An Unexpected Champion
At the Canadian Wheelmen's Association meet, a dark horse from Spokane upsets the favorites in a hotly contested bicycle race.
The great sport of the day was the grand meet of District No. 11, Canadian Wheelmen's Association, in which a medal valued at a fairly large amount was offered. The betting men looked on Potter, of Seattle, and Lawrence, of Vancouver, as the most likely winners in the one-mile, but Perkins, of Spokane, surprised them. He carries home with him a diamond pin, a silver tea set, a gold watch and other prizes.
“The betting men looked on Potter, of Seattle, and Lawrence, of Vancouver, as the most likely winners... but Perkins, of Spokane, surprised them.”
Bicycle clubs were the 'tech' pioneers of the 1890s, fostering networks of regional competition that connected Seattle, Spokane, and Vancouver. The thrill of an underdog from eastern Washington toppling the big-city favorites is a rivalry dynamic that still defines the Pacific Northwest.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.