Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
August 21, 1983
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Trotting Association organized in 1883
Terre Haute was once known as the acme of trotting races.
In 1883 the Terre Haute Trotting Association was organized by 10 men. The group later expanded to include about 75 members. Each member contributed substantial amounts of money to further the aim of the organization: to bring the best trotting races in the nation to Terre Haute.
In 1890 two million dollars worth of horses ran on the Terre Haute Mile Track where the Memorial Stadium now stands. The original construction cost of the track, $5,695.41, was borne by the Trotting Association. The land was owned by the county and held for the Vigo County Fair.
At the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, there are two souvenir posters of the meetings at the track. Horses were driven to high-wheeled, steel-tired sulkies with no wind break to protect the drivers. The posters list the names of the horses and their respective times. All times are the fastest recorded times at the track. Before photo-finishes and sophisticated cameras were used, the stop-watch determined times.
The posters were printed at Moore-Langen printers in Terre Haute with the compliments of Naylor’s Opera House.
The track was improved in 1897 at the cost of $2,000 to the Terre Haute Trotting Association. The profits and losses were divided equally among the members. Beneath the grandstand was a bar and all kinds of gambling booths. Transportation to the track began in hacks and carriages and then turned to steam and horse cars. By 1897, electric cars, sometimes known as street cars, could handle the large crowds that attended the annual meetings at the track.
The names of the officers of the Terre Haute Trotting Association are famous in Terre Haute business and political history. W.P. Ijams, W.L. Kidder, R.G. Watson and G.A. School bequeathed their names to businesses and streets throughout the area.
Perhaps the most famous horses on the track were Joe Patchem, Nancy Hanks, Alix, Carbonate, and Directly. Every fan, of course, had his favorite and these selections are open to questions.
Further details about the hey day of harness racing in Terre Haute may be found in the Spectator of Sept. 6, 1975, where Frances Hughes wrote about the great days of the Terre Haute Trotting Association.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.