Al Col
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- familysearch: Alfonse G. Col - February 1864 - Deceased
- ancestry: ALPHONSE GEORGES FERDINAND COL - BIRTH 26 FEB 1864 • St Etienne de Cuines, Savoie, France - DEATH Unknown
- newspapers: February 10, 1935
Brother of P. E. Col
His last name is often misspelled "Cole" or "Coe."
Santa Clara County Biographies - ALPHONSE G. COL
Clubs
The net was a half-mile handicap, with a coast record of 1:22. The starter were: W. G. Davis, scratch: J. E. Hickenbotham. twenty-five yards; C. W. Hammer, twenty-five yards; T. W. Gilmour, fifty yards; W. T. Durant, seventy yards; Al Col, seventy-five yards, and L. C. Black, unattached, seventy-five yards. Al Col won in 1:20 2-5, breaking the coast record, Hammer second, Durant third.
The Bicycle Races at Stockton. - San Francisco Chronicle, 05 Jul 1889
The Garden City Wheelmen of San Jose, who have been very successful in carrying off prizes at all the tournaments given this year, will enter several new men besides Julius and Henry Smith and Al. Col, each of whom has won two or more prizes during the year.
THE WHEELMEN. - The Napa Register, 25 Oct 1889
A. Col is a short distance racer and is recognized as such. As evidence he has some elegant medals.
...
All arrangements for the tournament to he held in July have been completed. Geo. F. Drake of Oakland. Thos. Hill of San Francisco. Allen C. Wagener, Al Col and A. C. McKenney, the Committee on Arrangements have secured the grounds on Autumn and Julian streets, and will have a first-class track laid, and will erect a grand stand accommodating 1000 guests.
San Jose Mercury-news, Volume XXXVII, Number 132, 12 May 1890
The league country run will be repeated this year, a committee having been appointed at the meeting last night to arrange the details. The expense will be borne by subscriptions from the members likely to participate. The committee consists of Joseph G. Cox and L. G. Hodgkins of San Francisco and Al Col of San Jose. Any communications may be addressed to Mr. Cox, chairman, 421 Front street.
The Wheelmen. - San Francisco Chronicle, 09 Mar 1891
The century run to San Jose yesterday brought out some thirty odd wheelmen. The arrangements made by Messrs. Cox, Hodgkins and [[Al Col|Col] were most excellent, but the fact that most of the city riders have been over the road many a time before and fully realize what that head wind means may perhaps account for the small number of riders.
The Wheelmen. - San Francisco Chronicle, 01 Jun 1891
The Garden City Cyclers, an organization which numbers among its members some of the best racing men on the coast, was formed on the 13th of last January by a combination of the old Cyclers and the Garden City Wheelmen. The new club has flourished from the beginning and has done much to sustain interest in the sport to which its members are so devoted. The club has comfortable apartments on a prominent street which are seldom deserted. There is a parlor with two large bay-windows and a corner fireplace with an elegant hard wood mantel and plate-glass mirror, two billiard-rooms-each with its table and a directors' or officers' room - also a bathroom for training purposes. The rooms are lighted by both gas and electricity. 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 fleur-de-lis has been adopted by the club as its distinctive emblem. The present officers of the club are as follows: J. B. Lamkin, president; J. A. Desimone, vice-president; J. L. Bothwell, secretary-treasurer; board of directors - G. A. Morrill, Y. D. Hensill, Al Col, C. D. Smith, F. P. Black und E. Williston; C. N. Ravlin, captain; R. O. Summers, first lieutenant; F. S. Munn, second lieutenant; W. W. Feedham, bugler; J. A. Delmas, color-bearer.
There will be a road race to-morrow from San Jose to Gilroy (thirty miles) between teams from four prominent business houses there. The first rider to arrive in Gilroy scores 20 points, the second 19, and so on, the last rider scoring one point. The make-up of the teams is as follows: From T. W. Hobson & Co. - H. P. Peoples, Charles George, W. A. Rogers, Ed Williston and J. W. McCauly; from the City Store - D. G. Thornton, A. M. Turel, R. W. Katy, Thomas Welch and Al G. Col; from A. L. Brassy Co. - A. Brassy, R. Brassy. A. E. Johnstone, Joseph Jury and E. Reynaud: from T. W. Spring & Sons - A. Pedemunte, F. Chararia, W. K. Jamison, E. P. Meyer and Charles J. Sullivan. The officials will be: Referee, J. A. Desimone; starter, G. A. Howes; judges - H. M. N. Spring, E. Turel, P. E. Col and W. Hobson. The start will be made from the corner of Market and Santa Clara streets at 8:45 A. M., finishing at the Williams Hotel, Gilroy. The teams are very evenly matched and a good race should result.
The Wheelmen - The San Francisco Call, 25 May 1895
THE above cut is a reproduction of a photograph of A. G. Col, taken 20 years ago, when the sport of cycling was in its infancy. Mr. Col is at present the president of the A. G. Col Company, and is a very prosperous and well-known merchant, and is not unknown politically, having served as County Auditor before going into the commission business, However, the above photograph represents a period in his career when he was known to everyone simply as "Al." The medal on the front of his racing suit indicates that he met with considerable success on the cycle path. At this time Mr. Col was an employee in the City store.
His long, sinewy form was a familiar sight on the old quarter-mile cycle track which the Garden City Wheelmen constructed years ago on South First street, at the junction of Second street. This track was torn up several years ago. Mr. Col also raced with considerable success on the Central Park track in San Francisco and also in Stockton and Alameda.
San Jose Mercury-news, Volume LXXIV, Number 68, 8 March 1908
