USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 72
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HORSE RACING AND BREEDING
As early as 1866 Independence evinced a great interest in horse racing. Most of the races then took place in the winter on the river. Scarcely a Satur- day bnt a race was pulled off and great excitement prevailed. Trask & Sher- wood were the principal contestants to honors. The first real claim to notoriety that Independence could justly hold, was when a horse named Sleepy John, owned by Mr. Trask, of Independence, won the sweepstakes at mimerous places in 1870, and 1871 at Dubuque, Charles City and Kalamazoo. For several years he was the fastest horse in this part of the country. The first races conducted by the Agricultural Society, were on May 27, 1871, when two trotting matches were held, with the citizens donating the purses; then on the 4th and 7th of July races were held. The first real horse racing organization of Buchanan County was the Driving Park Association, organized in Independence, Angust 11,1873, and the following officers were elected: D. S. Lee, president ; A. J. Bowley, vice president : Jed Lake, secretary ; W. R. Kenyon, treasurer; and H. Burlingham, marshal. The executive committee consisted of the officers and T. F. Curtis and H. A. King. The first meeting held by this association was on the 2Ist and 22d of August, 1873, at the fair grounds, west of town. The purses aggregated $1,100. A great deal of interest was manifested in these races. There were thirty-three entries made, many of which were from outside the county. The programs consisted of trotting. pacing and running races, and the classes varied from horses that had never beaten 3:15 to those with a reeord not less than 2:34. The best time made at this meeting was 2:3414.
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At all the agricultural fairs, racing was a predominant feature. As far baek as 1881 the managers realized that they were essential to the success of a fair. as was demonstrated by their offering liberal purses to bring some of the western flyers to Independence.
RUSH PARK AND THE KITE-SHAPED TRACK
The famous race track at Independence was the first kite-shaped track of any note to be built. The land on which it was located was bought by C. W. Williams, of Edwin Cobb, late in the fall of 1889. Mr. Williams paid $12,000 for the 120 aeres. Ground was broken at once for the track which was laid out by Engineer A. D. Guernsey and so arenrately was his work done that it was never Found necessary to change a stake and when the track was completed. it was found to be measured to rule 3 feet from the pole or inside fence. 1 mile and 6 inches in length. The weather was so propitions that although work was not begun until November, the grading was practically completed before the frost compelled the cessation of the work.
Early in the spring of 1890, with his characteristie vigor, Mr. Williams re- newed operations. A small army of workmen was kept busily engaged on the track, erecting barns. stalls, and fences and the last week in August, the traek was inaugurated with a five days' meeting at which $20.000 was disbursed among horsemen. The inaugural event was a grand success in every way. Horsemen and spectators were alike loud in their praises of the histy young northern rival of the southern merea of harness horsemen, Lexington, and the names of Williams, Independence, and the kite track were on every tongue. Trainers had flocked here until the sale of leg-wash, blister ointment and other horse medicines had become one of the chief sources of revenue of our drug stores and Independence harness shops were veritable trotting horse-goods emporiums, while roseate views of coming greatness pervaded the waking hours and tinted the dreams of our people.
Early in 1891 Mr. Williams began his preparations for giving a race meeting that should eclipse all previous horse racing meets. One hundred thousand dollars was offered in stakes and purses-a sum never before, anywhere, ap- proached by even the wealthiest and most influential associations in the country. Generously the horsemen responded to the call for entries and long before the opening day it was evident that Rush Park, with its 100 stalls, would not furnish accommodations for the entered horses. Barns and stables in all parts of the town were drawn upon and even with this addition barely enough could be obtained to supply the demand. The meeting opened Monday, August 22d. All anticipations of its greatness were eclipsed in realization. In the vast crowds that passed through the gates, and in brilliancy of its racing events, it stands today without a rival in the history of harness racing. The capacity of the city to feed and shelter the immense throngs of people was taxed to its utmost and proved inadequate.
