Katherine Towle Knox (October 7, 1874 – October 11, 1900) was a bicycle racer and the first African American to be accepted into the League of American Wheelmen (LAW).
Kittie Knox | |
|---|---|
 Kittie Knox and bicycle | |
| Born | October 7, 1874 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 11, 1900 (aged 26) |
| Occupation | seamstress |
| Known for | cyclist |
Katherine Towle Knox (October 7, 1874 – October 11, 1900) was a bicycle racer and the first African American to be accepted into the League of American Wheelmen (LAW).[1]
Knox joined LAW in 1893 at a time when few women were members.[1][2] The organization changed their constitution to only allow white members in 1894. In 1895 the organization clarified that constitutional changes are not retroactive and Knox's membership in the group was no longer questioned.[3] Knox persisted in racing despite sometimes being denied access to races as well as service by restaurants and hotels while traveling.[1] Knox was known both for her cycling ability, taking first place in a LAW meeting Waltham, Massachusetts, as well as her fashionable cycling outfits.[4] Unlike her male counterparts of the time, much attention was given to her appearance and wardrobe.[1] She was a strong rider, participating in and completing several century rides.[5]
Personal life
Knox was born to Katherine Towle, a white woman from East Parsonfield, Maine who was a millworker, and John Knox, a black man from Philadelphia who worked as a tailor.[5] She was born in the neighborhood of East Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her family moved to Boston in the 1880s.[5] Knox worked as a seamstress and dressmaker.[5] She had one brother, Ernest Knox.[5] She died in 1900 from kidney disease and was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in a public lot.[6] A headstone was erected for her by family members on September 29, 2013.[7]
Legacy
In 2019, the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts named the Kittie Knox Bike Path after her. The path connects Broadway and Binney Street in Cambridge.[8][9]
In 2022, MassBike and partners began hosting an annual bike ride in honor of Kittie Knox. [10]
References
- ^ a b c d Miller, Grace (2020-05-26). "Breaking the Cycle: the Kittie Knox story – Smithsonian Libraries / Unbound". Smithsonian Libraries / Unbound. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ "Kittie Knox, Boston's Cycling Craze, 1880–1900: A Story of Race, Sport, and Society book cover". CONTENTdm. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ "Queries and Answers". Good Roads. 22: 34. July 1895. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "The Asbury Park Meet". The Bearings. 11 (24): 2. July 11, 1825.
- ^ a b c d e "African American Heritage Trail – Kittie Knox". Mount Auburn Cemetery. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626–2001". FamilySearch. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston. p. 2. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "African American Heritage Trail: A Monument for Kittie Knox". Mount Auburn Cemetery. 2013-09-30. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ Fallacara, Noelle. "More bike lanes, reduced speed limits on horizon in Cambridge". Cambridge Chronicle & Tab. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ "Ames Street Separated Bike Lane Project (Main St to Memorial Dr) – CDD – City of Cambridge, Massachusetts". www.cambridgema.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/05/metro/cyclists-honor-black-female-biking-pioneer-late-1800s/