Alameda Cycle Park track

From Wooljersey

See also Alameda Bicycle Club, Schuetzen Park and Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club

Place

Alameda, CA

Map of the City of Oakland and Surroundings, 1888
http://www.georeferencer.com/compare#124346280843
http://www.pacificng.com/ge/of-spc1886-byjohnhall.kmz

A California Track Opened.

The Alameda B. C. track in Schuetzen Park, San Francisco was opened May 30. It has four laps, thirty feet wide, with banks six feet high, built on the plan of the Herne Hill track.

Bearings: The Cycling Authority of America. (1892). United States: Bearings Publishing Company.

The largest procession of cyclists ever held on the Pacific slope formed on the corner of Park street and Encinal avenue, in Alameda, at noon yesterday, and proceeded from thence to the new grounds of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club in Schuetzen Park. It was the opening of the club's new quarters, and clubmen of all kinds and from all points assembled to witness a fine bicycling programme. It was announced that on the new track it would be possible to break all previous coast records, as its finishing surface, or skin, as the experts call it, is a new departure, which was discovered purely through an accident. It is composed of a paste or cement made from "shale," a kind at pulverized lime, which was secured at the Oakland gashouse. This gives a good hard, smooth surface, and stood well the test which it underwent yesterday. The grounds were in excellent condition, and an almost perfect view of the track can be had from any portion of the park.

Opening of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club track at Schuetzen park - San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 1892

The Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club is pushing to the front with good men and a good track of five laps to the mile, thirty feet wide, banked to six feet at the turns.

The Overland Monthly, Volume 19, 1892

An open declaration of war between the Bay City Wheelmen of San Francisco and the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club, of Alameda, Cal., has been made. The Division meet was given under the auspices of the Bay City Wheelmen and the A. B. & A. C. gave another on the same date with the avowed intention of making a failure of the Division meet. Since then relations have been strained and the other clubs of the state have taken up the gauntlet thrown down by the A. B. & A. C. and have nominated a Division ticket which totally ignores the latter club. The end is not yet and the L.A.W. authorities may have to take a hand in the matter.

Over 2000 people witnessed the races on the track of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club yesterday afternoon. Three times this number of citizens of our pretty suburban neighbour saw the parade of wheelmen in the morning and went wild over the unique lantern procession in the evening. But those who attended the races were the most pleased, for they were treated to several surprises, and were also enabled to record the lowering of several coast records. The track was in excellent condition, but the weather was not up to the usual Alameda standard. The officers of the club had apparently trusted to luck, without attempting to square things beforehand with Lieutenant Finley. Hence they were oppressed with an overcast sky and a speed-reducing breeze. Nevertheless, no complaints were made, and the only thing to be regretted was the absence of the picturesquely attired band which was seen so much and heard so little in Decoration day.

San Francisco Call, Volume 72, Number 35, 5 July 1892 - Bicycle Races in Various Parts of the State

The Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club will give a ball in the pavilion in Cycle Park on next Monday evening. A big attendance is already assured. By the way, the members of the ladies' annex of this club, nearly fifty in number, have joined the League of American Wheelmen. Wouldn't it be well to change this name to the league of American cyclists. Even lady wheelmen have rights which should be respected.

CHAT ABOUT THE CYCLE - Grant Bell Wins the Road Race of the Acme Club. - The San Francisco Call, Nov 14, 1892

CONSIDERING the many counter attractions of yesterday in the way of aquatic and athletic sports, the race meeting of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club at the track of this club yesterday proved a grand success. In fact it was one of the most enjoyable athletic outings that has taken place in Alameda for many months.

All that was required to make the occasion doubly brilliant was the smashing of records, and so far as this was concerned the representatives of the club can feel satisfied.

Better racing could not possibly have been desired, although the finishes in some of the heats were not as close as had been expected.

The spirited music of the park band was greatly enjoyed by the contesting wheelmen, and the ladies, who were sheltered


THE START IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT.

from the rays of the sun, were particularly pleased.

The club has been placed on a good footing financially by the success of the meeting, and extra attractions will be added to the grounds so as to make them perfect in every particular and equal in point of beauty to any of the bicycle grounds of America. It was estimated that 3000 people were present yesterday when the first race was called.

BUZZING WHEELS. - The Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club Meet. - The San Francisco Call, 31 May 1893

ALAMEDA CYCLERS.

The Encinal Club is in Financial Difficulties.

ALAMEDA, January 14. - The Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club is on its last legs. Two years ago it was organized and had upon its rolls upwards of 150 members, and now only about forty cyclers remain in the organization.

The present officers are: George H. Mastick, President; Ed Rue, Vice-President: W. J. Robinson, Secretary; Clyde Conkey, Treasurer: Charles Bane, Captain: Ed Rue, George Mastick, Jesse Iver, A. L. Hickox, R. M. Welch and R. Finkler, Directors.

The club grounds and track are located near Encinal Park station. The land is owned by Charles Dann of San Francisco and the Encinal Land Company of this city has a lease of it for five years at the rental of $40 per month. The track and grounds have been improved by the club at an expense of nearly $2,000, and it seems hard to surrender them. The club has many outstanding debts and these must be met in a few weeks.

A meeting of the remnant of the once-flourishing bicycle club and the Encinal Land Company will be held on next Tuesday evening, and an endeavor will be made to make arrangements whereby the club may retain possession of its track and grounds. If no agreement can be made this old club will be disbanded and a new one organized.

Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club is on its last legs; financial difficulties 15 Jan 1894, Mon The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com

The Reliance Club should at once rebuild the Alameda bicycle track as a three lap, and thus be able to use it for the tournaments that will be run here this season.

The quarter-mile track on the grounds of the late Alameda Athletic and Bicycle Club has a good surface and is well built, but the turns are bad, and as the Reliance Club has decided to rebuild the track it should do so at once. If it was ready now the eastern cracks who are expected out here could use it to train on.

Alameda is the only proper place hereabout for a bicycle track and the grounds there are perfectly located for convenience, speed and utility. There is always too much wind in San Francisco, and when the wind does not bother the fog does. The Midwinter Fair track is only an experiment or make-shift, that will at the most be available for only scrub tryouts after the Fair is over, and Oakland has no probability of a track, so that Alameda has everything in its favor.

ECHOES OF THE RELAY RACE. - The Victorious Garden Citys and Their Speedy Men. - MIDWINTER FAIR TRACK. - San Francisco Examiner, 14 Apr 1894

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