Fast Diggers: Orlando Stevens

As it does today, the Los Angeles region in the late 1890s and early 1900s attracted bicycle racers from around the country, and even the world, to take up temporary residence during the winter months. The mostly mild weather, and the number and quality of the racing venues (tracks and roads) have enticed many competitors from colder and wetter climes to transplant for the many training, and racing, opportunities. One such racer came from the nation's corn belt to race at the city's first indoor velodrome in 1900; even earlier than that date, and while wintering in the San Francisco / San Jose area in 1896-97, traveled to Pasadena to race on the Crown City Cycle Club's Lincoln Avenue track on New Years Day (of course having bought and read Fast Digs vol. 1, you already knew that).

Orlando Stevens of Ottumwa, Iowa, first seems to appear in the cycling record in August 1894 when, as a novice entrant, he finished in 3rd place at the end of a one-mile race, 3rd again in a half-mile open, and 4th in a quarter-mile open during a day of races taking place in his hometown. His fortunes quickly improved less than a month later when he won three races - a quarter-mile open, a half-mile open and a one-mile handicap, also taking place in Ottumwa. In October 1894, Stevens proved his rise was no fluke by defeating S. H. Rowland, the Iowa State Champion at a half-mile distance. In April 1895 Stevens was suspended (pending investigation) by the League of American Wheelmen though the nature of his infraction is not known. During his suspension, Stevens moved from the Class A group to the Class B group of racers by the national organization.

That Stevens should have become an avid bicycle racer is no surprise. A July 1895 description of Ottumwa, Iowa describes the city as "one of the hottest bike cities in the state... nearly everybody in the city has a wheel and he generally keeps it under his body instead of under his hat." Stevens' entire family became involved in the sport; by that early date Orlando had set a one-mile (half-mile, perhaps) time of 1:00 3/5, while his younger brother, Roy, showed promise of becoming even faster. Whatever the outcome of Stevens' LAW suspension, he was back at racing by the end of summer without missing a beat. At the most recent state fair (held at Ottumwa) the Stevens family (Orlando, Roy and Fred) cleaned up on $400 in prizes. In early August Orlando, and his brother Fred, both set new Iowa state records, the one by Orlando shaving four seconds off a half-mile. Stevens continued his winning ways through the summer culminating with a quarter-mile, unpaced ride with a flying start in which he attempted to establish a new state record. Instead, eighteen year old Orlando rode away with a new world record of 0:23 4/5. Commenting on his ride, Stevens, in understated fashion, said "the wheels on my bicycle got to going around and the result was not only a new state mark, but a world's record as well." Stevens' trainer, Fred Van Sicklen, boldly predicted that his rider would "hold all records from a quarter mile to ten miles... before the season is over." Stevens continued his record campaign, and in October succeeded in shaving another 3/5 of a second off the quarter-mile mark he set a month earlier.

By 1896 Stevens was traveling around the country racing the National Circuit races in competition against the best racers in the country including Otto Zeigler, Tom Cooper, Arthur Gardiner, Eddie Bald, Floyd McFarland and others. Stevens ended the year in California where, along with teammate McFarland, he spent the winter training and racing in San Francisco, San Jose, and Pasadena where he raced on the Crown City Cycle Clubs' Lincoln Avenue track on New Years' Day. The rest of the century, and into the next, continued uninterrupted (barring an 1896 crash in Kansas City during which he dislocated a shoulder) for Stevens, traveling, racing the National Circuit, often with McFarland, the two of whom came to be popularly known as the "I and Steve," or "I and Stevie" team. Stevens likely brought his racing career to a close during the winter of 1903-1904 after racing the Australian circuit in the company of Major Taylor, Iver Lawson, Floyd McFarland, Hardy Downing, Don Walker and other Australian and international competitors. In January of 1904, a "where are they now" story in the Saint Paul Globe notes that Stevens was engaged in the fruit business in Oakland, California. This was likely an income filler, as newspapers around the world were reporting on the Australian circuit in which Stevens was actively participating. At a somewhat later date, Stevens opened "Stevies" bar in San Francisco, a well-known watering hole patronized by local residents and prominent sporting figures alike. Stevens died 29 December 1937, aged sixty-three.

