Augusta Driving Park

Augusta's trotting park was the subject of earlier posts. However, the posts were created prior to the development of storyboards. Therefore, here is a storyboard on Augusta's lost trotting park. The trotting park is now the location of KV YMCA and the building housing the Augusta Police Department, Augusta Housing, and Augusta Adult Education. There is a display at the YMCA presenting the Augusta Fairgrounds. The images of trotting are attributed to the mid-1850s. However, the sulkies are bicycle wheel sulkies. These sulkies were first used in 1892.

In 1920, the State of Maine hired an engineering firm to redo the grounds of the statehouse. The City of Augusta contracted with the same firm to redesign the trotting park to become a general recreational park. For whatever reasons, there are no pictures showing trotting at the Augusta Trotting Park. The pictures displayed at the YMCA may be examples of what trotting looked like at the time and not actual photos of the trotting park. If anyone can locate photos of the Augusta Driving Park, please e-mail lifework50@gmail.com or call Stephen Thompson at 207-242-7774.