| This Issue: |
|
Home Arts Forum News Sports |
| External Links: |
|
Bates.edu Dining Services Garnet Gateway Bates Catalog Bates Daily Bates Facebook Bates Handbook Bates Search Bates Webmail TheFacebook.com Weather |
The incident was featured in a book reviewed in almost every major paper, entitled "Bicycle: The History" by the Yale University Press. In the beginning of 1869, bicycles then called Velocipedes became all the rage. Never had people been able to have that type of personal mobility offered by the Velocipede. Previous to this invention, if somebody wanted to go somewhere, they took the train, rode a horse or walked. With the Velocipede a type of freedom was unleashed. All over the country in cities from New York to California, riding schools and so-called 'riding rinks' opened up. These were equipped with Velocipedes for people to rent. As with most new inventions, the Velocipede in 1869 was not cheap: according to an ad in the Lewiston Evening Journal they cost at least $75 (in 1869 dollars) to acquire. At that time virtually no one knew how to balance on a bicycle, so it was necessary to have the training schools, thus beginning a tradition that has been passed down ever since: learning to balance on two wheels.
A bicycle race today may not sound like that big of a deal, (although look at the likes of Lance Armstrong), but at that time it was literally the main event in town, even more popular than baseball. The Lewiston Evening Journal described the race as the following on May 4.
"Shaw and Hilton's rink (which was right next to Town Hall) was crowded to its utmost capacity Monday evening at the race for a silver ice pitcher. Thirteen entries were made for the race, but four riders, crossing the rope which was the inside line of the track, were ruled out. The following is a list of those who rode with the time they made, the distance being seven turns around the rink, outside a line. Whose length was 194 feet â€" the distance really ridden being about 200 feet each turn, or 1400 feet total.
M.F. Savage (6 ? turns) 1m. 14s
Jackson Lewis, 1m. 13s
J.A. Swett 1m. 18s
E.B. Coburn ( fell on fourth turn)
A.B. Hodgdon 1m 14s
J.H. Jordan 1m 17s
L.C. Burbank 1m. 19s
Walter Hartwell 1m. 16s
Frank Kilgore 1m. 15s
The Prize was therefore awarded to Jackson Lewis (colored) who, taking off his hat, made a low bow and walked off triumphant with the pitcher under his arm, amid great applause." (May 4, 1869)
The Velocipede craze came and went and by 1870 the excitement died down, although by 1878, cycling was very popular again in America, and in 1890 bicycle racing was arguably the most popular sport in America. However here is a rather unique case: there were other African-American Velocipedists, but this is possibly the first instance of an African-American winning an integrated bicycle race in the United States. And it happened in Lewiston, Maine.