Carrie Pratt Elwell Could Look Back 90 Years in San Rafael (part
1)
Sat, Jan 16, 1965 – Page 31 ·
Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, California) ·
Newspapers.com
Monday, January 25, 2021
Carrie Pratt Elwell - Could Look Back 90 Years In San Rafael Daughter Of A Pioneer Merchant Recalled Town Of Her Childhood - Daily Independent Journal - 16 Jan 1965, Sat - Pages 31 - 33
Carrie Pratt Elwell Could Look Back 90 Years in San Rafael (part
1)
Sat, Jan 16, 1965 – Page 31 ·
Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, California) ·
Newspapers.com
Sunday, January 24, 2021
A BICYCLE RACE. - The Bay City Club and the Highland Park Club Compete. - Wed, Feb 24, 1886 - Page 3 - Oakland Tribune
Frank D. Elwell Gilroy to Menlo Park record Wed, Feb 24,
1886 – Page 3 ·
Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
A BICYCLE RACE.
The Bay City Club and the Highland Park Club Compete.
An interesting bicycle race occurred on Washington's Birthday, the event being a 50-mile road race from Gilroy to Menlo Park. Teams from the Bay City Club, of San Francisco, and from the Highland Park Club, of Oakland competed for a prize of a bugle, to be won by the club gaining the greatest number of points. There were six entrees, [sic] three from each club. Sunday afternoon nine of the cyclers rode in company from San Jose to Gilroy. Within seven miles of Gilroy a swift, gravely stream obliged eight of the riders to climb a couple of fences and pack their machines on their backs over a railroad trestle. One cycler tried to ford the stream and stood on his head in the middle, much to the hilarity of the rest. The start was made from Gilroy at 7:25 A. M., Monday morning. Elwell and Booth, of the Bay City Club, led the way, closely followed by Churchill and Bowman, of the Highland Park Club, while Tittle and Roseborough [Rosborough] brought up the rear. The railroad bridge was taken by all but one rider, who waded the creek. When 12 miles out of Gilroy, Churchill took a severe tumble, breaking the handle bar from his machine, and thereby putting him out of the contest. The remaining five covered the 50 miles without further accident, arriving at Menlo Park in the following time and order: Elwell, 3:31; Bowman, 3:44; Booth, 3:55; Roseborough, 4:06; Tittle, 4:09. The Bay City Club making 19 points, while the Highland Park made 6. The former club were therefore declared victorious. The best time ever made in this country for 50 miles is 3:29; so considering the railroad bridge to be crossed, and about 10 miles of rough road the time made was good. Elwell, the first in, is a young man, six feet in height, who weighs 175 pounds. He has only been riding a short time, and is considered a phenomenal rider.
Friday, January 22, 2021
The Knave - Sun, Dec 2, 1951 - Page 61 - Oakland Tribune
The Knave Sun, Dec 2, 1951 – Page 61 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.comThe Knave
[I've left out the current politics of 1951, The Knave often led with it, but I don't find it interesting. You can read it in the clipping, above. I came to this page to read about Otto A. Putzker - I'll make another blog post about him - and then found the bicycle article, but the rest of the page is interesting, too, so here it is. If you are interested in bicycle history, do read "More Bicycle Information." - MF]
Subjects: Peter the Hunter, Heroic Mail Carrier, Early Hospital Service, Other Mining Boons, More Bicycle Information, Oakland's Chinatown, Neighborhood Changed, Grain Merchant, Early Commuter, Motoring 40-Odd Years Ago, California Christmas '72
THE WHEEL. - Probable Contestants for the District Championships. - Sun, Apr 27, 1890 - Page 1 - The San Francisco Call
THE WHEEL.
Probable Contestants for the District Championships.
The decision arrived at by the division at its annual meeting last Saturday night to send the winners of the one and three mile division championships to the national meet at Niagara Falls will have the effect of greatly increasing the interest in racing, which, it must be confessed, has rather languished of late. Already there are a dozen men who have their minds made up to go East at the division's expense, and members of the league on this Coast may be very sure of witnessing two exciting races on the 4th of next July at San Jose.
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Bay City Wheelmen's picnic run to Lake Honda, April 13, 1890, San Francisco
This photo made me curious:
It's here; Western Neighborhoods Project - /baycitywheelmen_lagunahonda_1890_chs
I found the story behind it. These editions of THE WHEEL (San Francisco Call) and The Wheelmen (San Francisco Chronicle) are in chronological order. Some interesting bits in here; the safety (our modern bicycle) is gaining acceptance and popularity as the ordinary (we call it a penny farthing) begins to fade. The ordinary riders called the safeties "goats," that's new to me. 'Jo-Jo, the dog-faced man, rides a safety.' I'm always happy to see any mention of women on bikes in these old articles. And J. J. Bliss retiring; a big deal. And the picnic looks, and sounds like it was a lot of fun.
