The bicycle craze that nearly put Hartford on the map

Frog Hollow actually got its name from the old marshy lowlands situated near Broad and Ward streets. Most of the area sat as farmland until 1852. That is when the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company started turning the land into an industrial powerhouse by making use of a nearby railroad line.

Things started to get pretty interesting in 1878 when the Weed Sewing Machine Company produced the first run of bicycles for Albert Pope. By 1890, the demand for bikes was so huge it totally eclipsed the struggling sewing machine market. The owner eventually branched out into a motor carriage department in 1897 to build electric carriages. If his patents and production hadn't run into a series of problems, Hartford might have ended up as the capital of the automobile industry.

The neighborhood is a dense mix of history spanning from 1850 to 1930. You can still spot Greek Revival houses on Grand Street and see Italianate styles on Affleck Street. Most of the housing popped up during a big boom between 1890 and 1910. These buildings feature a locally distinct three story wood frame design known as a perfect six.

Nowadays, it functions as a busy residential hub. You can still find the park the industrialist donated after his business failed. The area keeps a vibrant culture on Park Street, which people around here sometimes call New England's Spanish Main Street.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons