33. The Small Town Motorcycle Rally That Went Off the Rails
In the 1930s, the small town of Hollister, California, began hosting an annual Fourth of July motorcycle rally known as a Gypsy Tour. Such tours were innocent affairs that typically revolved around social activities, motorcycle races, and partying. Gypsy tours were canceled during WWII, but in 1947, Hollister let it be known that its annual motorcycle rally was back on.
Unfortunately, the good people of Hollister had not reckoned with the dramatic increase in motorcycle popularity, or the changed demographics of motorcycle enthusiasts. Hollister was about to host thousands more bikers than it had expected. Many were nothing like the wholesome motorcyclists with whom the townspeople had dealt before the war, being both younger and rowdier. As seen below, the result was chaos.