The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center -- Storyboard Archives: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Vintage Images from The Cyclopedia of American Agriculture -- 1917

Historic Farm Animals -- Mentioned in the Cyclopedia of American Agriculture 1917

Abandoned Farms throughout New England -- 1875

Maine Leaders in Agriculture -- Benjamin Vaughan -- Robert Hallowell Gardiner -- Ezekiel Holmes -- Hall C. Burleigh -- Taken from the Cyclopedia of American Agriculture

Lost Trotting Parks new publication, The Maine Spirit of the Turf, will blend historically relevant articles for readers. The following storyboards are examples of historical content relevant to Maine's agricultural history.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Yesterday and Today -- The Lost Trotting Parks of Cumberland and York Counties

An earlier post presented the aerial views with identifying the locations.
The following storyboards provide you with location names and a view

of Yesterday and of Today.

Lost Trotting Parks Launching A New Periodical -- The Maine Spirit of the Turf

In February of 2012, the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center will be publishing a new Maine-based periodical, The Maine Spirit of the Turf. The publication will be designed in a format similar to the 19th century periodicals that features agricultural societies, horse breeders, horsemen, and those who enjoyed a fast horse. The Heritage Center seeks articles for this publication. Initially, the published will be distributed as an
e-zine -- a PDF distributed through e-mail. If you would like to submit an article or information that can be incorporated into one of the topics in the following storyboard, please attached that information as a MS Word file or type as an e-mail and

e-mail your information to lifework50@gmail.com. If you would like to be be on the e-mail distribution list, please send me an e-mail with your subscription request.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Once A Famous Horseman -- The Life and Times of Hod Nelson and Nelson 4209, his Famous Trotting Champion known as "The Northern King"

Once the Famous Horseman from Sunnyside Farm in Waterville, Maine

from Stephen Thompson on Vimeo.

This video offering is a first run. Since I dedicate my musical life to mastering mediocrity, you will realize that even for me the guitar playing and the vocals could be a bit better. However, this presentation gives you the opportunity to learn the history of Waterville's Charles Horace Nelson and his famous trotting stallion, Nelson 4209. The 4209 is Nelson's registration number. To learn more about Nelson and his famous stallion click on the Nelson 4209 Category.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Trotting Results of the 1921 Grand Old Maine State Fair of 1921 -- State Fair Park -- Lewiston, Maine

In addition to the trotting results from the 1921 State Fair in Lewiston, this page from Wallace's Yearbook includes racing results from Lincoln and Livermore Falls. This page courtesy of Paul Wilder, Research Librarian, Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York.

Grand Old State Fair -- Sept 13 -16, 1921 -- State Fair Park -- Lewiston, Maine

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Maine Trotting Results -- Wallace Yearbook 1887

Maine Trotting Results snipped from the Google digitized

copy of the 1887 Wallace Yearbook.

Maine Trotting Results -- 1889 -- from Wallace Yearbook

Includes results at Charter Oak Park, Hartford, Connecticut -- Nelson Defeated!
Trotting results snipped by the Google digitized copy of the Wallace Yearbook.

2012 Harness Horsemen and Horsewomen's Banquet --- Calumet Club, Augusta, Maine

Saturday -- On January 21, 2012, more than 200 Mainers attended the annual Harness Horsemen and Horsewomen's Banquet and Awards Night at the Calumet Club in Augusta, Maine. Organized by the Harness Horsemen's Association Executive Director, Wendy Ireland, the evening was filled with great conversations and celebration. The dinner prepared by the Calumet Club staff was excellent. My appreciation is extended to the Association for inviting the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center to set up a display in the banquet hall.

Here's looking forward to a great 2012!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Waterville, Maine -- December 17, 1955 -- Nelson Heights Streets Names for Famed Horses

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Mission of Lost Trotting Parks

The mission of the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center is to preserve the stories and images of the 19th century to present day that illustrate the history of Maine's harness racing, lost trotting parks, fairs, agricultural societies, Granges, and the significance of the of the horse in society.

Our plan is to reach our mission is through Preservation, Education, Promotion and Partnerships.

Through the Center's website and educational outreach to Maine school students, community organizations, agricultural fairs, and businesses, the Center will retell the once told stories of a slice of Maine history that is quickly being forgotten. Most Mainers have lost their connection to the horse and the horse's contribution to a past way of life. Maine people who work in the harness racing industry are today's living history of the age when the horse was king. Through your financial support of the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center, you will help to tell the stories of Maine Harness Racing and horse breeding throughout the ages.

FOR BETTER VIEWING

Lost Trotting Parks storyboards are typically 12 by 18 inches. To view storyboards, click on the storyboard and it will automatically open as a larger image. If there are multiple storyboards in a post, click on the first image. This will create a slideshow that you control by clicking on the next image icon that you will see at the bottom of your screen.

