Marking Waltham's Cycling History

We're excited to see progress on getting a historical marker placed at the site of the former Waltham Cycling Track, now Nipper Maher Park, to recognize groundbreaking cyclists Major Taylor, Kittie Knox, and Orient Bicycle manufacturer Charles Metz!

This location was once home to one of the fastest cycling velodromes in the country and sat at the very heart of America's late-19th-century "bicycle craze."

Placing a permanent marker here honors three extraordinary figures who shaped cycling, industrial, and social history right here in Waltham:

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The Waltham cycling velodrome, 1893 

• Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor: America's first Black sports superstar and world champion cyclist. Riding Waltham-built Orient bicycles during the peak of his career (1898–1899), Taylor set seven world records and became known as the fastest rider in the world.

• Katherine "Kittie" Knox: A trailblazing Black cyclist who shattered both racial and gender barriers in the 1890s. As the first Black member accepted into the League of American Wheelmen, Knox defied conservative norms by designing her own riding outfits to race men’s diamond-frame bikes. She famously captured first place at the 1895 LAW meeting right here at the Waltham velodrome. 

• Charles Metz: Industrialist and founder of the Waltham Manufacturing Company. Metz produced high-performance, lightweight "Orient" bicycles that powered world-champion racers. He went on to build the "Orient-Aster"—giving birth to the very word motorcycle—and pioneered early automobiles.

Major Taylor

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Kittie Knox

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Charles Metz

A massive thank you to local historian and author Dr. Lorenz "Larry" Finison, whose dedicated research brought Kittie Knox's story back to light and who continues to champion Waltham’s rich cycling heritage.

Thanks to Larry’s leadership, momentum is building quickly:

• City Support: Waltham Ward 7 City Councilor Paul Katz has pledged his support and will bring a formal resolution before the City Council this September, while also exploring Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding to help bring the marker to life.

• A Growing Community Coalition: We are thrilled to see collaboration taking shape across multiple cultural and civic partners, including the Charles River Museum, the Major Taylor Association, MassBike, and the UMass Boston Bicycling History Archives.

It takes a village to preserve local history, and we couldn't be more excited to honor the legacy of Taylor, Knox, and Metz where their stories unfolded.

Stay tuned as this project moves forward!