Marion organized its first bicycle club, the "Marion Wheelmen," in Apr. 1892, but riding remained almost exclusively an activity for Marion's male elite until safety bicycles were introduced (bikes with equal-sized wheels) and prices declined c.a. 1895. Then women joined and bicycles became a craze like no one had ever seen! Enthusiasts demanded better roads and dedicated bike paths that took them around the county to other cities and popular recreation sites.

The first local bicycle trail was constructed in the Spring of 1895. It paralleled Marion Boulevard and followed First Avenue into Cedar Rapids. It was constructed with a drag scraper pulled by a team of horses and took about one week to complete. The path ranged from 18 to 24 in. wide and cost under $20. The effort was funded by an unidentified "well-known Cedar Rapids RR man" and member of the CR cycling club. He had grown tired of talking about trails and funded the job himself. If he sought permission from township road authorities it's not evident from news accounts. Following the public right-of-way avoided the issue of infringing on private property.

No sooner was the Marion-CR bike trail finished than racing began between the cities. A couple of "scorchers" had the record down to just 17 minutes by the end of the summer. Completion of the trail along Old Marion Road made a complete circuit and added another racing venue.

Twilight bicycle trips between Marion and CR became the rage among the young people of both communities. Plans were quickly implemented to extend the trails up and down the Cedar River to the Palisades and other popular resorts, and in every direction across the county. In some places, to reduce costs, they were limited to the sandy sections of roads where travel was difficult, in which case a narrow "side path" was constructed, its surface amended with clay or cinders to make pedaling easier.

Rural residents hated the bike trails. The silent flashing wheels frightened horses and upset livestock. Frolicking bikers were met with hostility, and farmers sabotaged the paths by driving wagons on it, especially after rains, leaving deep ruts and hoof-prints. "Pure, unadulterated devilry" is how the Marion Sentinel editor described the acts of boys caught burying tack-studded pieces of cardboard on the bike path in Kenwood. Riders were stopped with multiple tire punctures. (Marion Sentinel; May 2, 1895)

Ulysses Grant Byerly (1866-1915), Marion's long-time barber and partner in the new Byerly & Brain bicycle store organized the Marion Bicycle Club in the Spring of 1895. Members contributed $1.50 each to hire a man to help maintain the trails. Contributors received a tag to display on their bikes, giving them free access, but "moochers" were discouragingly common and whatever maintenance was conducted, it only lasted until the next thunderstorm or act of vandalism. Byerly helped maintain the trails through his own personal efforts.

Byerly's partner in the bike store, Henry James Brain (1855-1920), an immigrant from England via Miles, IA, didn't stay in town long--competition and rapidly declining bike prices drove him to open a new store in Des Moines in 1896, but he did introduce us to his youngest daughter, three year-old Anna Ward Brain (1892-1977), who was said to be the youngest rider in the U.S.

See U. G. Byerly at Find a Grave memorial #74962815. H. J. Brain can be found at #94650049. We'll continue the trails story next time. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago  ·  

"Wanted--One thousand mice on or before June 30th. I will pay one cent apiece for them. George H. Cardell." (June 16, 1897; Marion Register) You stumble across the craziest things sometimes reading old newspapers. . . that's one of the bigger mysteries we've seen in a while. The ad ran all month; no word on if Cardell got them. What would the owner of an uptown hardware store do with 1,000 mice? I assume he wanted them alive; I suspect a 4th of July activity we may not want to know about. Any ideas?

George Cardell (1867-1924) was born in Syracuse, NY and came here to Iowa with his family when he was just a toddler. His father found work in the Des Moines real estate business. George entered into a partnership with Marion's G. W. Toms, Jr. in the Toms & Cardell hardware store in July, 1895. Family connections helped. His older sister, Clara, was married to Toms. George took over management in Dec. 1895 when Toms became president of the Farmers & Merchants Bank, and operated until June 1899 when he sold out to Harry Toms & Ben Strobel. He tried real estate briefly before moving to Chicago. The 1910 census records him in Reno, NV in the sheet metal business, and in Mobile, Alabama in 1920, still in sheet metal. He died there. He was married to Ella Godden of Tipton. They had no children. See him at Find a Grave memorial # 9904349. He's in Oak Shade. ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago  ·  

We were invited to visit the old Cedar Springs Hotel at the Upper Palisades just weeks before its demolition in 2009 and took these photos. She was still impressive and showed traces of her former glory despite the floods and years of decline. ... See MoreSee Less

7 days ago  ·