If the storyboards are still too small to view text, open individual storyboards in a separate window. This allows you to enlarge the storyboards to read text and view images in greater detail. To open a storyboard in a new window, place your cursor over the image, right click on your mouse, and select open in a new window. This will allow you to use Ctrl + and Ctrl - to control the size of the storyboard. When you are finished viewing the storyboard, close the window and you will return to the LTP blog.

Trotting Horse Art Detectives

In the 1891, Colorado artist, C.B. Fish, produced an oil painting of the famous trotting stallion Nelson. The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Fish had completed the painting and would ship it to Sunnyside Farm. Fish also painted a trotter from Skowhegan named All-So. We do not know if the painting of Nelson still exists. The two paintings below are examples of Fish's work. If you have knowledge of the oil painting of Nelson, please e-mail Stephen Thompson at lifework50@gmail.com or call 207-623-3076.

The Fish pictures were made available by Gallery 44.

To inquire about the Fish paintings contact:

http://www.gallery44llc.com

Maine's Trotting Horse Heritage Trail

Published in 2009, Maine’s Trotting Horse Heritage Trail, guides readers through the golden age of the trotting horse. Covering the period between 1820 and 1892, the author, Clark P. Thompson of Bangor, Maine, introduces us to the horses, the people, and places that established the trotting industry in the State of Maine. Thompson’s well researched publication highlights twenty key moments in Maine’s evolvement in trotting. The Heritage Trail begins in Old Orchard Beach and ends in Dover-Foxcroft. This book is your guide to historical markers that have been inscribed and placed in designated Maine communities.

Journey with us and return to the Golden Age of Trotting.

In the book’s foreword, Michael, D. Andrew, President of the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association, states, “With this book, Clark Thompson has done us a great service by memorializing some of the great progenitors of the Maine trotter, the owners who supported breeding and racing, and the tracks where these horses pleased thousands of Mainers in the 1800s.”

For more information about this book and how to obtain a copy, contact Clark P. Thompson by e-mailing

clarkprice@msn.com.

Maine's Lost Trotting Parks --- OUR MISSION

The trotting industry flourished from the 1820s through the early 1900s. There are a number of reasons that for many the excitement and interest in trotting has diminished. However, the trotting industry still exists. Its history is still rich. Our mission is to conduct research that will reveal to us the history of Maine's forgotten Trotting Tracks and bring back the images and people of another age. Our posts of the Belfast Trotting Track are examples of what we are attempting to find. We will partner with local historical societies, work with local government, and individuals interested in this endeavor. Contact us and help us to fulfill our mission.

NOTE: News articles and other text displayed on this web site are existing texts given to me for use on The Lost Trotting Parks Blog. There has been no additional research on my part to ensure that these accounts are accurate.

Stephen D. Thompson

P.O. Box 263

Hallowell, Maine 04347

E-Mail: lifework50@gmail.com

Cell Phone: 207-623-3076

Nelson Memorabilia

Nelson, the champion trotter, was owned by C.H. Nelson of Waterville, Maine. C.H. (Hod) Nelson owned and operated Sunnyside Horse Farm. The farm's location is where the JFK Mall is now located. At one time, Nelson owned the fairgrounds of the North Kennebec Agricultural and Horticultural Society. We are seeking individuals or organizations that may have Nelson memorabilia, photographs, equipment, and trophies. In addition, we are looking for photographs of the fairgrounds and trotting track that was once located behind the Pine Grove Cemetery. If you have information regarding Nelson or the fairgrounds, please e-mail Stephen Thompson (lifework50@gmail.com) or call 207-623-3076.

Citizens of Bethel Form Riverside Park Trotting Association

5-8-1891 Oxford County Advertiser:

Bethel: The citizens of Bethel met Tuesday and formed an organization known as The Riverside Park Trotting Association and chose the following officers: C.M. Wormell, president; J.A. Twaddle, vice president; E.M. Walker, secretary; E.S. Kilborn, treasurer; trustees, G.P. Bean, chairman; J.M. Philbrook, H.M. Hastings, Moses A. Mason, O.P. Farrington, E.C. Rowe. The trustees have leased the land for ten years and intend to have one of the best tracks in the state. The location and land are all that could be asked for the trustees mean business and will spare no pains or money.

Text from work of Donald Bennett, Bethel, Maine

Check out The Bethel Journals!

The Bethel Historical Society

Maine's Turf, Farm and Home

The newspaper, Turf, Farm, and Home was first published in Auburn, Maine around 1890. This newspaper was considered the horseman's periodical. In 1897, the paper merged with Maine's Horse Breeders' Monthly and J.W. Thompson of Canton became the editor. About 1912, the Turf, Farm and Home merged with the Maine Press and continued publication until 1920. The Fogler Library has issues from 1912 on. However, there are only 24 documented issues of the paper between 1890 and 1912.

This is a call for issues of the Turf, Farm, and Home.

Contact Stephen Thompson at 207-623-3076, if you know where there are existing issues of this newspaper.

Issues from 1890 to 1910 will tell the stories of Maine Horsemen

during the age of 'When the Horse was King.'

The Lost Trotting Parks Storyboard Archives