Fleetwood Park Racetrack: Difference between revisions

Fleetwood Park

A Good Send Off. Lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1872 (New York)
Location	Morrisania, Bronx, New York, US
Coordinates	40°50′N 73°55′W / 40.83°N 73.92°W / 40.83; -73.92
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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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}

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]