Fleetwood Park Racetrack: Difference between revisions
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'''Fleetwood Park''' was a 19th-century [[harness racing]] (trotting) track in what is now the [[Morrisania, Bronx|Morrisania]] section of [[the Bronx]] in New York, United States. The races were a popular form of entertainment, drawing crowds as large as 10,000 from the surrounding area. One travel guide described the one-mile course as "the most famous trotting track in the country".<ref name=":8" /> |
'''Fleetwood Park''' was a 19th-century [[harness racing]] (trotting) track in what is now the [[Morrisania, Bronx|Morrisania]] section of [[the Bronx]] in New York, United States. The races were a popular form of entertainment, drawing crowds as large as 10,000 from the surrounding area. One travel guide described the one-mile course as "the most famous trotting track in the country".<ref name=":8" /> |
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The track operated under various managements between 1870 and 1898. Most notable was the '''New York Driving Club''', consisting of many wealthy businessmen of New York, including members of the [[Vanderbilt family|Vanderbilt]] and [[Rockefeller family|Rockefeller]] families. |
The track operated under various managements between 1870 and 1898. Most notable was the '''New York Driving Club''', consisting of many wealthy businessmen of New York, including members of the [[Vanderbilt family|Vanderbilt]] and [[Rockefeller family|Rockefeller]] families. |
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Economic pressures forced the track to close in 1898, and within two years the property was being subdivided into residential building lots. One of the few remaining vestiges of the track is the meandering route of 167th Street, which runs along a portion of the old racecourse. |
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== New York Driving Club == |
== New York Driving Club == |
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[[File:Grandstand_and_clubhouse_at_Fleetwood_Park.jpg|alt=Black and white illustration showing the grandstand with a row of supporting columns, raised on a earthen embankment above a curved section of the track. In the background is the clubhouse, with striped awnings.|thumb|Grandstand and clubhouse. ''The Horseman'', September 26, 1889.]] |
[[File:Grandstand_and_clubhouse_at_Fleetwood_Park.jpg|alt=Black and white illustration showing the grandstand with a row of supporting columns, raised on a earthen embankment above a curved section of the track. In the background is the clubhouse, with striped awnings.|thumb|Grandstand and clubhouse. ''The Horseman'', September 26, 1889.]] |
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For most of the track's lifetime, [[Harness racing|trotting]] races were run on the {{Convert|1|mi|adj=on}}<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=July 10, 1872|title=Fleetwood Park: Ten Thousand Persons Witness the Grand Trotting Contest|pages=5|work=[[The New York Herald]]|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1872-07-10/ed-1/seq-5/|access-date=December 5, 2021|issn=2474-3224|via=[[Library of Congress]]: Chronicling America|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205160751/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1872-07-10/ed-1/seq-5/|url-status=live}}</ref> oval by the New York Driving Club.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Wells |first=James Lee |url=http://archive.org/details/bronxitspeoplehi02well |title=The Bronx and its people; a history, 1609–1927 |publisher=The Lewis Historical Publishing Company |year=1927 |location=New York |lccn=27024588 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=704–705}} In 1892 ''The Sun's Guide to New York'' described Fleetwood as "the most famous trotting track in the country". It noted, however, that interest in harness racing by horse owners had waned, the track had "gone into a decline" |
For most of the track's lifetime, [[Harness racing|trotting]] races were run on the {{Convert|1|mi|adj=on}}<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=July 10, 1872|title=Fleetwood Park: Ten Thousand Persons Witness the Grand Trotting Contest|pages=5|work=[[The New York Herald]]|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1872-07-10/ed-1/seq-5/|access-date=December 5, 2021|issn=2474-3224|via=[[Library of Congress]]: Chronicling America|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205160751/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1872-07-10/ed-1/seq-5/|url-status=live}}</ref> oval by the New York Driving Club.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Wells |first=James Lee |url=http://archive.org/details/bronxitspeoplehi02well |title=The Bronx and its people; a history, 1609–1927 |publisher=The Lewis Historical Publishing Company |year=1927 |location=New York |lccn=27024588 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=704–705}} In 1892 ''The Sun's Guide to New York'' described Fleetwood as "the most famous trotting track in the country". It noted, however, that interest in harness racing by horse owners had waned, the track had "gone into a decline" that the single annual meeting was "not an important meeting" not part of harness racing's [[Grand Circuit]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j6U-AAAAYAAJ |title=The Sun's Guide to New York |publisher=R. Wayne Wilson and Company |year=1892 |location=Jersey City, New Jersey |pages=80 |language=en |oclc=1066578114 |access-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114232348/https://books.google.com/books?id=j6U-AAAAYAAJ&newbks=0&hl=en |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> track was admitted to the circuit the following year.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1893-01-25|title=Grand Circuit Trotting|language=en-US|page=3|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/01/25/archives/grand-circuit-trotting-dates-fixed-for-five-years-at-a-meeting.html|access-date=2022-01-14|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114232403/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/01/25/archives/grand-circuit-trotting-dates-fixed-for-five-years-at-a-meeting.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1893-07-31|title=Gossip of the Trotters; Making Fleetwood Ready for Grand Circuit Races.|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/07/31/archives/gossip-of-the-trotters-making-fleetwood-ready-for-grand-circuit.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114232426/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/07/31/archives/gossip-of-the-trotters-making-fleetwood-ready-for-grand-circuit.html|archive-date=January 14, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 5, 1894 |title=Flyers at Fleetwood Park |work=[[Los Angeles Herald]] |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH18940905.2.30&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |url-status=live |access-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114232426/https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH18940905.2.30&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |issn=1941-2975}}</ref> |
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=== Famous people === |
=== Famous people === |
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''The Sun's Guide'' lamented that the track was "famous more for the men who sent their horses there than for great races |
''The Sun's Guide'' lamented that the track was "famous more for the men who sent their horses there than for great races"<ref name=":8" /> Members of the club included [[William Kissam Vanderbilt|William K. Vanderbilt]], [[William Rockefeller Jr.|William Rockefeller]], [[William Collins Whitney|William C. Whitney]], [[Leonard Jerome]],<ref name=":2"> |
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{{Cite report |
{{Cite report |
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</ref> [[Oliver Belmont]], [[Cornelius Newton Bliss|Cornelius Bliss]], [[C. Oliver Iselin]], [[Abram Hewitt]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cole |first=Nathan A. |date=June 1900 |title=Early Road Driving and its Patrons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srIUAAAAYAAJ |journal=Outing |publisher=The Outing Publishing Company |volume=XXXVI |issue=3 |page=281 |issn=2836-6115 |via=Google Books |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823004925/https://books.google.com/books?id=srIUAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Nathan Straus]], with a total membership of over 500 by 1886.<ref name=":17">{{Cite journal |last=Ryder |first=Jill |date=May 1, 2017 |title=Did you know? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQBFDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22New+York+Driving+Club%22+%22Gentlemen%27s+Driving+Association%22&pg=PA135 |
</ref> [[Oliver Belmont]], [[Cornelius Newton Bliss|Cornelius Bliss]], [[C. Oliver Iselin]], [[Abram Hewitt]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cole |first=Nathan A. |date=June 1900 |title=Early Road Driving and its Patrons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srIUAAAAYAAJ |journal=Outing |publisher=The Outing Publishing Company |volume=XXXVI |issue=3 |page=281 |issn=2836-6115 |via=Google Books |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823004925/https://books.google.com/books?id=srIUAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Nathan Straus]], with a total membership of over 500 by 1886.<ref name=":17">{{Cite journal |last=Ryder |first=Jill |date=May 1, 2017 |title=Did you know? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQBFDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22New+York+Driving+Club%22+%22Gentlemen%27s+Driving+Association%22&pg=PA135 |journal=The Carriage Journal|publisher=The Carriage Association of America |volume=55 |issue=3 |page=135 |issn=0008-6916 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823004927/https://books.google.com/books?id=gQBFDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22New+York+Driving+Club%22+%22Gentlemen%27s+Driving+Association%22&pg=PA135 |archive-date= , |access-date=December , 2021 |via=[[ ]]}}</ref> |