Monday, January 18, 2021
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Big Wheels - Fifty-Mile Bicycle Race - The Knave - Sun, Nov 18, 1951 - Page 73 - Oakland Tribune
Knave Sun, Nov 18, 1951 – Page 73 ·
Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
Big Wheels
Alex Rosborough continues his story of early-day athletes. Last week he told of yachting and crew competition. In step with these, other athletic activities came; the old time velocipede had developed into the big wheel bicycle, with its little wheel following behind (and even a reverse of this principle, in one called the "Star") and its introduction so successful that many bicycle clubs were being organized, like the Bay City Wheelmen, of San Francisco, and the Highland Park Wheelmen, of Oakland, and competition between the best riders in these clubs was very keen, which resulted in the arrangement of a 50-mile race, between the two, from Gilroy through San Jose to Palo Alto to be ridden by four men picked from each club, and the club winning to be determined by the total points obtained, on the basis of eight points for first man to arrive in Palo Alto, seven points for second, etc.: the prize: a big dinner, at Palo Alto, at the close of the race.
Fifty-Mile Bicycle Race
"There were no paved highways in those days, in some places the best to be had was a macadamized road, but the jump between these stretches was far. The members picked by the Highland Park Wheelmen were J. P. Churchill, who rode a 56-inch diameter wheel; Alex Ireland, with a 54; Alex J. Rosborough a 54 and Frank Blinn a 52; while the Bay City Wheelman had selected a big and powerful-legged rider named Elwell, who rode a 58-inch wheel, (and as I remember Cooke, [Cook] Zeigler and Davis), each riding a 54. The general opinion seemed to be that Elwell would capture first place, but the Oakland boys figured that even if he did they could win on points. So the riders went away from Los Gatos to a good start and humping over the handlebars, got into the long grind. All went well as the big wheels pinged over a rock or a rough spot, until approaching San Jose, when Churchill, who was pressing Elwell hard, hit a rough spot and grounded. He waved all on, calling out that he was not hurt, and made his way to a watering trough to wash the blood out of his eyes, and then, though out of the race, came on to join at the fine banquet. When the jolly fine banquet was finished, Churchill, Blinn and Rosborough rode back to San Jose and then back to Oakland, making it 120 miles for the day,"
THE CYCLING WORLD - World Championships - San Francisco Chronicle, 08 Jul 1893, Sat, Page 11
NEW YORK, July 1. - Chicago during the coming month will be the Mecca for the wheelmen of the world. Indeed I may safely say that not during the present century will there be such a congregation of famous bicyclists. Elaborate přeparations have been going on for months for the international races, and indications point to a brilliant meeting. The contests for the championships are bound to be highly exciting, for the attention of the whole cycling world will be focused on the races, and the cracks of several countries who will be pitted against each other will readily recognize their chance to make or lose a reputation. I do not think I am wrong in saying that more than one record will be broken, as the conditions will be all in the favor of the men.
THE CYCLING WORLD - OLD TIME RACING MEN. - Sat, Jul 8, 1893 – Page 11 · San Francisco Chronicle
CYCLING WORLD
W. G. Davis
F. D. Elwell Sat, Jul 8, 1893 – Page 11 · San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) · Newspapers.com
 |
| A GROUP OF SPEEDY RACERS OF SEVERAL YEARS AGO. |
OLD TIME RACING MEN.
Cracks Who Won Their Spurs Before the Safety Bicycle Appeared.
Friday, January 15, 2021
Thursday, January 14, 2021
THE BICYCLE. - A Remonstrance and an Appeal for the Protection of the Velocipede - Oakland Tribune, 20 Apr 1876, Thu - Page 3
THE BICYCLE.
A Remonstrance and an Appeal for the Protection of the Velocipede
EDITOR TRIBUNE: I noticed last night, while perusing the columns of your welcome paper, that the attention of our City Fathers has been called by a number of our prominent citizens to the monstrous nuisance occasioned by the classic velocipede. Poor bicycle is probably doomed to prohibition. His pretensions to even so small a portion of our wide avenues cannot be entertained by some of our solid men, who, comfortably seated behind a pair of fleet horses, deign not to condescend to occasionally slacken their breakneck gait, in order to allow the humble vehicle to pass. And yet where is the great evil? where are the frightful accidents that have been occasioned by this poor man's buggy? The velocipede has been and is to the present day more or less used in most if not all of the great cities in the world, and while carriage accidents are of almost daily occurrence, I am yet to hear of one that has been the result of this cause. In Paris and London, hundreds of velocipedes are running day and night all through the densest parts of these cities, and even letter carriers are officially furbished one of these instruments. In San Francisco velocipedes are suffered in all the streets, and I have hundreds of times run the whole length of Kearny street, passing in front of the City Hall, without a complaint from, or inconvenience to any one. But our Oakland patricians cannot be incommodated even in thought. The road is theirs and poor people may consider themselves happy to run for their lives, from their dashing equipages.
Hoping that with your usual impartiality, you will publish these few lines, I remain, dear sir, very truly yours,
A VELOCIPEDIST.