The number of people upon the grounds that day is variously estimated between twenty and forty thousand, and standing room where the races could be seen had all been taken before the first race was called. It was at this meeting that the very memorable contest between the two great five-year-olds, Allerton
CHARLES W. WILLIAMS
AXTELL
ALLERTON
RUSH PARK
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and Nancy Hanks, for a stake of $5,000, took place. It was a never to be for- gotten week in Independence. Thieves, pick-pockets and skin-game gamblers, drawn here by the hope of plunder, plied their avocations almost unmolested, and many a deep drawn sigh of relief and many prayerful "Thank God that it is over" found expression among our people when the last hanger-on of the big meeting had gone.
The big meeting of 1891 registered the high-water mark in the interest in racing in Independence. Early in 1892 Mr. Williams began preparations for a two weeks' meet. Large stakes were offered, a good entry list secured, and the program as arranged was fully carried out. The racing was of a high order, several records were broken, but the attendance was far below that of the year before. It was at this meeting that Naney Hanks lowered the world's trotting record to 2:0514.
In the summer of 1892 Mr. Williams also built a new and spacious amphi- theater at Rush Park which cost $15,000 and had a seating capacity of at least ten thousand people.
The work of construction was pushed forward rapidly, notwithstanding many adverse circumstances. Labor was very hard to get and materials still harder. During the time of building persistent rains interfered seriously with the work. The hotel was three stories in height, being built of pressed brick, the first story being dark brown and the two upper stories granite. The body walls are of white brick from Minnesota.
Undaunted by lack of encouragement given his meeting the year before, in 1893, Mr. Williams again advertised a two weeks' meeting, only a part of the stakes filled and those but indifferently. The blight of hard times and diminish- ing values had attacked all lines of business and upon none had its withering hand been laid more heavily than upon the trotting horse industry. The meeting was carried along through the two weeks, barely enough people passing through the gate to pay the gate keepers their daily wage, but despite this every horse- man was paid his winnings in full.
The history of the financial reverses of the founder of Rush Park. the builder of the Gedney Block and the street railway was of meteorie character, as was his successes, which were brilliant and spectacular.
In the spring of 1894 he was induced by an offer of a liberal bonus to remove to Galesburg, Illinois, for a period of three years, where, under the auspices of a citizens' organization he built a regular mile track over which he gave two highly successful meetings; and at the expiration of his contract he availed himself of his option for $20,000 on the property worth about $50,000. At first he engaged in the business of raising trotters and later went up into Canada and bought land from which he has realized a vast amount of money, being accredited as a millionaire. For the past several years he has turned his atten- tions from horse raising to evangelistie work and is at present devoting his whole time to that work.
When it became evident that Mr. Williams would no longer conduct meetings at Independence, the Independence Driving Club, with a capital of $10,000 and a membership of 100 business men and public spirited citizens, was incorporated and became his successors. Ninety-nine shares of the capital stock were sub- scribed to and 25 per cent of their par value paid into the treasury. A board
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of nine directors was elected, as follows: Z. Stout, C. A. Thompson, John Hussey, W. IT. Morse, W. D. Ham, T. F. Curtis, C. E. Ransier, B. W. Tabor and A. II. Farwell. Z. Stout was elected president ; A. H. Farwell, secretary, and W. W. Donnan, treasurer, and held their offices continuously as long as the organiza- tion existed. A lease of the track was seeured from R. Campbell on terms highly advantageous to the club. Stakes were opened and filled beyond expeetation of the most sanguine and the first meeting under the new management was held the last week in August, 1894. At this meeting the club inaugurated the practice which has since been adopted by many other associations of paying all purses from the stand as soon as the race was decided. The elub gave a meeting every year from 1894 to 1899. It paid every claim against it in full on presentation and established a reputation for fair, honorable, courteous treatment to horse- men second to no association in the land. During the five years that it was in business it disbursed upwards of one hundred thousand dollars and paid ont locally for labor and other essentials in conducting the meeting nearly fourteen thousand dollars. It did this at an annual cost to each stockholder of less than five dollars.