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Newspaper publisher and trotting aficionado [[Robert E. Bonner|Robert Bonner]] had his stables nearby and at one point served as president of the New York Driving Club.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=705,753}}<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|date=May 11, 1895|title=Twenty-Five Years Old; Fleetwood Park Has Reached Its Silver Anniversary|language=en-US|page=6|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1895/05/11/archives/twentyfive-years-old-fleetwood-park-has-reached-its-silver.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205031105/https://www.nytimes.com/1895/05/11/archives/twentyfive-years-old-fleetwood-park-has-reached-its-silver.html|archive-date=December 5, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Comfort |first=Randall |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009582707 |title=History of Bronx borough, city of New York |publisher=North Side News Press |year=1906 |location=New York |lccn=06029984 |oclc=19473853 |access-date=December 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209182323/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009582707 |archive-date=December 9, 2021 |url-status=live |via=[[Hathi Trust]]}}</ref>{{Rp|page=165}} Bonner was well known for paying large sums for horses. In 1884 he bought Maud S. from [[William Henry Vanderbilt|William H. Vanderbilt]] (William K's father) for $40,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=40000|start_year=1884|r=-5|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maud S. |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/maud-s?__cf_chl_f_tk=oP.twy7WOeI3wwe4VymQn_ysdzbpPbpiHRmYhw6Yyv8-1642185254-0-gaNycGzNCL0 |access-date=2022-01-14 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame}}</ref>{{Inflation/fn|US}} Five years later, he purchased Sunol from [[Leland Stanford]] for a price which was only disclosed as being higher than he paid for Maud S.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1889-11-12|title=Bonner Buys Sunol|language=en-US|page=5|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/11/12/archives/bonner-buys-sunol-he-pays-leland-stanford-more-than-40000-for-the.html|access-date=2022-01-14|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823004927/https://www.nytimes.com/1889/11/12/archives/bonner-buys-sunol-he-pays-leland-stanford-more-than-40000-for-the.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Former US president [[Ulysses S. Grant]] often attended races at, and would sometimes drive horses on, the track.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gonzalez |first=David |date=2014-08-17 |title=In the Bronx, an Unlikely Sanctuary for Birds, and People |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/nyregion/in-the-bronx-an-unlikely-sanctuary-for-birds-and-people.html |url-status=live |access-date=2023-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322185357/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/nyregion/in-the-bronx-an-unlikely-sanctuary-for-birds-and-people.html |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":10"> |
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{{Cite report |url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/68.pdf |title=Archaeological Assessment, Criminal Court Facility, Block 2444 and 2445, Morrisania, Bronx |date=September 1994 |publisher=City of New York Department of General Services |location=New York |page=15 |id=tDAR (the Digital Archeological Record) id 362558 |access-date=August 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820185400/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/68.pdf |archive-date=August 20, 2023 |url-status=live |author-last=Kearns |author-first=Betsy W. |author2-last=Saunders |author2-first=Cece |author3-last=Schaefer |author3-first=Richard}} |
{{Cite report |url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/68.pdf |title=Archaeological Assessment, Criminal Court Facility, Block 2444 and 2445, Morrisania, Bronx |date=September 1994 |publisher=City of New York Department of General Services |location=New York |page=15 |id=tDAR (the Digital Archeological Record) id 362558 |access-date=August 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820185400/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/68.pdf |archive-date=August 20, 2023 |url-status=live |author-last=Kearns |author-first=Betsy W. |author2-last=Saunders |author2-first=Cece |author3-last=Schaefer |author3-first=Richard}} |
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</ref> Grant was [[Horsemanship of Ulysses S. Grant|a skilled horseman]] who could ride, drive and train |
</ref> Grant was [[Horsemanship of Ulysses S. Grant|a skilled horseman]] who could ride, drive and train .<ref>{{Cite book |last=Garland |first=Hamlin |url=http://archive.org/details/ulyssesgrant00garlrich |title=Ulysses S. Grant; his life and character |date=1898 |publisher=Doubleday & McClure co |location=New York |oclc=1158029817}}</ref>{{Rp|page=13}} Modern-day Grant Avenue, named after the president, racecourse the track it at E 164th Street.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=McNamara |first=John |url=http://archive.org/details/historyinasphalt0000mcna |title=History in Asphalt : the Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names |date= |publisher=[[Bronx County Historical Society]] |others= |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-941980-16-6 |edition=Third |location=Bronx, New York |pages= |access-date=2023-08-04 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=116–117}} Also named after the president was the Grant Hotel, where jockeys often stayed. was located across College Avenue from Robert Bonner's house.<ref name=":10" /> |
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=== Famous horses === |
=== Famous horses === |
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⚫ | Alix (1888–1901), known as the "Queen of the Turf", was the world trotting champion for six years<ref name=":16">{{Cite news |date=1893-11-20 |title=Alix and Directum; Both Exercised at Fleetwood for Their Match Race. |language=en-US |page=8 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/11/20/archives/alix-and-directum-both-exercised-at-fleetwood-for-their-match-race.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823192242/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/11/20/archives/alix-and-directum-both-exercised-at-fleetwood-for-their-match-race.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alix |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/alix |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321173943/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/alix |url-status=live }}</ref> Directum (1889–1909) at one time held the record for fastest heat by a four-year-old.<ref name=":16" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Directum |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/directum |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201165236/https://www.harnessmuseum.com/content/directum |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Goldsmith Maid]] (1857–1885) earned an estimated $364,200 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=364200|start_year=1885|r=-4|fmt=eq}}){{Inflation/fn|index=US}} over 13 years, which was a record for half a century.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1872-07-10 |title=The Great Trot.; American Girl Beats Goldsmith Maid at Fleetwood. |language=en-US |page=5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1872/07/10/archives/the-great-trot-american-girl-beats-goldsmith-maid-at-fleetwood-the.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405202731/https://www.nytimes.com/1872/07/10/archives/the-great-trot-american-girl-beats-goldsmith-maid-at-fleetwood-the.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Goldsmith Maid |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/goldsmith-maid |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322070047/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/goldsmith-maid |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Jay Eye See|Jay-Eye-See]] (1878–1909) and St. Julien (1869–1894) raced against each other on September 29, 1883.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1883-09-19 |title=The Driving Season Open; Looking Forward to the Great Trot at Fleetwood. Jay-Eye-See and St. Julien to be Matched. |language=en-US |page=8 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1883/09/19/archives/the-driving-season-open-looking-forward-to-the-great-trot-at.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823192156/https://www.nytimes.com/1883/09/19/archives/the-driving-season-open-looking-forward-to-the-great-trot-at.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jay-Eye-See |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/jay-eye-see |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322071836/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/jay-eye-see |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Julien |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/st-julien |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205195705/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/st-julien |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nancy Hanks (horse)|Nancy Hanks]] (1886–1915), owned by [[John Malcolm Forbes|John Malcom Forbes]], held a series of world record times including what was called "the greatest performance ever made in harness" at Fleetwood on September 1, 1893.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1893-09-01 |title=A Fast Mile by Nancy Hanks; She Trots Over the Fleetwood Track in 2:06 3/4. |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/09/01/archives/a-fast-mile-by-nancy-hanks-she-trots-over-the-fleetwood-track-in.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823192217/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/09/01/archives/a-fast-mile-by-nancy-hanks-she-trots-over-the-fleetwood-track-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nancy Hanks |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/nancy-hanks |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322065507/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/nancy-hanks |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Many well-known horses competed at Fleetwood. Perhaps the most famous was Maud S. (1874–1900), who held seven world record times set over the span of six years. Maud S. was renowned for the high price paid for her by Robert Bonner.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1883-06-24 |title=Vanderbilt at Fleetwood; He Takes a Spin Around the Track with Maud S. and Aldine. |language=en-US |page=10 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1883/06/24/archives/vanderbilt-at-fleetwood-he-takes-a-spin-around-the-track-with-maud.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823192154/https://www.nytimes.com/1883/06/24/archives/vanderbilt-at-fleetwood-he-takes-a-spin-around-the-track-with-maud.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maud S. |url=https://harnessmuseum.com/content/maud-s |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114190025/https://harnessmuseum.com/content/maud-s |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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⚫ | Alix (1888–1901), known as the "Queen of the Turf", was the world trotting champion for six years |
