On Thursday, May 11, 1899, at 12:45 p.m., the Truro Daily News reported that Karl M. Creelman rode to the Railway Esplanade, mounted his “wheel,” and set out on his great journey. When he departed, fifty cyclists and a crowd of about 1,000 people gathered to see him off. Three cheers were given, and roughly 30 cyclists and a group of runners escorted him as far as the Board Landing Bridge*, which connected Lower Truro with Onslow.
The Board Landing Bridge, Truro, Colchester County - Source Nova Scotia Archives - Nova Scotia Department of Highways - May 17, 1910
Karl wore a black-and-red sweater, black-and-white pants, stockings, a cap, and carried his packed items for the trip.
As excited as the town of Truro was about celebrating Karl’s upcoming adventure, the paper later noted that many townsfolk expected “he would sneak in at his mother's back door the same night, and ask to come in because it was very cold outside.”
Dear reader, they had underestimated our “plucky” world traveller.
So let’s go back to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 1901, and join the largest crowd of the year gathered at the Truro Esplanade to welcome Karl home.
About five miles out of town, twenty cyclists formed a guard of honour to escort him the rest of the way. Karl had travelled over 50,000 miles, a journey that took 2 years, 3 months, and 24 days. He had cycled 16,000 miles, walked 2,000, and sailed more than 34,000.
During his travels around the world, Karl wore out 15 pairs of shoes, 5 sets of tires, and 3 bicycle chains. That final set of tires gave out within four miles of Truro, and Karl rode into town on the rim of his rear wheel, which barely held together until he reached the station. The Truro Daily News reported that “the bumping and rattling of the wheel sounded indeed emblematic of a rough trip.”
And though he may not have rolled into town as swiftly or comfortably as when he left, I can only imagine how proud, and maybe relieved, he must have felt. When he stopped at the Esplanade, in front of the railway station and Inglis Street, now the heart of the town’s business district, cheer after cheer reportedly rang out, a chorus of welcome from thousands of mouths. Then, the crowd lifted Karl onto their shoulders in triumph.
Karl told reporters he had met with “a good many difficulties,” though few dangerous moments, “the worst being when he was chased by a herd of wild cattle in America.”
The newspaper reported:
Among the most treasured items Karl returned with was his small book with about 170 pages bearing seals from cities and towns around the world. It contained handwritten certificates in thirteen languages, testifying to his journey.
He was returning home to Nova Scotia with $1.57 in his pocket and his trusty Red Bird Bicycle.
He said nothing of future intentions, but it is understood he intends to publish an account of his trip.
After receiving his heroic welcome, Karl rode the 70 miles from Amherst to his home on Bible Hill for his first meal of the day. I bet he slept like a log!
Damage to the Board Landing Bridge - Source Nova Scotia Archives, -Nova Scotia Department of Highways - August 20, 1954
*The Board Landing Bridge, built in 1855–56, connected Lower Truro and Onslow across the Salmon River, replacing a ferry service that had operated since 1773. It shortened the mail route between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper and Lower Canada, and was considered a structure of great local and provincial importance.
A steel truss structure with three spans was extensively photographed between 1909 and 1954 for condition and repair records. On August 10, 1954, a tractor-trailer collided with the bridge, causing one span to collapse into the river and taking a small truck with four people into the water. All survived, a result described as “nothing short of a miracle.”
The damaged span was replaced with wooden sections, but the bridge eventually closed in 1970 following the opening of the Highway 102 crossing. Only its stone footings remain today, now a popular tidal bore viewing site.
In 2025, Colchester County approved plans for a new multimillion-dollar pedestrian bridge at the Fundy Discovery Site, part of the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark. The new crossing will honour the historic route, connecting to the Cobequid Trail as both active transportation infrastructure and a tourism landmark, set for completion as early as January 2027.
Dear reader, you better believe that when that bridge opens, I’ll be there. And when I cross it, I’ll think of Karl the boy, who left to cycle the world, and Karl the man, who returned, his journey inspiring mine and changing the course of my life.
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The Karl Journey is registered as an official expedition with the Royal Geographical Society