[This might have been written by George H. Strong. This is the first mention of "bicycle" I could find in the Oakland Tribune archives. The paper was founded Feb 21, 1874. - MF]
Monday, January 11, 2021
CHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE - Grant Bell Wins the Road Race of the Acme Club. - Preparations for the Thanksgiving Day - Events at San Jose - Close of the League Campaign. - The San Francisco Call, 14 Nov 1892, Mon - Page 2
CHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE
Grant Bell Wins the Road Race of the Acme Club.
Preparations for the
Thanksgiving Day
Events at San Jose - Close of the League Campaign.
The twenty-five-mile road race of the Acme Club of Oakland was run yesterday over the San Leandro triangle, and proved to be the event of the season so far as time over a country highway is concerned. There were seven starters, as follows: Grant Bell, Faulkner, Pickard and Bouton, scratch; Harris, seven minutes; Cobley and Smith, eleven minutes. On the first lap of the triangle (eight and one-third miles) Bouton fell out, and as the end of the second lap was reached it was plainly seen that Bell, Pickard and Faulkner outclassed the other men, who showed signs of exhaustion. On the homestreteh Grant Bell drew away from all his competitors, finishing a good first in 1 hour 20 min. 43 sec., beating the coast record made by Foster last Sunday in the Bay City's race. Harris was second and Pickard third. Foster's time over the same course was 1 hour 21 min. 10 sec., both this and Bell's score being near the American record for the distance. It is only fair to say, however, that Foster was not pushed. Although he was the only scratch man and some of the others were given ten minutes' limit he easily won both the race and the time prize. Bell's friends will be glad to know that he is again in good form. Grant and Walter are an almost invincible team and Varney can afford to wear a rooster in his hat.
CHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE. - The San Francisco Club and What It Has Done. - Results of Yesterday's Races - The Coming League Meet - Ladies Who Ride the Wheel. - The San Francisco Call, 25 Apr 1892, Mon - Page 8
CHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE. Mon, Apr 25, 1892 – Page 8 ·
The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United
States of America)
· Newspapers.comCHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE.
The San Francisco Club and What It Has Done.
Results of Yesterday's Races - The Coming League Meet - Ladies Who Ride the Wheel.
First in point of age among existing organizations of wheelmen in the United
States is the San Francisco Bicycle Club, which was formed on December 13,
1878. The charter members were:
Ralph de Clairmont,
George H. Strong, ex-Governor
George C. Perkins, Howard B. Land, John B. Golly, William M. Fuller, G. L. Cunningham, Fred
G. Blinn and C. L. Barnett. At that time bicycles were not allowed in
Golden Gate Park; but the club prevailed on the commissioners to permit its members to
enter the park at Stanyan street and ride on the south drive as far as
Strawberry Hill before
10 o'clock in the forenoon and after 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
Saturday, January 9, 2021
FIRST BIKE ON THE COAST. - The San Francisco Examiner 04 Aug 1895, Sun Page 18
Sun, Aug 4, 1895 – 18 · The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America) · Newspapers.comTHE FIRST BIKE ON THE COAST.
It Belonged to Colonel Ralph de Clairmont, and Came Here in 1876.
Thomas Stevens finishes his around-the-world bicycle journey in San Francisco, January 8, 1887.
From Wikipedia:
He wrote a book in two volumes, Around the World on a Bicycle: From San Francisco to Teheran and Around the World on a Bicycle: From Teheran to Yokohama in 1887. I stumbled across this local reporting of his ride's finish. It's worth a read. Prejudices of the day are apparent in the text. What's most exciting for me is that I was able to correlate some photos I found on-line with his visit; they're specifically mentioned in one of the newspaper articles below. These articles are in chronological order, from his arrival in San Francisco after finishing his round the world journey (which began in Oakland in April 1885, almost two years earlier) through to his departure to the east, still the center of American culture and business in 1887, and where he'd go on to profit from his adventure.
Thomas Stevens (born 24 December 1854, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England,[1] died London,[2] 24 January 1935, aged 80) was the first person to circle the globe by bicycle. He rode a large-wheeled Ordinary, also known as a penny-farthing, from April 1884 to December 1886.[3] He later searched for Henry Morton Stanley in Africa, investigated the claims of Indian ascetics and became manager of the Garrick Theatre in London.
He wrote a book in two volumes, Around the World on a Bicycle: From San Francisco to Teheran and Around the World on a Bicycle: From Teheran to Yokohama in 1887. I stumbled across this local reporting of his ride's finish. It's worth a read. Prejudices of the day are apparent in the text. What's most exciting for me is that I was able to correlate some photos I found on-line with his visit; they're specifically mentioned in one of the newspaper articles below. These articles are in chronological order, from his arrival in San Francisco after finishing his round the world journey (which began in Oakland in April 1885, almost two years earlier) through to his departure to the east, still the center of American culture and business in 1887, and where he'd go on to profit from his adventure.
 |
| More about this photo, below. |
Saturday, January 2, 2021
1888 GOLDEN GATE PARK 5 CENT TICKET, BICYCLE, GOAT OR DONKEY RIDE SAN FRANCISCO
I saw this on Ebay:
1888 GOLDEN GATE PARK 5 CENT TICKET, BICYCLE, GOAT OR DONKEY RIDE SAN FRANCISCO
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