The following is a partial list of Stevens' racing appearances and placings (1894-1898)

1894

    August 25 at Ottumwa, Iowa

            one-mile novice, 2nd

            1/4 mile open, 4th

            1/2 open, 3rd

    September 7 at Ottumwa

            1/4 open, 1st

            1/2 open, 2nd

            one-mile handicap, 1st

    October 9 at Ottumwa

            1/4 mile, 3rd

            1/2 mile, 1st

1895

    August 2

            1/2 mile paced exhibition finishing with new state record, 0:59 4/5

    August 7 at Centerville, Iowa

            1/2 mile Class B, 1st

    August 21 at Independence, Iowa

            1/4 mile, upaced with a flying start finishing with a new world record, 0:23 4/5

    September 2 at Des Moines

            1/3 mile with flying start finishing with a new state record, 0:39 4/5

            one-mile Class B, 2nd

    September 10 at Des Moines

            1/4 mile open Class B, 3rd

    October 18 and Hedrick, Iowa [?]

            1/4 mile, upaced with flying start finishing with a new world record, 0:23 1/5

1896

    June 4 at San Antonio, TX

            1/2 mile 1:05 Class, 2nd

            2 mile pro handicap, 3rd

    June 5 at Laredo, TX

            1 mile pro handicap, 1st

    June 10 at Galveston, TX

            1 mile pro open, 2nd

    June 13 at New Orleans

            2 mile pro handicap, 3rd

    June 16 at Little Rock, AR

            1 mile pro open, 3rd

            1 mile pro open, 1st

    June 30 at Galesburg, Il

            1 mile pro open, 2nd

    July 9 at Appleton, WI

            1 mile pro handicap, 2nd

    July 13 at Battle Creek, MI

            1/2 mile pro open (third heat), 2nd

    August 8 at Fountain Ferry track, Louisville, KY

            1 mile, 2nd

            1/8 mile exhibition tied the record of eight seconds flat

    August 25 at Saratoga, NY

            1/2 mile pro open, 3rd

    December 5 at San Francisco

            1/2 mile exhibition finished with a new coast record of fifty-three seconds

    December 25 at San Francisco

            1/3 mile pro scratch, third heat, 1st

            1/3 mile pro scratch, final, 3rd

1897

    January 1 at Pasadena, CA

            1 mile pro open, 1st

    February 28 at Santa Rosa, CA

            1/3 mile heat, 2nd

            1 mile pro scratch heat, 2nd

            1 mile pro scratch final, 5th

            5 mile pro scratch, 2nd

    March 20 at San Francisco

            1 mile pro scratch heat, 3rd

            5 mile pro invitational, 2nd

1898

    May 17 at Louisville, KY

            1 mile national championship, heat, 1st

            1 mile national championship, final, 3rd

    May 28 at Woodside track, Philadelphia

            1/3 mile pro open heat, 1st

            1/3 mile pro open final, 4th

            2/3 mile pro handicap heat, 1st

      June 8 at Binghampton, NY

            1 mile pro open, 1st

       June 11 at Buffalo, NY

            1 mile pro open, heat, 2nd

            1 mile pro open, final, 1st - This was an interesting contested final in which teamwork (which the LAW had been attempting to eliminate from competitions) between Stevens and McFarland "I and Stevie" was alleged. "In the final of this event McFarland had the pole with Major Taylor lapping his rear wheel and Orlando Stevens a good third. As they neared the tape "Steve" shot over in front of the Major and won out, with "Mac" second. Again the effacacy [sic] of a combination between the two riders "Me and Stevie," proved a good thing. An investigation by the referee found "nothing sour in Stevens' riding."

        June 25 at Tioga track, Philadephia

            1 mile pro open, 3rd

            1 mile pro handicap, 1st

            1/3 mile pro open, 1st

        July 2 at Willow Grove track

            2 mile national championship, heat, 2nd

            2 mile national championship, heat, 1st

            2 mile national championship, final, 2nd

        July 23 at Manhattan Beach track, New York

            1/2 mile LAW championship, 1st

        July 27 at Asbury Park, NJ

            1/3 mile national championship, 4th

        August 17 at Green Bay, WI

            1 mile open, 2nd

            5 mile national championship, 3rd

        August 24 at Asbury Park, NJ

            1 mile national championship, heat, 1st

            1 mile national championship, final, 4th