1866–1933
BIRTH 1866 • Portage, Ohio, USA
DEATH 30 AUG 1933 • San Francisco, California, USA
Clubs
Not sure he was a member of a local club.
The fifth race, a half-mile, was won by W. F. Knapp In 1:30, W. H. Wetmore second, and K. A. Pardee, of Akron, third.
First mention of W. F. Knapp in a bicycle race 20 May
1885, Wed
The New York Times (New York, New York) Newspapers.com
......Wilbur F. Knapp and "Senator" Morgan, who raced abroad last year in the American team, when they won 102 out of an actual 109 scratch races.Knapp says he will possibly lower all coast records on Sunday in the handicap races, as he will start from the scratch in the two handicaps in which the five members of the team take part. Since starting from Omaha twenty eight races have been won by Jennie Oaks out of 33 races run by the three ladies, and in every race the manager, John J Hardin of baseball fame, offers special inducements for each rider to win. Mr. Knapp would like to get in a race with a trotter for five miles, and would like to wager $500 that he can defeat any Stockton trotter at five miles. The local amateurs will probably escort the visitors to the ball park on Sunday and take part in two of the races....Wilbur F. Knapp, of Denver, professional champion of the world, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1866; weight, 155 pounds in racing trim, and stands 5 feet 9 inches in height. Won the following championships: State championship of Ohio, 1885-6; amateur championship of America in 1886-7; professional championship of the world, 15 and 20 miles, Leicester and Birmingham, England, June, 1884; championship of France, Bordeaux, France, 1888; five championships of the world. Hartford, Conn. and Buffalo, NY, September, 1888; forty eight hour championship of the world, Omaha, Nebraska, March, 1889. Can be matched to race any man living, from 1 to 100 miles, for $1,000.
Of all the interesting visitors who are here for the bicycle races there are none that eclipse Wilbur Funny Knapp. A decade ago he was as great a man on the bicycle path as E. C. Bald is now. In fact Knapp was the first American wheelman to become champion of the world. Today few wheelmen know that the humorous storytelling Knapp was ever a racer. For the past two years he has been in great demand as an announcer at race meets and today will see him decked out in his white suit with his white megaphone telling the spectators' about the races, and who won them, in his own funny way. Knapp arrived late Tuesday night, and the crowd at the smoker looked in vain for him nearly an hour. Fay Stephenson will aid him in the announcing on the circuit.
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| WILBUR KNAPP AS HE USED TO ANNOUNCE. |
Wilbur Knapp, another old-time professional. Is a whisky salesman on the Pacific coast.
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