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=== Finances === |
=== Finances === |
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[[File:Robinson Manhattan and Bronx Plate 35 publ. 1885.jpg|thumb|1885 map showing the irregular shape of the racetrack. Proposed streets are shown by dashed lines; what is drawn as Overlook Ave is part of modern-day 167th Street.|alt=Sepia-toned historical map labeled "Part of Ward 23 New York City" Some areas show existing streets, buildings, and railroads. Other areas only show proposed future streets, with a largely open area labeled "New York Drivers Club".]] |
[[File:Robinson Manhattan and Bronx Plate 35 publ. 1885.jpg|thumb|1885 map showing the irregular shape of the racetrack. Proposed streets are shown by dashed lines; what is drawn as Overlook Ave is part of modern-day 167th Street.|alt=Sepia-toned historical map labeled "Part of Ward 23 New York City" Some areas show existing streets, buildings, and railroads. Other areas only show proposed future streets, with a largely open area labeled "New York Drivers Club".]] |
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[[File:Bronx Plate 35 OSM Overlay with Fleetwood Outline.jpg|thumb|Modern map showing the same area as the 1885 map, with the path of the racecourse outlined|alt=Map showing modern street layout using Open Street Map graphics, overlaid with an outline of the old racetrack.]] |
[[File:Bronx Plate 35 OSM Overlay with Fleetwood Outline.jpg|thumb|Modern map showing the same area as the 1885 map, with the path of the racecourse outlined|alt=Map showing modern street layout using Open Street Map graphics, overlaid with an outline of the old racetrack.]] |
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Fleetwood Park was located in the town of Morrisania, [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] (now the [[Morrisania, Bronx|Morrisania]] section of [[the Bronx]]), adjacent to Railroad (now Park) Avenue between 2nd and 5th Streets. This corresponds to between Webster and Sheridan Avenues and 165th and 167th Street on the modern Bronx street grid.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Ultan |first=Lloyd |date=September 26, 2013 |title=The Other Racetrack |page=5 |work=[[Riverdale Review]] |url=https://issuu.com/theriverdalereview/docs/riverdale_09_26_2013 |url-status=live |access-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209195044/https://issuu.com/theriverdalereview/docs/riverdale_09_26_2013 |archive-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref> |
Fleetwood Park was located in the town of Morrisania, [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] (now the [[Morrisania, Bronx|Morrisania]] section of [[the Bronx]]), adjacent to Railroad (now Park) Avenue between 2nd and 5th Streets. This corresponds to between Webster and Sheridan Avenues and 165th and 167th Street on the modern Bronx street grid.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Ultan |first=Lloyd |date=September 26, 2013 |title=The Other Racetrack |page=5 |work=[[Riverdale Review]] |url=https://issuu.com/theriverdalereview/docs/riverdale_09_26_2013 |url-status=live |access-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209195044/https://issuu.com/theriverdalereview/docs/riverdale_09_26_2013 |archive-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref> |
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The covered grandstand, clubhouse, judges' stand, and other buildings were clustered along the southwest corner of the track, adjacent to Sheridan Ave.<ref name=":9" /> The clubhouse was a [[Second Empire architecture in Europe|French Second Empire]]-style building which overlooked the track.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=4}} ''[[Valentine's Manual]]'' described the park as "the broad acres of that well-known rendezvous of all lovers of the turf".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Comfort |first=Randall |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6274889_000/ |title=Valentine's Manual of Old New York |publisher=Valentine's Manual Inc |year=1923 |editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Henry Collins |edition=No 7, New Series |location=New York |pages=242 |chapter=Old Mansions of the West Bronx |oclc=1008770607 |access-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214184042/http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6274889_000/ |archive-date=February 14, 2022 |url-status=live |via=Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections}}</ref> |
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The ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' variously described the track as "oddly-shaped"<ref name=":7" /> and "queer-shaped".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1896-09-03 |title=Gentry's Great Pacing; Breaks the Record for the Fastest Three Heats. |language=en-US |pages=7 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1896/09/03/archives/gentrys-great-pacing-breaks-the-record-for-the-fastest-three-heats.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422214928/https://www.nytimes.com/1896/09/03/archives/gentrys-great-pacing-breaks-the-record-for-the-fastest-three-heats.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A 1882 map shows it as roughly rectangular with a bulge on one side, yielding five turns – four to the left and one to the right, if run counter-clockwise.<ref name=":9">{{cite web|last1=Robinson|first1=Elisha|last2=Pidgeon|first2=Roger|date=1885|via=The New York Public Library Digital Collections |title=Plate 35: Bounded by .....N. Third Avenue, 161st Street, Jerome Avenue, Harlem River and Depot Place|url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-0a63-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99|publisher=E. Robinson Co.|accessdate=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114022907/https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-0a63-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99|url-status=live}}</ref> Modern-day 167th Street diverges from the otherwise rectilinear grid; the oblique portion of the street's route follows the northern leg of the racecourse.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=4}} |
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== Timeline == |
== Timeline == |
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=== Prior to Fleetwood Park === |
=== Prior to Fleetwood Park === |
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⚫ | The name Fleetwood has been associated with this area since at least 1850, when the New York Industrial Home Association No. 1 was organized as a [[cooperative]] to build homes for "tradesmen, employees, and other persons of small means".<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Shonnard |first=Frederic |url=http://archive.org/details/historyofwestche00inshon |title=History of Westchester County, New York, from its earliest settlement to the year 1900 |last2=Spooner |first2=Walter Whipple |date= |publisher=New York History Co. |others= |year=1900 |location=New York |pages=578-581 |oclc=1046597892 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Monticello was originally chosen as the name for this new settlement, although Fleetwood was one of several in consideration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hufeland |first=Otto |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx2par |title=Early Mount Vernon |publisher=Mount Vernon Public Library |year=1940 |location=Mount Vernon, New York |pages=16 |oclc=6326955 |via=[[Hathi Trust]] |access-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005005/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx2par |url-status=live }}</ref> This was soon changed to Monticello City, and again in 1851 to [[Mount Vernon, New York|Mount Vernon]].<ref name=":12" /> By 1852, however, newspaper advertisements were being placed which referred to the development as Fleetwood Village.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 1852 |title=Excursion to Fleetwood (advertisement) |page=5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-excursion-to-fleetwoo/130334566/ |-= |-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822122648/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-excursion-to-fleetwoo/130334566/ |-= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 26, 1853 |title=Excursion to Fleetwood (advertisement) |page=7 |work=[[New York Daily Herald]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-daily-herald-excursion-to-fleet/130333759/ |access-date=August 22, 2023 |issn=2474-3232 |archive-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822124134/https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-daily-herald-excursion-to-fleet/130333759/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1895, the [[Harlem Railroad|Harlem Railroad Company]] was also using the name Fleetwood in reference to a new rail station they were considering building in the area.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1855-01-09 |title=New Railroad Proposed to Fleetwood--Meeting in Morrisania. (Published 1855) |language=en |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1855/01/09/archives/new-railroad-proposed-to-fleetwoodmeeting-in-morrisania.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-19 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819211417/https://www.nytimes.com/1855/01/09/archives/new-railroad-proposed-to-fleetwoodmeeting-in-morrisania.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Horses had been raced near this location as early as 1750, on a racecourse built by [[Staats Long Morris]], who took advantage of the relatively level land. The exact location of his track is unclear; it may have occupied the same area as the later Fleetwood Park track, or it may have been a few blocks further north, adjacent to what is now [[Claremont Park]].<ref name=":10" /> It is unknown how long the Morris track lasted, and there is no further record of racing in the immediate area until 1870.<ref name=":2" /> |
