Four Wheel Fun

The invention of roller skates is attributed to an unknonw Dutchman of the early 18th century, who conceived the idea of adopting ice skating for dry ground by affixing wooden spools to a supporting plate. The first skates with metal wheels were fashioned in 1763 by the Belgian mechanic and musical instrument maker Joseph Merlin. The first modern, so called rocking skates, enabling a person to move easily through alternative shifting of his weight, were patented in 1863 by the American inventor James Leonard Plimpton. Roller skates sales soared in 1865 after people witnessed the invention at work in traveling circuses. By the 1880s, nearly every city and large town had a roller skating rink. The sport was enjoyed by both men and women. I’ve been having fun with the selection of Old West ads, but want to call journal reader’s attention to the next chapter in the book The Plea. Chapter one is now available on this site. Soon the story will be transformed into a documentary.