South Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Ruff Memorial Wheelmen's Bench / Cycle Carnival 1897
Photographed By Karl Stelly, April 7, 2009
1. Ruff Memorial Wheelmen's Bench Marker
Front
Erected 1897 by Ky. Div. of League of American Wheelmen to honor cycling pioneer A.D. Ruff (1827-96) of Owingsville, Ky. The League's oldest member, he had bicycled to Yellowstone National Park in 1893. Marble fountain and stone bench, known to generations of cyclists as "Wheelmen's Bench," designed by famed sculptor Enid Yandell.
Back
On October 8, 1897, a parade of 10,000 cyclists passed here to celebrate a new cinder bicycling path along Southern Parkway. Viewed by 50,000 spectators, parade began at Third and Broadway and ended at Iroquois Cycle Club. Many cyclists were in costume; ladies wore bloomers. Bugles and cannon fire marked the parade's progress. Presented by the Louisville Bicycle Club - 1997
Erected 1997 by The Kentucky Historical Society & the Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 1997.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1845.
Location. 38° 12.108′ N, 85° 45.876′ W. Marker is in Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County. It is in South Louisville. Marker is at the intersection of South 3rd Street (Kentucky Route 1020) and Harlan Avenue
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Roscoe Goose House / Golden Goose, 1891-1971 (approx. ¼ mile away); Churchill Downs (approx. half a mile away); Founding of Jefferson Seminary (approx. 0.9 miles away); Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) (approx. one mile away); Charles H. Parrish, Jr. (approx. one mile away); Brother Charles H. Parrish, Jr. (approx. one mile away); Belknap Campus (approx. one mile away); National Pan-Hellenic Council (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.
Photographed By Karl Stelly, April 7, 2009
2. Cycle Carnival, 1897
Photographed By Karl Stelly, April 7, 2009
3. Ruff Memorial Wheelmen's Bench Park
The "Wheelmen's Bench" in Wilder Park, Louisville, Kentucky
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2010, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,860 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 10, 2010, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on January 12, 2010, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 3. submitted on January 10, 2010, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