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⚫ | The name Fleetwood has been associated with this area since at least 1850, when the New York Industrial Home Association No. 1 was organized as a [[cooperative]] to build homes for "tradesmen, employees, and other persons of small means".<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Shonnard |first=Frederic |url=http://archive.org/details/historyofwestche00inshon |title=History of Westchester County, New York, from its earliest settlement to the year 1900 |last2=Spooner |first2=Walter Whipple |date= |publisher=New York History Co. |others= |year=1900 |location=New York |pages=578-581 |oclc=1046597892 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Monticello was originally chosen as the name for this new settlement, although Fleetwood was one of several in consideration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hufeland |first=Otto |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx2par |title=Early Mount Vernon |publisher=Mount Vernon Public Library |year=1940 |location=Mount Vernon, New York |pages=16 |oclc=6326955 |via=[[Hathi Trust]] |access-date=August 22, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005005/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx2par |url-status=live }}</ref> This was soon changed to Monticello City, and again in 1851 to [[Mount Vernon, New York|Mount Vernon]].<ref name=":12" /> By 1852, however, newspaper advertisements were being placed which referred to the development as Fleetwood Village.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 1852 |title=Excursion to Fleetwood (advertisement) |page=5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-excursion-to-fleetwoo/130334566/ | |
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=== Fleetwood era === |
=== Fleetwood era === |
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In 1870, William Morris leased part of his estate to two brothers, Henry and Philip Dater,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> for a 20-year term.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Stephen |url=http://archive.org/details/storybronxfromp00jenkgoog |title=The story of the Bronx from the purchase made by the Dutch from the Indians in 1639 to the present day |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons / The Knickerbocker Press |year=1912 |location=New York, London |oclc=671676183 |ol=16491842W |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|page=289}} The Daters opened a track on June 8, 1871, on the grounds of what had previously been the Morris Manor.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Floyd-Jones |first=Thomas |url=http://archive.org/details/backwardglancesr00floy |title=Backward glances; reminiscences of an old New-Yorker |date= |publisher=Printed by the Unionist Gazette Association |others= |year=1914 |location=New York |pages=117-120 |lccn=14016972 |ol=23279932M |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> At the time, this was still the Town of Morrisania, in Westchester County; it was annexed into New York City as the borough of the Bronx in 1874.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Alexandra |date=2017-05-25 |title=The Last County: The Bronx |url=https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2017/5/25/the-last-county-the-bronx |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=NYC Department of Records & Information Services |language=en-US |archive-date=October 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029212515/https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2017/5/25/the-last-county-the-bronx |url-status=live }}</ref> The venture failed and the property reverted to Morris in 1880.<ref name=":2" /> |
In 1870, William Morris leased part of his estate to two brothers, Henry and Philip Dater,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> for a 20-year term.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Stephen |url=http://archive.org/details/storybronxfromp00jenkgoog |title=The story of the Bronx from the purchase made by the Dutch from the Indians in 1639 to the present day |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons / The Knickerbocker Press |year=1912 |location=New York, London |oclc=671676183 |ol=16491842W |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|page=289}} The Daters opened a track on June 8, 1871, on the grounds of what had previously been the Morris Manor.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Floyd-Jones |first=Thomas |url=http://archive.org/details/backwardglancesr00floy |title=Backward glances; reminiscences of an old New-Yorker |date= |publisher=Printed by the Unionist Gazette Association |others= |year=1914 |location=New York |pages=117-120 |lccn=14016972 |ol=23279932M |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> At the time, this was still the Town of Morrisania, in Westchester County; it was annexed into New York City as the borough of the Bronx in 1874.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Alexandra |date=2017-05-25 |title=The Last County: The Bronx |url=https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2017/5/25/the-last-county-the-bronx |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=NYC Department of Records & Information Services |language=en-US |archive-date=October 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029212515/https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2017/5/25/the-last-county-the-bronx |url-status=live }}</ref> The venture failed and the property reverted to Morris in 1880.<ref name=":2" /> was leased in 1881 to the New York Driving Club (Gentlemen's Driving Association in some sources),<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 4, 1882|title=Gentlemen's Driving Association|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1882/04/04/archives/gentlemens-driving-association.html|access-date=December 9, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209230833/https://www.nytimes.com/1882/04/04/archives/gentlemens-driving-association.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":17" /> who ran the track as Fleetwood Park.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=705}} |
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The ''New York Times'' observed in 1895 that the track had reached 25 years of continuous operation that year, outlasting many of the other trotting tracks of its day. The paper noted that $200,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=200000|start_year=1881|r=-5|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} had been invested in grading the terrain of the Morris estate to make it suitable for racing. A depression at the southeastern end had been filled and rocks at the northern end had to be removed by blasting and cutting. In 1896, the New York Driving Club renewed the lease with a $2,500 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=2500|start_year=1896|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} reduction in rent.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 3, 1896 |title=Active Trotting Men |page=10 |work=The Journal |publication-place=New York |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84031792/1896-02-03/ed-1/?sp=10&r=0.555,0.619,0.411,0.32,0 |url-status=live |access-date=December 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206142351/https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84031792/1896-02-03/ed-1/?sp=10&r=0.555,0.619,0.411,0.32,0 |archive-date=December 6, 2021 |lccn=sn84031792 |via=[[Library of Congress]]: Journaling America}}</ref> |
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Pressure from real-estate developers led to the track being closed the next year with the last race meeting held on October 8, 1897.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Frederic Taber |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zcs3AQAAIAAJ&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22+baseball+bronx&pg=PA519 |title=Rider's New York City: A Guide-book for Travelers |date= |publisher=H. Holt |year=1923 |edition=2nd |location=New York |pages=519 |language=en |oclc=1487139 |access-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005455/https://books.google.com/books?id=Zcs3AQAAIAAJ&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22+baseball+bronx&pg=PA519 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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=== Contemporaneous race tracks in the Bronx === |
=== Contemporaneous race tracks in the Bronx === |
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[[Jerome Park Racetrack|Jerome Park,]] a thoroughbred track, was opened in 1866 and operated until 1890. It was about {{Convert|3|mile}} north of Fleetwood Park, where [[Jerome Park Reservoir]] is now located.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jerome Park |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/jerome-park/history |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=NYC Department of Parks & Recreation |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927105334/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/jerome-park/history |url-status=live }}</ref> |
[[Jerome Park Racetrack|Jerome Park,]] a thoroughbred track, was opened in 1866 and operated until 1890. It was about {{Convert|3|mile}} north of Fleetwood Park, where [[Jerome Park Reservoir]] is now located.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jerome Park |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/jerome-park/history |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=NYC Department of Parks & Recreation |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927105334/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/jerome-park/history |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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== Non-racing uses == |
