1890 | Julian Street Track | San Jose
Page last updated April 10, 2026.
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The two articles below describe the meeting of the California Division L. A. W., held on April 19, 1890 in San Francisco, where it was decided to hold the annual meet in San Jose. Both articles are from the Bicycling World and LAW Bulletin, May 9, 1890 issue.
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The Bicycling World and LAW Bulletin, May, 1890 - p 368 article contains slightly more information than just a report of the meeting. The track situation facing the GGW is "members are trying to guarantee a four-lap track, but should they not succeed in this they have agreed to put the one-lap track in their park in as good condition as possible for bicycle racing." The "one-lap track in their park" is referring to the Agricultural Park Horse Track located in Agricultural Park, also known as cyclers park.
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The article is also complimentary of the host city "San Jose is a beautiful little place, and has many points within riding distance... chief among which, of course, is the world-famed Lick Observatery on Mt. Hamilton."
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The Bicycling World and LAW Bulletin, May, 1890 - p 373 article is more formal and may be the official, or public version of the meeting minutes from the Division's Secretary-Treasurer.
The first order of business for the Garden City Wheelmen was to procure a race track!
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A San Jose Herald, May 19, 1890 article documents a meeting where the contract was awarded to build a quarter mile track with a temporary grandstand capable of seating 1400 people. The track was to be built along Julian St. near the First Ward school. The schedule for the weekend: parades and State Championship races on Friday, road rides on Saturday and a dance on Sunday.
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A few days later there's a San Jose Herald, May 21, 1890 article recapping the previous evening's meeting of the Garden City Wheelmen. The cost estimate for Tournament weekend was $1250 and "Any extra expenses will be provided for." The entertainment for the weekend and the design of the souvenir cover were also described.
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A couple details of note in this article are that "J. Q. Ballou was elected an honorary member of the club, in recognition of his libral donation of the grounds on Julian street for the races." and "The efforts to secure Agricultural or Recreation Park were futile, when Mr. Ballou decided to let them have the large block of land on Julian street."
Here's another take from Bicycling World and LAW Bulletin, June 6, 1890, an article clipping that further describes the ordeal of obtaining a race track.
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Note that "The committee will rent the lumber...".
Just prior to the event the San Jose Herald, July 1, 1890 article provides pre-race publicity, the San Jose Herald, July 2, 1890 article provides a list of entrants.
Calisphere has a webpage about the Race Track at Agricultural Park which contains a photo with the description "Bike Race, Agricultural Park (now Hanchett Park Subdivision) July 4, 1890. Finish of one mile tandem safety event. The safety was just then replacing the 'Old High Wheeler' called the Ordinary."
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Looking at the grandstands structure this is clearly not the Agricultural Park Horse Track or the Agricultural Park Velodrome, which was not built until 1895. Based on the photo's date and race description it fits as a photo of the Championship races held on that same exact date at the Julian Street Track.
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The contributor of the picture is History San Jose, where this photo is available here​.
July 4, 1890 finish of one mile tandem safety event, from History San Jose
Here's another photo showing the same grandstands. It's clear to see the temporary nature of the grandstands construction. Also, the track surface, width and banking rule it out as either of the Agricultural Park venues.
This is from Changing Boundaries: The History of San Jose, a Facebook group. This is the specific post. Again, the venue is mis-identified as Agricultural Park.
The day after the Championship races at the Julian Street Track the results were published in the San Jose Herald. It's interesting to see some of the prizes awarded such as: a gold headed cane, a parlor rifle and a cyclometer among others.
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It's interesting to note that three of the races indicate "safety" races. The other races were likely ordinary/highwheel races. The transition from the ordinary/highwheel era to the safety bicycles was era was just beginning.
Based on the Bicycling World and LAW Bulletin, July 18, 1890 advertisement, it appears J. F. Ives of San Francisco was riding a SWIFT bicycle when he won the Safety events on July 4, 1890.
Despite what seems like a successful event and the popularity of bicycle racing in San Jose at the time, it may very well have been dismantled soon after the event. There are many hints to it being a temporary facility in the documentation.
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There is no evidence of an 1890 Thanksgiving day race or any future races at the Julian Street Track after July 4, 1890.
Location
An earlier reference from the San Jose Herald, May 19, 1890 indicates the location of the Julian Street Track to be "... on Julian street, near the First Ward school." These are a couple Library of Congress Sanborn maps from 1891 that should help pinpoint the location of the track.
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The image below is a composite of the two maps with the school's map rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise in order align the maps on Julian Street. This shows the only large empty lot near the school that is likely the location of the Julian Street Track.
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Also note, with regard to the temporary nature of the track, there is an "Independent Lumber Yard" in the center top of the map.
Composite map of likely location of the Julian Street Track
Below is a current Google Map of the area (37.339136, -121.898203) of Julian, Terraine and Bassett streets.
Current Google Map of the area of Julian, Terraine and Bassett streets in San Jose.