Many noted horsemen were in attendance at these meetings every year and the horse press was usually represented by noted journalists. Murray Howe, of the Horse Review ; John MeCartney. of the Horse World, and J. H. Gelo, of the Horseman, were in the city for the 1898 race meet. At the 1898 meet the largest crowd assembled since the palmy days of the early '90s, when Charley Williams, Rush Park and the kite-shaped track were famous all over the country. Excursions from every direction bronght in enormous erowds of people and long before 12 noon, on Thursday, the big day, the grounds and streets to the race track were packed with vehicles and people.
A new departure observed that year was the free gate system, and it certainly did not depreciate the total receipts, for the amphitheater and standing room on the green more than made up the difference of the previous paid gate admissions.
In January, 1899, the Independence Club joined the newly organized Great Western Trotting Circuit, a competitor of the Grand Cirenit, and comprising ten associations. C. T. Ilanrock of Dubuque was elected circuit president, and A. H. Farwell, secretary. The Independence Club offered $40,000 in stakes that year. The stakes were to be closed May 17th, and as they had failed to fill, it was decided impracticable to attempt a meeting that year. With the closing of that meeting the prospects for all future big race meets at Inde- pendenee were waning and truth to tell never again did the famous kite-shaped track resound to the hoof beats of the trotting and pacing kings and queens of the turf as it had in days of old, although race meets were held thereafter, but not of their one time greatness.
Such, in brief, is the history of the Independence kite traek, over which nine race meetings were given, and on which was witnessed some of the most memor- able contests in the history of horse racing, and the oft repeated prophecy that Rush Park would be converted into a pasture for stock came to pass.
In the spring of 1904 the threatened proposition to convert the Independence kite-shaped track into a pasture ground was the cause of much regret and alarm among the business and horsemen of Independence, who proceeded to get
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busy to prevent such a sad catastrophe. A public subscription was circulated and a sufficient sum was seeured to keep the track in condition for trainers for that year, as quite a number of prominent horsemen were expected to return with their strings of horses.
In August, 1904, a new racing association was organized by some of the younger business men of Independence and a three days' meet was planned for October 11th, 12th and 13th, and $3,000 in purses was offered. C. L. King was elected secretary. Trotting, running, pacing, automobile and bicycle races were the attractions of this event.
Like Banquo's ghost, the horse interest in Independence would not down, for after a sleep of four years, which it was feared would prove the sleep of death, it was again revived. A wave of enthusiasm had struck the town with sueh force as to permeate the very atmosphere, and everybody boosted to make it a grand suceess. The largest number of running horses ever seen here were entered that year. They were owned by horsemen of St. Louis, Chicago and other places.
The meeting was a success but not of the magnitude anticipated, and their intention to join the Great Western Circuit for the next season did not materialize.
The glory of Rush Park was surely and speedily vanishing and material changes were constantly taking place which all but obliterated the marks of the one-time fastest racing traek in the world. In October, 1905, the large Rush Park grandstand was converted into a barn of gigantie proportions, and is now used to shelter Mr. A. R. Campbell's fine herd of Hereford cattle and to store hay and grain in.
Mr. C. W. Williams was thirty-three years of age when he came to Iowa. He deserves eredit for the beginning in life that he made. He clerked in a store at Jesup and shortly afterwards ran a milk wagon in Chicago, later coming to Iowa, where he acted as railroad operator for a time. In 1878 he engaged in the butter business in Independence and operated one of the best creameries in the county.
About 1885 Mr. Williams turned his attention to horses. His first purchases were two well bred mares from Stouts, of Dubuque; they were Lou and Gussie Wilkes. Two others were subsequently added and the four of them were shipped to Kentucky. It seems that for years previous Mr. Williams had devoted him- self to the study of the pedigrees of the different trotting families and after looking over them he decided to breed from the Wilkes family, and accordingly the mares were shipped to Lexington, Kentucky, and there he succeeded in maintaining his ideas of good horse flesh. The produet was Axtell, and the product of one of the mares was Allerton.