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[[Morris Park Racecourse|Morris Park]], also for thoroughbreds, was located about {{Convert|3|mile}} east of Fleetwood, in what is now the [[Morris Park, Bronx|Morris Park neighborhood]] of the Bronx. Morris Park operated from 1889 to 1904.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 21, 1889 |title=Geraldine's New Record; Made Yesterday at the New Race Track. A Most Successful Opening Day at the Finest Race Track in the World |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/08/21/archives/geraldines-new-record-made-yesterday-at-the-new-race-track-a-most.html |access-date=2009-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821153639/https://www.nytimes.com/1889/08/21/archives/geraldines-new-record-made-yesterday-at-the-new-race-track-a-most.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 16, 1904 |title=Record Was Broken at Morris Park's Last Day; Artful Set a New World's Mark for Six Furlongs Down the Hill |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1904/10/16/archives/record-was-broken-at-morris-parks-last-day-artful-set-a-new-worlds.html |access-date=2009-08-23 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821153640/https://www.nytimes.com/1904/10/16/archives/record-was-broken-at-morris-parks-last-day-artful-set-a-new-worlds.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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⚫ | When races were not being held, the grounds were used for other activities, including youth baseball games.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 19, 1900 |title=Sports and Sportsmen |page=4 (column 1) |work=The Jersey City News |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87068097/1900-07-19/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1777&index=1&rows=20&words=Bronx+Fleetwood+Park&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22fleetwood+park%22+bronx&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |url-status=live |access-date=December 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208173032/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87068097/1900-07-19/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1777&index=1&rows=20&words=Bronx+Fleetwood+Park&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22fleetwood+park%22+bronx&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |issn=2688-7037 |via=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> In 1888, a winter carnival was set up, with toboggan slides, lighting, and music<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=January 1, 1888 |title=Sport at Fleetwood Park |language=en-US |pages=12 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1888/01/01/archives/sport-at-fleetwood-park.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322164434/https://www.nytimes.com/1888/01/01/archives/sport-at-fleetwood-park.html |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Pigeon shooting]] contests involving live birds and [[shotgun]]s were held.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sprechman |first1=Jordan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bXJgqTXTelsC&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22+pigeon+morrisania&pg=PA146 |title=This Day in New York Sports |last2=Shannon |first2=Bill |date=1998 |publisher=Sports Publishing Inc. |isbn=978-1-57167-254-4 |location=Champaign, Illinois |pages=146 |language=en |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005433/https://books.google.com/books?id=bXJgqTXTelsC&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22+pigeon+morrisania&pg=PA146 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V0NAAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22++Ira+Paine&pg=PA50 |title=Brentano's Aquatic Monthly and Sporting Gazetteer |date=April 1879 |publisher=August Brentano, Jr. |location=New York |pages=49–50 |language=en |issn=2324-6227 |oclc=10081652 |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005433/https://books.google.com/books?id=V0NAAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22fleetwood+park%22++Ira+Paine&pg=PA50 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> An 1897 New York City ordinance forbid the discharge of firearms within the city, with Fleetwood Park noted as one of the specific areas exempted from the prohibition.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=me5FAQAAMAAJ |title=Proceedings of the Board of Aldermen of the City of New York from October 2 to December 31, 1906 |date=1906 |publisher=Board of Aldermen |volume=IV |location=New York |pages=111 |language=en |oclc=22091780 |access-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005433/https://books.google.com/books?id=me5FAQAAMAAJ |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> exemption was deleted from the ordinance in 1906, that the was "no longer used as a shooting ground".<ref> |
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⚫ | In 1889, Fleetwood Park and nearby Claremont Park were considered as possible sites for 1892 [[World's Fair]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 21, 1889 |title=Another Good Fair Site; Advantages of Claremont and Fleetwood Parks. Lands Adapted by Nature and Approved by Engineers for Such a Purpose |language=en-US |page=16 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/07/21/archives/another-good-fair-site-advantages-of-claremont-and-fleetwood-parks.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203031837/https://www.nytimes.com/1889/07/21/archives/another-good-fair-site-advantages-of-claremont-and-fleetwood-parks.html |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 18, 1889 |title=Looking at Various Sites; Trying to Find a Place for the Great Fair. |language=en-US |page=8 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/09/18/archives/looking-at-various-sites-trying-to-find-a-place-for-the-great-fair.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203031836/https://www.nytimes.com/1889/09/18/archives/looking-at-various-sites-trying-to-find-a-place-for-the-great-fair.html |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The fair was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the [[New World]]. In 1890, however, the US Congress designated [[Chicago]] as the host city for the [[World's Columbian Exposition]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Robert C. |title=On This Day: Father Knickerbocker |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/harp/0208.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206210724/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/harp/0208.html |archive-date=December 6, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |
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== - == |
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⚫ | When races were not being held, the grounds were used for other activities, including youth baseball games.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 19, 1900 |title=Sports and Sportsmen |page=4 (column 1) |work=The Jersey City News |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87068097/1900-07-19/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1777&index=1&rows=20&words=Bronx+Fleetwood+Park&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22fleetwood+park%22+bronx&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |url-status=live |access-date=December 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208173032/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87068097/1900-07-19/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1777&index=1&rows=20&words=Bronx+Fleetwood+Park&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22fleetwood+park%22+bronx&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |issn=2688-7037 |via=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> In 1888, a winter carnival was set up, with toboggan slides, lighting, and music |
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{{Cite report |url=http://cityrecord.engineering.nyu.edu/data/1906/1906-04-26.pdf |title=The City Record: Motions, Ordinances and Resolutions |date=April 26, 1906 |page=3964 |access-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620114451/http://cityrecord.engineering.nyu.edu/data/1906/1906-04-26.pdf |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 1889, Fleetwood Park and nearby Claremont Park were considered as possible sites for |
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=== Post-closure === |
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The track was permanently closed on January 1, 1898, when the city began constructing streets on the property.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=4}}<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=705}} By the end of that month, the New York Driving Club had met to consider building a new track, with two possible locations under consideration. One site of {{Convert|105|acre}} was near Mount Vernon, served by William's Bridge Road, Boston Road, and the Harlem River Railroad. The other site, with {{Convert|77.7|acre}}, was about {{convert|2|mi}} closer to the city, along [[Pelham Parkway|the Bronx and Pelham Parkway]], not far from the Morris Park track. The latter was preferred by most of the membership.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |date=1898-01-20 |title=New Trotting Track.; The New York Driving Club Has Decided to Replace the Old Fleetwood Grounds. |language=en |page=4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/01/20/archives/new-trotting-track-the-new-york-driving-club-has-decided-to-replace.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/01/20/archives/new-trotting-track-the-new-york-driving-club-has-decided-to-replace.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1898-03-03 |title=The New Fleetwood Track.; The Driving Club of New York Will Soon Decide Upon the Location for Its Grounds. |language=en |page=4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/03/03/archives/the-new-fleetwood-track-the-driving-club-of-new-york-will-soon.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/03/03/archives/the-new-fleetwood-track-the-driving-club-of-new-york-will-soon.html?smid=url-share |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |date=1898-04-09 |title=New York Driving Club; The Sub-Committee Reports Upon Two Sites for a New Mile Trotting Track. |language=en |page=10 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/04/09/archives/new-york-driving-club-the-subcommittee-reports-upon-two-sites-for-a.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/04/09/archives/new-york-driving-club-the-subcommittee-reports-upon-two-sites-for-a.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref> Alfred De Cordova, who had been elected president, stated:<ref name=":14" /> |
