The Lost Trotting Parks Storyboard Archives

The Lost Trotting Parks Storyboard Archives

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Trotting Park Road Lowell, MA


Check out Trotting Park Road in Lowell, Massachussetts, We have a road, but no park! This is obviously one of MA's Lost Trotting Parks!! Follow the road and see where it goes.

Note: I was searching for the trotting park in Princeton, Maine. Somehow I was directed to Lowell, Maine which was actually Lowell, MA. So there are even lost trotting parks in Massachussetts!!

The Lowell Trotting Park was located on the Lowell Fairgrounds on Gorham Street. You can see the evolution of the area through maps: http://library.uml.edu/clh/Atlas/dmap.htm
It is seen on the 1879 Sanborn Insurance Atlas of Lowell (plate W), and the 1896 Lowell Atlas (plate 12) as the Middlesex North Agricultural Society Fair Grounds. By 1924 the City of Lowell owned a large parcel of land, but no track is seen, as the area was beginning to be developed (plate 7A). The Fairgrounds were dedicated in 1860 and disappeared by 1920. It was used as a training ground for local regiments during the Civil War.
As for Dracut, I could only find a passing mention of the Trotting Park on Trotting Park Lane in a history of the Town. It simply said that there is a granite marker on that road located south of the Old Trot Park.

The Google Maps image shown above represents a trotting park that was originally part of Dracut, MA. This Google map image will take you to the Lowell trotting park location that was at one time located by the railroad track and Fay Street. Compare the Lowell Map and the Google Map image.

Courtesy of the Lowell Historic Board, Lowell, MA -- Map and information provided by Kim Zunino

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