After a short time Mr. Williams took the colts to his farm and broke them. When they were two years old Mr. Williams began to give them a systematic course of training. As a result, in one of the first races Axtell trotted a mile, on a half mile track, in 2:3114, which was the fastest two-year-old on a half mile track at that time. He subsequently trotted in many national stakes and won all of them. Axtell's performance in the year 1888 was one of the most wonderful on record at that time. Ile broke every record and commanded a very high price. but Mr. Williams persistently refused to sell him. Allerton, in 1888, as a two-year-old, trotted a mile in 2:4034. The next year he was
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started at Minneapolis against a field of seasoned horses and won his share of the races. During the Washington Park meeting at Chicago Allerton trotted nine heats and won eight of them.
On October 11, 1890, Axtell trotted a mile at Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2:12, reducing the world's stallion record. A Chicago syndicate in the evening offered Mr. Williams $105,000 for the colt, which he accepted without hesitation. It is figured that Axtell brought in to the new owners the sum of $40,000 before he passed into the discard.
On the morning of April 11, 1894, C. W. Williams, with his entire outfit, left on the special train from the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern. The horses, of which there were fifty-four head, were loaded into fourteen cars. A special passenger coach carried the members of Mr. Williams' family and those who were in his employ. The party was composed of the following people : C. W. Williams and family, G. W. Williams, Fred Williams and family, C. B. Gildersleeves and family, C. H. Hedding and family, James Ferris, Charles Cox and William Hughes.
Associated with Mr. Williams in the training of trotters and in the ownership of several finely bred horses was M. E. MeHenry, a driver of wide experience and knowledge. Their stock farm was known as Elmhurst.
Another of the leading trainers who was attracted to Independence was Charles Terbush, who had earned an enviable reputation as a careful and sue- cessful driver and trainer. With Mr. Terbush was associated Mr. D. Munson, his son-in-law, who owned the Snow residence property now occupied by Mr. Disbrow, in the northwest part of the city, and had a valuable string of horses, fourteen in number. for training purposes, stabled in Mr. Williams' barns.
Mr. Charles Thompson was another horseman, a successful driver and trainer, who located in Independence during the race boom.
Just west of Rush Park, on the north side of the road, was located the Nursery Stock Farm, the property of George L. Weeks. This is commonly known as the Sampson George Place. Mr. Weeks and Mr. Williams owned eleven horses in partnership.
A. H. Farwell, one of the proprietors of the Buchanan County Journal, was largely interested in horse flesh and owned Oak Glenn Stock Farm, which joined the city on the southwest and Rush Park on the east. Ile was a well posted horseman and a good turf authority and owned some fine prospects.
The Idaho Stock Farm was situated at the north end of Idaho Avenue, which runs north from Main Street just west of the B., C. R. & N. depot, now the T. E. Taylor place. This farm was operated by S. Hale & Son, who possessed an excellent stork of trotting horses.
"Pinehurst." the home of O. A. E. Lanrer, situated about one mile south of Independence, on the Brandon Road, was one of the fine farms established here during the boom of 1892 for the purpose of the breeding and raising of fast horses.
Mr. Lanrer moved here from JJesup, bringing eighty horses with him, and bought 160 acres from the Hurd estate owned in Canada. On his farm, just ontside of Jesup, he had his own half mile race track and here he developed the speed of Lonis F. and Highland Lad.
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BICYCLING IN INDEPENDENCE
The kite-shaped track was noted not alone among horsemen, but was for several years a favorite one with some of the noted cyclists, who came to Inde- pendence to practice for their record-breaking operations, and most of them achieved snecess. Not only breaking their own, but the world's records and some records made here were unbroken for many a year. On October 12, 1895, quite a colony of bicycle celebrities had collected at Independence under the management of Tom Eck, the famous bicycle trainer.
Among some of the famons riders who found this a desirable track for record breaking were lohn S. Johnson, who first sprang into prominence by his achieve- ments, and seenred the world's championship on the kite track; Pat O'Connor, the well known Irish champion; Austin Crooks, an American product, and A. E. Wenig, of Buffalo, the tandem team ; J. F. Greibler, of St. Cloud, Minne- sota ; HI. A. Seavey, of Boston ; H. R. Steenson, of Minneapolis; H. P. Kreamer, a Des Moines champion, and others usually managed by the veteran Tom Eck. A Miss B. A. Stringer, from Elgin, Illinois, who had an Illinois record for a mile, also visited here and practiced on the traek. All these were professional riders who had won many laurels, not only in their own country, but in many European countries.