The track was permanently closed on January 1, 1898, when the city began constructing streets on the property.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=4}}<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=705}} By the end of that month, the New York Driving Club had met to consider building a new track, with two possible locations under consideration. One site of {{Convert|105|acre}} was near Mount Vernon, served by William's Bridge Road, Boston Road, and the Harlem River Railroad. The other site, with {{Convert|77.7|acre}}, was about {{convert|2|mi}} closer to the city, along [[Pelham Parkway|the Bronx and Pelham Parkway]], not far from the Morris Park track. The latter was preferred by most of the membership.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |date=1898-01-20 |title=New Trotting Track.; The New York Driving Club Has Decided to Replace the Old Fleetwood Grounds. |language=en |page=4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/01/20/archives/new-trotting-track-the-new-york-driving-club-has-decided-to-replace.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/01/20/archives/new-trotting-track-the-new-york-driving-club-has-decided-to-replace.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1898-03-03 |title=The New Fleetwood Track.; The Driving Club of New York Will Soon Decide Upon the Location for Its Grounds. |language=en |page=4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/03/03/archives/the-new-fleetwood-track-the-driving-club-of-new-york-will-soon.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/03/03/archives/the-new-fleetwood-track-the-driving-club-of-new-york-will-soon.html?smid=url-share |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |date=1898-04-09 |title=New York Driving Club; The Sub-Committee Reports Upon Two Sites for a New Mile Trotting Track. |language=en |page=10 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/04/09/archives/new-york-driving-club-the-subcommittee-reports-upon-two-sites-for-a.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/04/09/archives/new-york-driving-club-the-subcommittee-reports-upon-two-sites-for-a.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref> Alfred De Cordova, who had been elected president, stated:<ref name=":14" /> |
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{{Quote|text=We intend to give the new city a driving track that will be a credit to it. The grand stand and stables will be as commodious as any in the country, and when the track is completed the horsemen will will see old Fleetwood rise phoenix like, only the new track will be greatly superior to the old}} |
{{Quote|text=We intend to give the new city a driving track that will be a credit to it. The grand stand and stables will be as commodious as any in the country, and when the track is completed the horsemen will will see old Fleetwood rise phoenix like, only the new track will be greatly superior to the old}} |
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⚫ | Within a few years of Fleetwood , the property was divided into building lots by realestate developers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 10, 1904|title=In the Real Estate Field; Operator Buyer of Blocks Sold by Elevated Railroad|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1904/03/10/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-operator-buyer-of-blocks-sold-by-elevated.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209153554/https://www.nytimes.com/1904/03/10/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-operator-buyer-of-blocks-sold-by-elevated.html|archive-date=December 9, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In August 1900, the clubhouse was the only structure left standing, the Union Republican Club moving the building to their property on 164th Street.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 4, 1900 |title=Gosip of the Week |url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_026_7.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Real Estate Record and Builders Guide |volume=LXVI |page=146 (col 2) |pages= |lccn= |oclc=307625209 |ol=OL25510233M |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627193745/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_026_7.pdf |archive-date=June 27, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2022 |via=Columbia University Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1900-08-01 |title=May Move Club Building.; Thirty-fifth District Republicans Are Negotiating. |language=en |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/08/01/archives/may-move-club-building-thirtyfifth-district-republicans-are.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234004/https://www.nytimes.com/1900/08/01/archives/may-move-club-building-thirtyfifth-district-republicans-are.html?smid=url-share |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The first part of the property to be developed was the block of Clay Avenue between 165th and 166th Streets, with thirty-two [[semi-detached]] houses and three apartment buildings erected between 1901 and 1910. This block is now the Clay Avenue Historic District.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-03-06|title=Bronx Landmarks: Clay Avenue|url=https://hdc.org/hdc-across-nyc/bronx/hd-map/bronx-landmarks-clay-avenue/|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Historic Districts Council|language=en-US|archive-date=January 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115022137/https://hdc.org/hdc-across-nyc/bronx/hd-map/bronx-landmarks-clay-avenue/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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He noted that while the men in the club were "wealthy enough and ardent enough" that they could raise the entire cost of the new track by themselves, with four or five members able to immediately contribute $150,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=150000|start_year=1898|r=-5|fmt=eq}}){{Inflation/fn|US}}, the club intended to issue [[bond (finance)|bonds]].<ref name=":14" /> It was estimated that the total cost to complete the track would be $280,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=280000|start_year=1898|r=-5|fmt=eq}}).<ref name=":15" />{{Inflation/fn|US}} |
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Despite these proclamations, by the end of 1898, it was announced that the new track would be built in Yonkers and operated by William H. Clark.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1898-12-02 |title=The New Trotting Track; Ground for a Course Near Yonkers Will Be Broken Monday. |language=en |page=5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1898/12/02/archives/the-new-trotting-track-ground-for-a-course-near-yonkers-will-be.html?searchResultPosition=10 |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821234001/https://www.nytimes.com/1898/12/02/archives/the-new-trotting-track-ground-for-a-course-near-yonkers-will-be.html?searchResultPosition=10 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1899 the Empire City Trotting Club began operations at [[Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino|Yonkers Raceway]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yonkers Raceway |url=https://www.yonkers-raceway.info/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511020809/https://www.yonkers-raceway.info/ |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |access-date=December 5, 2021 |website=yonkers-raceway.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Horse Racing |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/SPORT-HORSERACE.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205032922/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/SPORT-HORSERACE.html |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Within a few years of Fleetwood |
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What is modern-day Teller Avenue was originally named Fleetwood Avenue, after the track. The name was changed to Teller Avenue in 1871, honoring Richard H. Teller, one of the commissioners of Morrisania.<ref name=":11" />{{Rp|page=237}} |
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== Transportation == |
== Transportation == |
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[[File:Going To The Trot by Thomas Kelly.webp|thumb|''Going to the Trot'' by Thomas Kelly, depicting "well dressed" men and women arriving at the track.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Going to the Trot |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_326078 |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=National Museum of American History |language=en |archive-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411180422/https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_326078 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1870 (New York).|alt=A hand colored print of horses and carriages in a traffic-jam on a dirt road leading to a race track (Fleetwood Park, NY). The men and women are well dressed. Vehicles include sulkys, a deep side box buggy, and a coach for four passengers and three liverymen. The roadside house has shattered windows, a shed roof, a veranda, and a semicircular vent in the attic. The grandstand has two balconies. A park in the distance is enclosed by a picket fence. The surrounding area has wooded rolling hills.]] |
[[File:Going To The Trot by Thomas Kelly.webp|thumb|''Going to the Trot'' by Thomas Kelly, depicting "well dressed" men and women arriving at the track.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Going to the Trot |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_326078 |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=National Museum of American History |language=en |archive-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411180422/https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_326078 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1870 (New York).|alt=A hand colored print of horses and carriages in a traffic-jam on a dirt road leading to a race track (Fleetwood Park, NY). The men and women are well dressed. Vehicles include sulkys, a deep side box buggy, and a coach for four passengers and three liverymen. The roadside house has shattered windows, a shed roof, a veranda, and a semicircular vent in the attic. The grandstand has two balconies. A park in the distance is enclosed by a picket fence. The surrounding area has wooded rolling hills.]] |
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Attendance at races |
Attendance at races as as 10,000 spectators. The most convenient way to get to the track was by train from [[Grand Central Terminal|Grand Central]] to nearby [[Melrose station]],<ref name=":8" /> with the trip taking 15 minutes.<ref name=":6" /> People also came by carriage from New York City, or steamboat from [[Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn|Fulton Market slip]] in Brooklyn and [[South Street Seaport|Peck slip]] in Manhattan to the Morrisania dock from which they made connections via horse-drawn coaches.<ref name=":4" /> A [[Tram|streetcar]] line known as the North Third Avenue and Fleetwood Park Railroad (later merged into the [[Union Railway (Bronx)|Union Railway]]) ran from 138th Street to the Fleetwood Park entrance.<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 6, 1892|title=The Huckleberry Road; Consolidation Agreement is Filed in Albany|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1892/07/06/archives/the-huckleberry-road-consolidation-agreement-is-filed-in-albany-the.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209160714/https://www.nytimes.com/1892/07/06/archives/the-huckleberry-road-consolidation-agreement-is-filed-in-albany-the.html|archive-date=December 9, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=https://archive.org/details/compilationofleg00unio |title=Compilation of Legislative Acts, Municipal Grants, &c. constituting the Charter of said Company, also of the Harlem Bridge, Morrisania and Fordham Railway Company, the Melrose and West Morrisanias Railroad Company, and the North Third Avenue and Fleetwood Park Railroad Company. |publisher=Union Railway Company of New York City |year=1900 |location=New York |oclc=1042523036 |id=ark:/13960/t26b1vk7c |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Rp|page=169}} |
