3000 people watch bicycle racing at the Monongahela race track in 1895

The following article is from our local newspaper’s July 11, 1895 edition. I don’t think people today have any idea that bicycling was such a big deal in our town around the turn of the 20th century. Now with the advent of e-bikes (making hilly terrain less of an issue) and the $25,000 PA WalkWorks grant recently awarded to the City of Monongahela, you could say that cycling in Mon City is about to make a big comeback!

Follow the links I embedded in the article below to learn about what a high caliber of athlete attended races at the race track on Pigeon Creek. One member of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, George A. Banker, won a world championship for sprint cycling in France and in 2019 was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame along with cycling luminaries like Greg LeMond and Andy Hamsten. Other members of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club went on to form the first professional football and hockey teams in the U.S.

THE BICYCLE MEET.

Happy Day for Thousands of Pleased People.

THE PERFECT day, utmost good humor, and a lively programme made the bicycle meet great enjoyment. Monongahela put her best foot foremost and left nothing undone to make her visitors hospitably welcome. Flags rainbowed the streets, doors opened to welcome the visitors and everybody wore a smile of good feeling.

The Cycle Club deserves thanks. It gathered in Monongahela an orderly, good-natured crowd; it provided a series of most interesting races, where ladies could go with pleasure, children with supreme enjoyment, and old folks with comfort. The club was square with the people, there was no grab; the people were square with the club, there was no meanness. It was altogether an enjoyable holiday, and a Glorious Fourth.

Our whole people took an outing yesterday. There were excursions and picnics, and Sunday School fern gathering parties, and lots of enjoyment for everybody.

The Monongahela Valley Republican, Monongahela Pa., July 11, 1895

Fully three thousand people saw the bicycle race in the Monongahela Driving Park Thursday afternoon.

The first event, the one-mile novice, was won bv Thornton Barnes, of Connellsville; E. G. Schull of Connellsville, second; A. C. Peterson, Monongahela Cycle Club, third: time, 2:45.

Five-mile handicap C. W. Sheck, Ellsworth Athletic Association, first: H.R. Smith, Pittsburg Century Club, second; P. H. Donnelly, Bradford Athletic Club, third; time, 14:04.

One-mile, boys under 16 years Thornton Barnes, Connellsville, first; Clifford Rosser, Ellsworth Athletic Association, second: A. T. Clutter, Washington, third: time. 2:48.

One mile 2:35 class Paul Nelson, of Pittsburg Athletic Club, first. C. W. Shech, Ellsworth Athletic Association, second, S. S. Roberts, Elizabeth, third, time 3:08.

Three mile local handicap – Peterson first, Yohe, second, Meredith, third, time 8:55.

Two mile open class A Nelson, Pittsburg Athletic Club, first, A. S. Hammer, second, C. W. Sheck, Ellsworth Athletic Association, third, time 6:32.

Ten mile handicap – Nelson. Pittsburg Athletic Club, first. Kearns, Carnegie, second, Rankin, Elizabeth. third, time, 30.30.

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Some Notes.

There are always a few smart Alecs who insist on being in the ring and on the track to the disadvantage of the riders and the displeasure of the onlookers. This sort of people are a disgrace to any public place, but unfortunately the fool killer has not been around lately.

Elizabeth was here in force yesterday, and as usual soon found friends and welcome, for Monongahela and Lizzie are always on good terms. The old gal ought to be satisfied with what she got, winning the ball game and carrying off several bicycle prizes.

Our whole people took an outing yesterday. There were excursions and picnics, and Sunday School fern gathering parties, and lots of enjoyment for everybody.

The fireworks and balloon display and uproar kept up both the night of the 3rd and 4th. The streets were alive with bright sparkles, and the hiss of a rocket was seldom absent from the sky.

There was little betting yesterday, though several rolls of money were flashed about the judge’s stand. A Bentleyville man was heard to say. “I don’t bet. its no good to be $80 in pocket one day and then 80 days out of pocket.” An Elizabeth man said. “Be sure you are right then go ahead, won’t do on a race track, for when a man is sure he is right he generally goes broke.”

There were but two drunken men at the park yesterday – and these two are welcome to the wreaths of shame which bind their brows. People ought not to come to Monongahela to get drunk. This is a temperance town.

Peterson deserves to be classed with the “gamest of the game.” By a superb effort he won one of the most exciting races of yesterday.

Those who won prizes at the races are loud in their praise of the liberality of the M. C. C. [Monongahela Cycle Club] Nothing was given out but the best. The diamonds were large and valuable, the watch an 18-k, and the other articles all first class.

Some of the boys let off an elephant balloon last night and it immediately started over to Pierce’s after raspberries.

Some of the strongest cycle clubs, financially and socially in Western Pennsylvania were represented in the races on Thursday.

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An Accident.

During the Cycle races a drunken man raised a row back of the judges’ stand; a policeman endeavored to quell it, and there was much officious intermeddling. A crowd began to surge and push around the vehicles occupied by ladies to their fright and possible danger. One of the horses began to rear and showed signs of dashing off with the buggy occupied by a lady. She saw the danger, and recognizing the need for prompt action raised her whip and with no unsteady hand belabored the man who seemed to be foremost in the disturbance, cutting his chin and neck so that the fuss was soon over. A few more women of nerve and men will be taught to respect the sex, and not get into the rush line when it is moving toward where ladies are put in danger or apprehension.

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