Carltonator
Finally riding a big boys bike
I recently picked up this finish-line photo. I wanted it because of the triplet coming across the finish-line…and the fact it’s of a finish line and observation tower…and because of all the pageantry, i.e. the bunting and flags across the track. There isn’t much to go on in the picture to determine the where and when…but on the back in longhand is written:
“Bicycle Races
Springfield Mass.
About 1892”
So that was huge…The town of Springfield will always be famous in bicycle and motorcycle lore for where George Hendee, who retired from racing in 1892, same year on this photo, produced Indian bicycles and motorcycles at 41-43 Taylor Street in Springfield in 1895, according Wikipedia …Moreover I learned there was a well-known bicycle racing track in Springfield called Hampden Park, (also known as Pynchon Park, and League Park, where the Harvard Yale football game was played from 1889-1894) …which by the way…although the track is no longer there, burned down in 1960’s…it was located longitude and latitude wise 42.1102°N 72.6103°W, at approximately what is today 77 West street in Springfield…about 1.6 miles from George Hendee’s Taylor street operation… Anyway…after much searching newspapers from the 1892 era I found a small quote in a story in the September 16th 1892 Hartford Courant that seems to describe this photo…
To back up a little…I was a bit puzzled by the photo because the triplet is seen at full speed about a foot from the finish-line...but no other bikes…best I could figure is they dusted the other racers by many lengths…However…at the end of that September 16th 1892 Hartford Courant story is a small mention that perhaps explains it:
September 16th 1892 Hartford Courant, Page 1, Titled: TYLER IN THE LEAD
QUOTE:
“The two Murphy brothers, with A.L. Baker, rode an exhibition mile on a triplet safety and made new records for all distances, the mile being run at 2:14.”
The story references the race as: “The Springfield”…as if readers were familiar…So I would speculate it was a major race…and that would be consistent with the pageantry of the bunting and flags…The crowd seems to look tame, not all excited like they would watching the final moments of a race…Directly in front of the bike you see the guy with white pants sitting on the barrier…next to him on the right is a guy with his arm leaning on the barrier and next to him appears to be a black gentleman half sitting on the barrier legs extended…They’re body language doesn’t look like they’re excited…more like casual interest…of an exhibition…
My next question is who were these “Murphy brothers and A.L. Banker…I’ve not been able to find reference…Unless one of them is Charles "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy...If you look real close I think I can make out “Murphy” tattooed on the rear riders shoulder…just kidding…
Last question…does anyone know the meaning of the numbers 10106 above the bunting on the observation tower…
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