Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-23
ANACONDA ONCE
BICYCLE CENTER
CLUB OF PROMINENT CITIZENS
BUILT TRACK MORE THAN
10 MILES LONG
At the Beginning of the Century No
Well Regulated Household Was Com
plete Without a VelOcipede for Both
Papa and Mamma.

The bicycle, once a vehicle Of
popular recreation, has staged a
comeback with the younger gen.
Grafton. But TO the older folks
/ bicycle is just something which the
kids use to get from one place to
another by riding down the middle
Of the street without the slightest
heed to the automobile traffic
which hOnks for the right Of way
and doesn't always get it.
Time was, however, when no we'll
regulated household was complete with
out wheel for both papa and mamma.
The greatest popularity bicycling
ever achieved in Montana was probably
in the smelter city of Anaconda, where,
at the beginning of the century there
were 700 bicycles in use, most Of them
by adults More than 100 of the city's
leading citizens who we're addicted to
wheeling formed a Good Roads and
Bicycle Path association and the or
ganization was instrumental in the
construction Of a bicycle path which
at the height of its popularity was
more than 10 miles long, and went to
all parts of the city and up and down
the valley In which Anaconda Is To-
Gated.
The Anaconda bicycle path might
have been the start of the good roads
movement in Montana. 1t was conceived
by F. M. Brown, and when the aSSocia-
ton was formed he was elected pres
ident. Alfred Roper was secretary, and
the executive board was composed of
L. S. Bennett, z. B. Catlin and o. S.
Jackson, all of them prominent cit
liens who used to put on knee pants
and cap and sweater and pedal out
over the country with a regularity
which would compare favorably with
H,nh &c - q ofrfHarTufccf
The path which the association built
was covered with cinders SO that it
could be used all year. around. The
route as laid out led through the Deer
Lodge valley to GregSon Springs
around the foot Of the mountains
There were paths to the old smelters
on the north side Of the valley and to
the new Washoe smelters which were
at that time in course of construction.
Another led to Mountain View park
up the valley, where was located a base
ball diamond and general recreation
and picnic ground.
The association also embarked upon
q program of building bicycle paths
through the city on the margins of its
principal streets. As proposed the
street paths were to be four feet wide
and cindered. The paths had grades
and fills in them just like a railroad
or a present day highway and two
wheels could pass each other without
inconvenience.
One bridge 500 feet long and five
feet wide was built over the Warm
Springs creek bed on the route to the
smelters which was used by hundreds
Of smeltermen riding to their work.
The club also had an elaborate plan
for bridging the web Of railroad tracks
at at least one point on the lower edge
Of the city.
The greatest difficulty in keeping the
path in shape was from heavily loaded
wagons driven across 1t, cutting deep
ruts. and from small boys who light
ened days of dull care by StreWing
carpet tacks along it. A bicycle tire
punctured mighty easy and it was Just
as much trouble to struggle with a
"flat," or perhaps more so, than it Is
with an automobile tire today that
has given up its pressure.
Anaconda at that time had more
bicycles than 1t had carriages or
wagons The traffic was heavy" from
that standpoint. But one thing that
did not attend 1t was gmashes and
crashes and wrecks that cost lives. In
fact a bicycle rider could take pretty
stiff tumble without being seriously
hurt and even the light wheels suf-
fered little damage from q pileup In
the road or on the bicycle path The
bicycle craze of that time supplied a
delightful interim between what are
now called the ~horse and buggy" DAYS
and the speeding flash Of the auto
mobile.