First street track
Place
San Jose, CA
The Garden City Cyclers had a track near the intersections of South First and South Second streets, in San Jose; the First street track. It was smaller, made of gravel, and they had disagreements with the land-owner, so they decided to build a new, cement, larger track.
A committee has been appointed to wait upon Jacob Rich, owner of the First-Street Electric Railway, to encourage him in building a track and the necessary buildings on the line of his road.
San Jose herald, Volume LII, Number 19, 22 January 1892
The annual race meet of the California Division, L. A. W., which was to have been held in Sacramento on July 4th, has been changed to Stockton. Alameda will also hold another meet on the 4th. September 9th is the date the Garden City Cyclers expect to be strictly "in it," as the expression goes, work on their new track will probably commence in about two weeks, and by September 9th it is expected to have the finest track in the State. it will be more circular than the Alameda track, doing away with the sharp turns, which will enable faster time to be made.
All the wheelmen in the State like to come to San Jose, and if they are assured a good track one of the largest bicycle crowds ever seen in California will be assembled here.
It is earnestly hoped the boys will be successful with their track, as it will not only help them, but will be a big advertisement for San Jose. The whole country is becoming interested in wheeling, especially in the Eastern States, and if San Jose gets a good track it will prove a great attraction to Eastern visitors on the 9th and it will do more to advertise the climate and beauties of Santa Clara valley than can be estimated in figures. Consequently it is to their advantage for the business men of San Jose to help the boys out on their track in a financial way.
WHEELING NOTES. - San Jose Mercury-news, Volume XLI, Number 164, 12 June 1892
It is proposed to build a good bicycle track, and have it in readiness for the race meet to be held on Admission day.
The outside racers are already beginning to look forward to the San Jose meet as the best of the season. They all know the reputation the San Jose wheelmen have for entertaining and know that with a good track this can be made the most successful meet ever held in the State. As for a track that is an assured fact, provided the business men of the city stand by the boys. The track was surveyed and staked out during the past week and further progress awaits the success of the Subscription Committee. Undoubtedly there will be a large crowd here on September 9th. Take for instance the races on May 30th, at Alameda. There were about seventy-five persons from San Jose attended.
In San Francisco there are about five hundred wheelmen, members of the different clubs there; Oakland has about two hundred members of different clubs, Alameda has about two hundred and fifty club members, Sacramento has about fifty, Stockton about eighty and Santa Cruz about thirty. We could safely count on one-half of the members of the above cities, and in all probabilities many more that would attend the races here. Roughly figuring we count on having almost one thousand wheelmen here on September 9th, providing the Garden City Cyclers are successful in obtaining a good track.
THE CYCLERS. - San Jose Mercury-news, 19 June 1892
The Garden City Cyclers are having the work on their new track, just south of the junction of First and Second streets and opposite the Pratt Home, pushed as rapidly as possible.
The track will be one of the finest in the State. It will be a quarter-mile track with a radius of 100 feet. The turns will be banked five feet. The surface of the track will be of pulverized slate rock. A grand stand, with a seating capacity of 2500, is to be erected at a cost of about $500. The track will cost $800.
BICYCLE NOTES. - San Jose Mercury-news, 31 July 1892
Pages which link here:
- Garden City Cyclers (← links)
- Garden City Cyclers three-lap cement track (← links)
- BICYCLE NOTES. - San Jose Mercury-news, 31 July 1892 (← links)
- BICYCLERS CONSOLIDATE. - San Jose herald, 22 January 1892 (← links)
- THE CYCLERS. - San Jose Mercury-news, 19 June 1892 (← links)
- WHEELING NOTES. - San Jose Mercury-news, Volume XLI, Number 164, 12 June 1892 (← links)
- WHEELMEN AT SAN JOSE. - The San Francisco Examiner - September 10, 1892 (← links)
