Help identify this old bike

Went shopping at the landfill the other day and pulled this out because it looked old. I realized that the upper cross tube went nice and low like the old Schwinn step through bikes. I've been thinking about doing a build on a 24" bike for a smaller person, maybe a lady so I'm thinking maybe this one. It has been painted along the way so there are no decals to help identify it. The chain guard is distinctive if anybody recognizes it. Front fork is like the one on my 34 Elgin. Rim width is 1.175. The bike is heavy and appears to be well made. Serial # is 5H237115 and was located next to the rear axle on the left hand side... on the dropout I think it's called. Can anybody help?
Silverbear

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Someday when I grow up I will probably lose interest in toys with wheels, but until then...

My guess is "Roadmaster".

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

Yea, looks like an older version Schwinn I got my fenders from.

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it's definitely not a schwinn. you can tell by the welds. from the rear triangle, it looks like a Hawthorne, but it could be a number of different brands, all made by Cleveland Welding. i don't think the chainguard belongs, but i dunno, i can't recall seeing one like that before. front chainrings are usually a good way to figure out bikes, but yours is just a standard Wald sprocket, that were found on tons of bikes back then.

date-wise, i'd say maayyybe, late 50's, early 60's.

what kind of coaster brake does it have? any other brand names on the rims, or anywhere else?

I think bairdco may have nailed it 24" Wards Hawthorn Girls Bike

Definatly close

I agree that it isn't a Schwinn. I don't recall seeing a front fork like that on any Schwinn I've seen. I don't recognize the chain guard either and until I start stripping the paint (if I choose to work with this bike) I won't know if it belongs or not. I'm guessing there were three major brands of bicycle in this area in times past. Schwinn and the offerings of Sears and Wards. The front fork looks like some I've seen on JC Higgins and even older Elgin bikes. I'm less familiar with the Hawthorne models, but I think you could well be right. I'm sure there was a Wards mail order catalog store around here. Lots of bikes were sold by mail order back when in rural areas. Wards and Sears catalogs were the great wish books.
I've been cruising eBay to see if anything looks the same. It's that chain guard thats bugging me. The coaster brake is Bendix. I'll look tomorrow to see if there's anything on the wheels. I kind of like it and can see a HT motor sitting down low on that frame. I was thinking the same thing... 50's to early 60's.
SB

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Someday when I grow up I will probably lose interest in toys with wheels, but until then...

i'm curious as to how those women's... i mean "step-through," bikes hold up with an engine on them. i've had a few old girl's... i mean "drop bar," bikes like that before, and they would wobble like crazy just pedaling them around. riding standing up, i could shake the handlebars back and forth, and the whole bike would shimmy like a wave going through it.

definitely wouldn't hold up to the abuse i put on my bikes.

They hold up quite well actually.. i built one..

So far my only experience is with 63 Schwinn Americans and both have been solid bikes. On the other hand I just ride them on either paved or logging roads and watch what I'm doing. Mine are not mountain bikes so I try to be fairly careful. I don't know, I suppose I'm pretty easy on a bike. I'll be doing a build on a 39 Elgin step through this winter so my 'research' will continue. Part of my interest in step through models is that being an elder I would like to do builds for kids my own age. Most will not be doing jumps or trying to go as fast as possible. Mounting the bike is an issue for elders. I also want it be be comfortable to ride, good brakes, easy to start.
SB

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Someday when I grow up I will probably lose interest in toys with wheels, but until then...

do to the shadow left by the headtube badge I would say its a jc higgans,although most of the unidentifyable bikes I get from the trash I tend to brand as a crappymccraperton ltd.