It was cousins Everett Cushman and Clinton Cushman, who were the creators of the Cushman scooter.

With limited money and working out of their basement, the cousins focused on improving light-weight, 2-cycle engines. The greatest drawback of these engines were significant power loss. So the cousins perfected a new type of seal to prevent the compression leaks that caused the power loss in the small engines. For their effort, they were awarded a patent in 1902 and filed articles of incorporation as the Cushman Motor Company with the Nebraska Secretary of State.

Their first engines were on farm applications, but they were struggling to make a living. So, being fond of boating, they competed for a prize for the fastest boat powered by a single-cylinder motor. Modifying their 2-cycle engine into a high output boat engine won the competition. Because the Cushman marine engine was known for it's reliability, the overall demand was not large enough to make Cushman a major manufacturer. They continued to expand into the farm market for stationary engines.

Again, having financial problems, they reorganized and brought in Everett Brown Sawyer. He combined a salesman's enthusiasm with an engineering background He quickly turned the Cushman Motor Company into a profitable business. The company developed a new 4-cycle, high speed, water-cooled engine.

 Farmers used the Cushman engines to power corn pickers, grain binders, potato diggers, and farm sprayers. They renamed the company to "Cushman Motor Works, Inc."

Their first engines were on farm applications, but they were struggling to make a living. So, being fond of boating, they competed for a prize for the fastest boat powered by a single-cylinder motor. Modifying their 2-cycle engine into a high output boat engine won the competition. Because the Cushman marine engine was know for it's reliability, the overall demand was not large enough to make Cushman a major manufacturer. They continued to expand into the farm market for stationary engines.

Again having financial problems, they reorganized and brought in Everett Brown Sawyer. He combined a salesman's enthusiasm with an engineering background. He quickly turned the Cushman Motor Company into a profitable business. The company developed a new 4-cycle, high speed, water-cooled engine.

Farmers used the Cushman engines to power corn pickers, grain binders, potato diggers, and farm sprayers. They renamed the company to "Cushman Motor Works, Inc."

In 1922 they developed a 2-cycle, air-cooled engine for washing machines, small pumps, and lawn mowers. That was impractical and was replaced by a similar 4-cycle air-cooled engine, the Cushman "Husky".

Approximately in 1935, Cushman bid on supplying scooter engines to a California-based Motorglide Two Wheel Scooter Company. They lost the bid, but by October 1936, the first Cushman scooter prototype was ready and production got underway. It was a simple step-thru. They claimed they got 120 miles to the gallon.