The day Conn. skaters drew a color line

It’s convenient during Black History Month to revive reliable milestones.

But some of the most telling moments remain buried in history’s crevices. Here’s one I dug out of the ice: Black skaters who were forbidden to cross a Connecticut “color line.”

It’s January 1895, an era when entertainment was limited to the likes of live theater and, well, reading the newspaper. When it was cold enough — which does appear to have been more frequent then — competitions were held on the ice featuring skaters, boats and (remarkably) horses.

“Ice skating and boating at the Cove pond was first class during recent moonlit evenings,” the Stamford Advocate reported in a typical dispatch.

Crowds for competitions were sizable. A skating competition on Norwalk’s Woods Pond attracted 1,000 spectators.

Stamford became a favored site for larger competitions. Ice boats raced for 25 miles to claim a silk flag. Skaters vied for gold and silver medals.

Even before the new century arrived, Greenwich was already a brand. In 1894, a horse race on Cove Pond in Stamford was derailed at the last minute as riders summoned various excuses. Some wanted cash prizes. Others said the ice wasn’t safe. “But it was evident that all were afraid of the Greenwich horses,” the Advocate opined.

Only a handful of athletes were deemed worthy of racing over distances of 1, 2, 5, 10 or 25 miles. Rivalries led to scandals. The father of one racer denied allegations that nails were tossed on the ice of the quartermile track to slow down a short distance “flyer.”

As the Zamboni would not be invented for another 55 years, the ice conditions were frequently front page news. Such was the case for a race that was held Jan. 25, 1895.

“The ice on the pond was not in as good condition as might be desired, and at one spot water oozed through a crack and flooded the track,” the Advocate reported.

The nameless journalist noted that a “frequent cracking sound” warned spectators not to stand in one place for too long. It was probably for the best that there wasn’t much ambient noise, let alone Airpods, in 1895.

Competition was delayed in hopes that a popular Greenwich competitor could compete in a timely fashion after missing his train. The loss of one competitor mattered, as the races tended to feature a gloveful of competitors.

Despite that, two racers — Henry and Joseph Walker — were forbidden from competing in the mile and 10-mile competition.

Sometimes, you have to read between the lines of history. I don’t know if the Walkers were brothers. Henry, at least, must have arrived with a reputation as he was heralded as Greenwich’s champion shortdistance skater, yet it appears rival skaters did not know the Walkers were Black until they showed up. And that’s when the color line was etched in the ice. “The other skaters drew the color line and strongly objected to skating with the Walkers,” the account continues.

It’s a telling detail that the Walkers were permitted to skate in Greenwich but not in Stamford. It’s also interesting that, 30 years after the end of the Civil War, they appeared to have a white sponsor. William H. Boles of Greenwich entered the Walkers in the race.

The editor in me yearns for so many more details than the reporter reveals, but there’s a lot to chew on in these two sentences: “There was a dispute, of course, but the white skaters would make no concession, and the colored skaters were consequently barred. The Greenwich contingent were very angry, but there was no hope for it.”

What was said? How did the crowd react? Who made the call?

At least the editor of 129 years ago recognized that the dispute was a bigger story than a couple of white guys winning tchotchkes.

The front-page headline blared:

“Skaters drew a color line”

“Refused to race with Negroes from Greenwich.”

The races themselves were anticlimactic. J. Howard Raymond of Noroton beat three other contestants in the 10-mile race, then immediately took on two other challengers in the 2-mile competition. Both of Raymond’s opponents suffered bad falls, costing them that race and leading them to bow out of what was supposed to be a best-of-three race competition.

The 1-mile race was postponed because Raymond was the only entry. Read between that line as well. There was no race because Raymond refused to be challenged by Henry Walker.

I haven’t been able to find any further mention of Henry Walker in competition, while Joseph turns up again in what appears to have been an ill-advised foray into boxing. Joseph Walker also makes a cameo in a skating competition in 1902. Race is never mentioned in this brief account.

So, there’s no uplifting ending to this sliver of history. There is some solace that it was at least recognized as news that white men blinked at the prospect of competing against Black men in 1895 in Connecticut.

But consider this: Where might this day have landed on the Black History Month timeline if the Walkers had won?