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== Mishaps == |
== Mishaps == |
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⚫ | On March 2, 1870, [[nitroglycerin]] used to clear into rock fissures beyond the intended location. The next day, this exploded when workmen a crowbar. One man was killed and several others were seriously injured.<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |date=1870-03-03 |title=Nitro-Glycerine Slaughter; Terrible Explosion at Morrisania yesterday |language=en |page=5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1870/03/03/archives/nitroglycerine-slaughter-terrible-explosion-at-morrisania-yesterday.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2023-08-19 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819205610/https://www.nytimes.com/1870/03/03/archives/nitroglycerine-slaughter-terrible-explosion-at-morrisania-yesterday.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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⚫ | fire on October 15, 1893, discovered at 8:00{{nbsp}}am. Two worth $10,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=10000|start_year=1893|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} another horse and his keeper were injured. Total damages to the buildings and horses was $20,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=20000|start_year=1873|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}).<ref>{{Cite news|date=1893-10-16|title=Valuable Horses Burned; Two Trotters Lose Their Lives at Fleetwood Park|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/10/16/archives/valuable-horses-burned-two-trotters-lose-their-lives-at-fleetwood.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114021518/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/10/16/archives/valuable-horses-burned-two-trotters-lose-their-lives-at-fleetwood.html|archive-date=January 14, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news|date=1893-11-27|title=Fleetwood's Prosperous Season|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1893/11/27/archives/fleetwoods-prosperous-season-the-track-leased-for-two-years-more-by.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114021615/https://www.nytimes.com/1893/11/27/archives/fleetwoods-prosperous-season-the-track-leased-for-two-years-more-by.html|archive-date=January 14, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>{{Inflation/fn|US}} 40 stalls were destroyed, which the club rebuilt. An additional 25 to 30 stalls were added, bringing the total to about 300.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1894-03-05 |title=Timely Trotting Topics; Improvements at Fleetwood Park |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1894/03/05/archives/timely-trotting-topics-improvements-at-fleetwood-park-short-races.html |access-date=2022-01-14 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823005433/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/03/05/archives/timely-trotting-topics-improvements-at-fleetwood-park-short-races.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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=== Construction accidents === |
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On January 12, 1870, two men were seriously injured when a blasting charge exploded prematurely. The men had prepared the charge and were about to ignite it when it exploded due to an unknown cause.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1870-01-13 |title=Premature Explosion of a Blast--Two men Injured. |language=en |page=8 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1870/01/13/archives/premature-explosion-of-a-blasttwo-men-injured.html?smid=url-share |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819210119/https://www.nytimes.com/1870/01/13/archives/premature-explosion-of-a-blasttwo-men-injured.html?smid=url-share |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |
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⚫ | On March 2, 1870, [[nitroglycerin]] |
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=== Fires === |
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On June 15, 1873, an early morning fire in the [[Stable|stables]] destroyed 48 stalls, causing an estimated $12,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=12000|start_year=1873|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} damage to the building, plus unknown damages to [[Sulky|sulkies]] and other racing gear. Two horses worth a total of $11,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=11000|start_year=1873|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} were killed.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1873-06-17|title=Fire at Fleetwood Park Stables Loss $25,000.|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1873/06/17/archives/fire-at-fleetwood-park-stables-loss-25000.html|access-date=2022-01-14|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114021505/https://www.nytimes.com/1873/06/17/archives/fire-at-fleetwood-park-stables-loss-25000.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
== References == |
== References == |
Revision as of 14:40, 24 August 2023
![]() A Good Send Off. Lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1872 (New York) | |
Location | Morrisania, Bronx, New York, US |
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Coordinates | 40°50′N 73°55′W / 40.83°N 73.92°W |
Operated by | New York Driving Club |
Date opened | June 8, 1871 |
Date closed | January 1, 1898 |
Race type | Trotting |
Fleetwood Park was a 19th-century harness racing (trotting) track in what is now the Morrisania section of the Bronx in New York, United States. The races were a popular form of entertainment, drawing crowds as large as 10,000 from the surrounding area. One travel guide described the one-mile course as "the most famous trotting track in the country".[1]
The track operated under various managements between 1870 and 1898. Most notable was the New York Driving Club, consisting of many wealthy businessmen of New York, including members of the Vanderbilt and Rockefeller families. Economic pressures forced the track to close in 1898, and within two years the property was being subdivided into residential building lots. One of the few remaining vestiges of the track is the meandering route of 167th Street, which runs along a portion of the old racecourse.
New York Driving Club
![Black and white illustration showing the grandstand with a row of supporting columns, raised on a earthen embankment above a curved section of the track. In the background is the clubhouse, with striped awnings.](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Grandstand_and_clubhouse_at_Fleetwood_Park.jpg/220px-Grandstand_and_clubhouse_at_Fleetwood_Park.jpg)
For most of the track's lifetime, trotting races were run on the 1-mile (1.6 km)[2] oval by the New York Driving Club (NYDC).[3]: 704–705 In 1892 The Sun's Guide to New York described Fleetwood as "the most famous trotting track in the country".[1] It noted, however, that interest in harness racing by horse owners had waned, and that the track had "gone into a decline".[1] It argued that the single annual meeting was "not an important meeting", not being part of harness racing's Grand Circuit.[1] However, the track was admitted to the circuit the following year.[4][5][6]
Famous people
The Sun's Guide lamented that the track was "famous more for the men who sent their horses there than for great races".[1] Members of the club included William K. Vanderbilt, William Rockefeller, William C. Whitney, Leonard Jerome,[7] Oliver Belmont, Cornelius Bliss, C. Oliver Iselin, Abram Hewitt[8] and Nathan Straus, with a total membership of over 500 by 1886.[9] Newspaper publisher and trotting aficionado Robert Bonner had his stables nearby and at one point served as president of the NYDC.[3]: 705, 753 [10][11]: 165 Bonner was well known for paying large sums for horses; in 1884 he bought Maud S. from William H. Vanderbilt (William K.'s father) for $40,000 (equivalent to $1,400,000 in 2023).[12][13] Five years later, he purchased Sunol from Leland Stanford for an unknown price only disclosed as being higher than that of Maud S.[14] Other notable attendees included former US president Ulysses S. Grant, who sometimes also drive horses at the track.[15][16] Grant was a skilled horseman who could ride, drive and train them as required.[17]: 13 Modern-day Grant Avenue, named after the president, disects the old racecourse; the track crossed it at what is now E 164th Street.[18]: 116–117 Also named after the president was the Grant Hotel, where jockeys often stayed. This was located across today's College Avenue, from Robert Bonner's house.[16]
Famous horses
Many well-known horses competed at Fleetwood. Perhaps the most famous was Maud S. (1874–1900), who held seven world record times set over the span of six years. She was renowned for the high price Bonner paid for her.[19][20] Alix (1888–1901), known as the "Queen of the Turf", was the world trotting champion for six years,[21][22] while Directum (1889–1909) at one time held the record for fastest heat by a four-year-old.[21][23] Goldsmith Maid (1857–1885) earned an estimated $364,200 (equivalent to $12,350,000 in 2023)[13] over 13 years, which was a prize money record for half a century.[24][25] Jay-Eye-See (1878–1909) and St. Julien (1869–1894) raced against each other on September 29, 1883.[26][27][28] Nancy Hanks (1886–1915), owned by John Malcom Forbes, held a series of world record times including what was called "the greatest performance ever made in harness" at Fleetwood on September 1, 1893.[29][30]
Finances
The club lost money most years. In 1893, the New York Times wrote:[31]
Year in and year out the Treasurer of Gotham's driving club has been the one official who has accepted the post with reluctance and relinquished it with a sigh of relief; happy if he could leave his financial statement painfully balanced by an assessment on the members.
