Safety Bicycle in Cokato

By Irene Bender from the Summer 1995  Midst Of v. 15 No. 3.

One day in early 1892, a bicycle-rider came to Cokato and inquired about roads west of Cokato. He stopped at the post office, which was located on the west side of north Millard Avenue. The frame building, owned by Magnus Holmstrom, later burned down. The postmaster at that time was C. R. Peterson. A large group of men congregated about to see the newfangled apparatus and admired the "safety" bicycle. The transient took from his pocket a camera and snapped a photo of the group. The camera was also something of a novelty, and it proved to be exceptionally interesting to Cokato citizens. About three weeks later, Mr. Peterson received the picture seen above.

Included in the photo are: Jacob Ojanpera (immediately behind bike), John Tracy (with right hand on bike), C. R. Peterson (next to Tracy), and W. H. Bull (next to rear wheel and no relation to H. C. Bull).