycles made him famous, Mossman gained attention as a horseshoe pitcher and later won state and world championships. After taking up motorcycles in his twenties, he transformed himself into an international performer whose act drew crowds in the United States and abroad. By the end of his career he performed in 45 countries and on six continents. He turned motorcycle riding into a full traveling show that mixed daring feats with vaudeville-style showmanship.
Mossman rode with a sack over his head while using a broomstick to feel his way around a track, shot balloons out of the air while riding, climbed and descended a ladder attached to his motorcycle, and even rode through plate glass and walls of flame. He also used props and performers in coordinated acts, including a sister who rode on his shoulders in some routines.
Mossman also stood out because he was both a stuntman and a legitimate racer. Sources note that he raced flat tracks and speedway in the United States and abroad, and one account says he reached 96.8 miles per hour in Australia in 1937 on a British J.A.P. motorcycle. He worked in a period before standardized safety systems and before motorcycle entertainment had become highly professionalized, so the physical risk was extreme. That made his endurance over a 40-year career especially notable.