The banner year for Independence in eyele racing was 1895, there having been three sanctioned meetings, all drawing some of the best riders in the state. This was when the bicyele craze was at its height, and some of the Independence boys were real racers.
In 1895 it was estimated than over five hundred wheels were owned in Inde- pendence, and prospects for many more before the season closed. Evening parades took place. One evening about fifty of the hospital employees and attendants, on bicycles decorated with Chinese lanterns, paraded through the city, and the next week the wheelmen of the city returned the compliment. The fine road ont to the hospital, through the grounds and back home by way of the boulevard, being a round trip of about 41/2 miles, was the popular run of bicyclists. That Independence was noted as an enthusiastic bicycle town is shown from the fact that in the Western Cyclist, a publication devoted to the bicycle and its interests, Independence received the most flattering notices.
The first bicycles introduced into Independence were in 1880, and they were the high wheeled affairs-a high wheel over which was adjusted the seat and the little wheel in the rear, and required much more skill to manipulate than the present style.
Quasqueton had adopted the new fangled riding machine to such an extent that they had a Bicycle Club.
Bieveling was as mneh in vogne in those days as autoing is now, and even more so, since it was within the reach of more people. Within the past few years this pleasurable recreation is being revived to a great extent, and the latter invented motorcycles are extremely popular, and motorcycle races have been one of the chief attractions at the county fairs for several years.
Independence has boasted several champion bicyclers. In the early days Will Littlejohn earned not a little fame and prizes as a champion rider. Emmet Allen was another rider who earned some fame and glory on the speedway, but
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perhaps our most distinguished champion was Henry Necker, who, in the year 1899, had a record of unbroken victories and was conceded to be the champion bicyclist of this section of the state. He had several matches with professionals and always was the winner.
THE AUTOMOBILE
The automobile "has came" to stay in Buchanan County, and now instead of any bine sky schemes to attract the fancies and the shekels of the Buchanan County populace, and particularly the farmer who is so sitnated that he can be attracted, the automobile has all other attractions far eclipsed. The days are past when it was all for gain: now it is all for pleasure. The "get-rich-quick" schemes have faded in comparison with the "get-there-quick" idea which obsesses the present generation, and this mania for speed and pleasure has taken full possession of our once quiet and reserved populare. It has become a regular follow-the-leader game and "everybody's doing it," is excuse enough, at least for a Ford.
The first automobile that every appeared in Independence was a steam motor var which was driven into town by a cigar man in 1901. This horseless carriage attracted no little attention and curiosity. To be sure, travelers had seen them abroad, but that is different from on our own quiet streets. Mrs. D. F. Logan is said to have owned the first one in the county. It was a little Oldsmobile runabout, worked with a handle, and did excellent service for many a year for them and is still in use. The lowa Land Company next indulged in one, but this was not snecessful and refused to do its duty, so was soon supplanted by another. This proved more satisfactory, but was not much like the palatial riding palaces of today.
One of the earliest ones was owned by a Mr. Smith of Winthrop. The automobile now no longer seems to be a luxury but is fast becoming a necessity, just as many former luxuries are now necessities, and it is not such a far-fetched prediction to say that nearly every family will own an automobile, and horses will be used for cirens purposes only and made household pets. There are approximately one thousand automobiles owned in Buchanan County and prob- ably two hundred in Independence alone.
CRICKET CLUB
Away back in 1858 there was a Cricket Club in Independence; they met for practice every Saturday P. M. at 1 o'clock, at their grounds on the west side of the river, and held their regular weekly meetings at L. W. Hart's office every Saturday night.
O. H. P. Roszell was president and George B. Parsons, secretary.
The Independence Cricket Club played a match game with the Dyersville Club, at Independence, in JJuly, 1858. Dyersville won the game with but one wicket down. It was a very close and exeiting game. Another match game, between the married and single men proved equally exciting and interesting. but not very close, the single men defeating the married men by eleven. W
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Chandler and C. F. Putney were umpires. Great interest and excitement were manifested in these games.
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