The first year of profitable operations was 1893, when the Grand Circuit meeting and "special day" provided sufficient income. Major expenses were ground rent ($8,000, equivalent to $270,000 in 2023) and labor ($4,178, equivalent to $142,000 in 2023). Income was mostly from initiation fees, dues, and transfer members ($12,225, equivalent to $415,000 in 2023) and stall rent ($4,404, equivalent to $13,000 in 2023). The consolidated meeting and special day earned $1,183 (equivalent to $40,000 in 2023) and $1,077 (equivalent to $37,000 in 2023) respectively. Sale of manure brought in an additional $10 that year (equivalent to $339 in 2023).[31][13]
Physical description
![Sepia-toned historical map labeled "Part of Ward 23 New York City" Some areas show existing streets, buildings, and railroads. Other areas only show proposed future streets, with a largely open area labeled "New York Drivers Club".](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Robinson_Manhattan_and_Bronx_Plate_35_publ._1885.jpg/220px-Robinson_Manhattan_and_Bronx_Plate_35_publ._1885.jpg)
![Map showing modern street layout using Open Street Map graphics, overlaid with an outline of the old racetrack.](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Bronx_Plate_35_OSM_Overlay_with_Fleetwood_Outline.jpg/220px-Bronx_Plate_35_OSM_Overlay_with_Fleetwood_Outline.jpg)
Fleetwood Park was located in the town of Morrisania, Westchester County (now the Morrisania section of the Bronx), adjacent to Railroad (now Park) Avenue between 2nd and 5th Streets. This corresponds to between Webster and Sheridan Avenues and 165th and 167th Street on the modern Bronx street grid.[32] The covered grandstand, clubhouse, judges' stand, and other buildings were clustered along the southwest corner of the track, adjacent to Sheridan Ave.[33] The clubhouse was a French Second Empire-style building which overlooked the track.[7]: 4 Valentine's Manual described the park as "the broad acres of that well-known rendezvous of all lovers of the turf",[34] while the New York Times variously described the track as "oddly-shaped"[35] and "queer-shaped".[36] A 1882 map shows it as roughly rectangular with a bulge on one side, yielding five turns – four to the left and one to the right, if run counter-clockwise.[33] Modern-day 167th Street diverges from the otherwise rectilinear grid; the oblique portion of the street's route follows the northern leg of the racecourse.[7]: 4
Timeline
Prior to Fleetwood Park
Horses had been raced near this location as early as 1750, on a racecourse built by Staats Long Morris, who took advantage of the relatively level land. The exact location of his track is unclear; it may have occupied the same area as the later Fleetwood Park track, or it may have been several blocks further north, possibly adjacent to what is now Claremont Park.[16] It is unknown how long the Morris track lasted, and there is no further record of racing in the immediate area until 1870.[7] The name Fleetwood has been associated with this area since at least 1850, when the New York Industrial Home Association No. 1 was organized as a cooperative to build homes for "tradesmen, employees, and other persons of small means".[37] Monticello was originally chosen as the name for this new settlement, although Fleetwood was one of several in consideration.[38] This was soon changed to Monticello City, and again in 1851 to Mount Vernon.[37] By 1852, however, newspaper advertisements were being placed which referred to the development as Fleetwood Village.[39][40] In 1895, the Harlem Railroad Company was also using the name Fleetwood in reference to a new rail station they were considering building in the area.[41]
Fleetwood era
In 1870, William Morris leased part of his estate to two brothers, Henry and Philip Dater,[7][32] for a 20-year term.[42]: 289 The Daters opened a racing track on June 8, 1871, on the grounds of what had previously been the Morris Manor.[7][43] At the time, this was still the Town of Morrisania, in Westchester County; it was annexed into New York City as the borough of the Bronx in 1874.[44] The Daters' venture failed and the property reverted to Morris in 1880.[7] It was leased in 1881 to the New York Driving Club (Gentlemen's Driving Association in some sources),[45][9] who ran the track as Fleetwood Park.[3]: 705 The New York Times observed in 1895 that the track had reached 25 years of continuous operation that year, outlasting many of the other trotting tracks of its day. The paper noted that $200,000 (equivalent to $6,300,000 in 2023)[13] had been invested in grading the terrain of the Morris estate to make it suitable for racing. A depression at the southeastern end had been filled and rocks at the northern end had to be removed by rock blasting and cutting. In 1896, the New York Driving Club renewed its lease with a $2,500 (equivalent to $92,000 in 2023)[13] reduction in rent.[46] Pressure from real-estate developers led to the track being closed the next year with the last meeting held on October 8, 1897.[47]
Contemporaneous race tracks in the Bronx
Jerome Park, a thoroughbred track, was opened in 1866 and operated until 1890. It was about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Fleetwood Park, where Jerome Park Reservoir is now located.[48] Morris Park, also for thoroughbreds, was located about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Fleetwood, in what is now the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx. Morris Park operated from 1889 to 1904.[49][50]
Non-racing uses
When races were not being held, the grounds were used for other activities, including youth baseball games.[51] In 1888, a winter carnival was set up, with toboggan slides, lighting, and music;[52] on other occasions, Pigeon shooting contests involving live birds and shotguns were held.[53][54] An 1897 New York City ordinance forbid the discharge of firearms within the city, with Fleetwood Park noted as one of the specific areas exempted from the prohibition.[55] The exemption, however, was deleted from the ordinance in 1906, and noted that the track was "no longer used as a shooting ground".[56] In 1889, Fleetwood Park and nearby Claremont Park were considered as possible sites for an 1892 World's Fair.[57][58] The fair was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World. In 1890, however, the US Congress designated Chicago as the host city for the World's Columbian Exposition.[59]
Post-closure
The track was permanently closed on January 1, 1898, when the city began constructing streets on the property.[7]: 4 [3]: 705 By the end of that month, the New York Driving Club had met to consider building a new track, with two possible locations under consideration. One site of 105 acres (42 ha) was near Mount Vernon, served by William's Bridge Road, Boston Road, and the Harlem River Railroad. The other site, with 77.7 acres (31.4 ha), was about 2 miles (3.2 km) closer to the city, along the Bronx and Pelham Parkway, not far from the Morris Park track. The latter was preferred by most of the membership.[60][61][62] Alfred De Cordova, who had been elected president, stated:[60]
We intend to give the new city a driving track that will be a credit to it. The grand stand and stables will be as commodious as any in the country, and when the track is completed the horsemen will will see old Fleetwood rise phoenix like, only the new track will be greatly superior to the old
Cordova noted that while the men in the club were "wealthy enough and ardent enough"[13] that they could raise the entire cost of the new track by themselves, with four or five members able to immediately contribute $150,000 (equivalent to $5,500,000 in 2023)[13], the club intended to issue bonds.[60] It was estimated that the total cost to complete the track would be $280,000 (equivalent to $10,300,000 in 2023).[62][13] Despite these proclamations, by the end of 1898, it was announced that the new track would be built in Yonkers and operated by William H. Clark.[63] In 1899 the Empire City Trotting Club began operations at Yonkers Raceway.[64][65] Within a few years of Fleetwood closing, the property was divided into building lots by real estate developers.[66] In August 1900, the clubhouse was the only structure left standing, and the Union Republican Club considered moving the building to their property on 164th Street.[67][68] The first part of the property to be developed was the block of Clay Avenue between 165th and 166th Streets, with thirty-two semi-detached houses and three apartment buildings erected between 1901 and 1910. This block is now the Clay Avenue Historic District.[7][69] What is modern-day Teller Avenue was originally named Fleetwood Avenue, after the track. The name was changed to Teller Avenue in 1871, honoring Richard H. Teller, one of the commissioners of Morrisania.[18]: 237
Transportation
![A hand colored print of horses and carriages in a traffic-jam on a dirt road leading to a race track (Fleetwood Park, NY). The men and women are well dressed. Vehicles include sulkys, a deep side box buggy, and a coach for four passengers and three liverymen. The roadside house has shattered windows, a shed roof, a veranda, and a semicircular vent in the attic. The grandstand has two balconies. A park in the distance is enclosed by a picket fence. The surrounding area has wooded rolling hills.](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Going_To_The_Trot_by_Thomas_Kelly.webp/220px-Going_To_The_Trot_by_Thomas_Kelly.webp.png)
Attendance at races could reach as many as 10,000 spectators. The most convenient way to get to the track was by train from Grand Central to nearby Melrose station,[1] with the trip taking 15 minutes.[52] People also came by carriage from New York City, or steamboat from Fulton Market slip in Brooklyn and Peck slip in Manhattan to the Morrisania dock from which they made connections via horse-drawn coaches.[2] A streetcar line known as the North Third Avenue and Fleetwood Park Railroad (later merged into the Union Railway) ran from 138th Street to the Fleetwood Park entrance.[71][72]: 169
Mishaps
On January 12, 1870, two men were seriously injured when a blasting charge exploded prematurely. The men had prepared the charge and were about to ignite it when it exploded for unknown reasons.[73] On March 2, 1870, highly flammable nitroglycerin—being used to clear rocks—leaked into rock fissures beyond the intended location. The next day, this exploded when workmen ignited it when a crowbar caused a spark. One man was killed and several others were seriously injured.[74]
The track also suffered fire damage. On June 15, 1873, an early morning fire in the stables destroyed 48 stalls, causing an estimated $12,000 (equivalent to $305,000 in 2023)[13] damage to the building, plus unknown damages to sulkies and other racing gear. Two horses worth a total of $11,000 (equivalent to $280,000 in 2023)[13] were killed.[75] Another fire, on October 15, 1893, was discovered at 8:00 am. Two horses—one worth $10,000 (equivalent to $339,000 in 2023)—perished;[13] another horse and his keeper were injured. Total damages to the buildings and horses was $20,000 (equivalent to $509,000 in 2023).[76][35][13] 40 stalls were destroyed, which the club rebuilt. An additional 25 to 30 stalls were added, bringing the total to about 300.[77]
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- ^ "Fire at Fleetwood Park Stables Loss $25,000". The New York Times. June 17, 1873. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "Valuable Horses Burned; Two Trotters Lose Their Lives at Fleetwood Park". The New York Times. October 16, 1893. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "Timely Trotting Topics; Improvements at Fleetwood Park". The New York Times. March 5, 1894. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2022.