The Brooklyn Cycling Tradition

[Traffic at Grand Army Plaza], 1880 ca., V1974.7.60; Adrian Vanderveer Martense collection. ARC.191; Brooklyn Historical Society

May is Bike Month, so I would be remiss not to devote my latest blog post to the history of cycling in Brooklyn.  Luckily, the bulk of the records of Brooklyn’s Corporation Counsel are from the 1890s, which just so happens to coincide with American’s first “bike boom.” The boom was the result of the invention of the modern “safety bicycle” in the 1880s, which replaced the penny-farthing (or big-wheel) bikes of mid-19^th century.[i]  Soon the streets of Brooklyn were flush with cyclists (or wheelmen, as they were often referred). The first bike path in the United States was constructed in Brooklyn, running along Ocean Parkway, from Prospect Park to Coney Island[ii]. Cycling clubs flourished, and they counted several of Brooklyn’s elite amongst their members. Michael Furst, who served as Assistant Corporation Counsel throughout the 1890s, was an officer of the Associated Cycling Clubs of Long Island, an organization which consisted of over 20 Brooklyn cycling clubs.

Associated Cycling Clubs of Long Island letterhead. Legal Notes, 1897. Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records, 2013.015; Brooklyn Historical Society

Although it’s rather easy to paint an idyllic picture of Brooklynites casually cruising tree-lined bikepaths to Coney Island, we all know that cycling in the city can be a dangerous pursuit.  Even the most cautious riders (and pedestrians) risk injury on the busy city streets, and the cycling boom naturally led to an increase in cycling-related litigation.

In 1896, Charles N. Howard sued the city after being struck by a cyclist on the sidewalk around Grand Army Plaza.  Howard was thrown to the ground and injured his knee.  The cyclist was dismounted from his bike, but was uninjured.  According to Howard, “[the cyclist] got up and inquired if I was hurt, and I said it seems as if I was; he expressed his regret in a gentlemanly way and went on.” Howard argued that the Parks Commissioner had allowed the cyclist to use the sidewalk, which resulted in his injury. The Corporation Counsel argued that the city was not responsible, and contrary to current law, “the City cannot be charged with the duty of policing the streets so as to prevent persons from riding bicycles on the sidewalk.”[iii]

Testimony of John Francis Eagan, 1899. Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records, 2013.015; Brooklyn Historical Society

Poor road conditions also led to number of injuries and lawsuits. In one particularly tragic case, a Brooklyn doctor named Louis Hess was injured while riding down Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. The poor conditions along the street were well known to locals, one of whom testified that the hole was, “3 feet long, 2 ½ feet wide, and 5 ½ inches deep,” and that, “it didn’t make any difference how expert a rider you were you would be bound to meet that hole.” The doctor took a nasty spill after being thrown from his bike, injuring his knee and abdomen.  He received treatment, and seemed to recover after spending a few weeks in the country recuperating.  Unfortunately, the pain returned in September, and he soon died after an unsuccessful surgery. His widow was awarded $4,500 from the city.[iv]

In 1898, the Associated Cycling Clubs of Long Island wrote to the Department of Highways in an effort to improve the conditions of Brooklyn’s streets (including the stretch of Bedford Avenue which claimed the life of Dr. Hess).[v] Transportation advocates, such as Streetsblog NYC, Brooklyn Spoke, and Transportation Alternatives find themselves in a similar position today and continue to fight for safer streets throughout the city.

Associated Cycling Clubs of Long Island, 1898. Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records, 2013.015; Brooklyn Historical Society

Today the cycling club is alive and well in the increasingly bike-friendly borough of Brooklyn. The Five Borough Bicycle Club, the Fast and the Fabulist Cycling Club, and the competitive Kissena Cycling Club are but a few of the many clubs active in the city today.

For more information on bicycling in Brooklyn, check out “Brooklyn and the Bicycle” by David V. Herlihy (author of Bicycle: The History).