Boston Bicycle Routes, 1898

The League of American Wheelmen commissioned this map during the 1890s bicycle craze, and their insignia sits prominently in the design. Red lines trace recommended cycling routes through Boston's newly created Metropolitan Park System. The first regional park system in the United States. Contour lines and spot heights reveal the hills cyclists would need to climb, and distances are measured from the State House. Green park areas fill the map like islands in a sea of streets and railways.

  • The League of American Wheelmen insignia. It marks this as a product of the organized cycling movement that reshaped American road policy.
  • The red bicycle routes connect green park areas across the metropolitan district, each traceable from the city center outward.
  • Contour lines show the terrain cyclists actually faced, with steep grades visible around Beacon Hill and the Blue Hills.

All prints are high-quality reproductions made from museum-grade scans at 300 DPI. Depending on the original scan dimensions, some prints may include white fill along the edges.

From $29.00