Sunnyside Farm by Sulky -- July 1888 of Wallace's Monthly

Appreciation is extended to Paul Wilder of the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen, New York for his work obtaining the C.H. Nelson interview by John Wallace. Wallace traveled to Waterville, Maine in March of 1888 and he interviewed C.H. Nelson and his wife, Emma, at the Elmwood Hotel. Appreciation is also extended to the work done by Google to scan historical books related to harness racing and horse breeding.

The Nelson Bloodline -- Down Under to Slovinia to Canada

The following storyboards outline the journey of the maternal bloodline of Nelson 4209 -- The Maternal Bloodlines of Suzette Nelson (Australia, New Zealand, and Slovinia) and Gertrude Nelson (Alberta, Canada). A number of horses from the Gertrude Nelson bloodline may be in New York, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Research appears to indicate that Nelson's paternal bloodline is extinct. Research has not been done to see if there are any horses in Maine that may follow maternal bloodlines related to Nelson 4209. The storyboard below were published in the November issue of Harness Racing International, an Australian based magazine, edited by John Peck.

Dan Patch -- World Champion -- Savage Minnesota and the Taj Mahal

This post consists of five storyboards that displays photographs and text on Dan Patch. You can learn more about Dan Patch by visiting the web site of the Dan Patch Historical Society.

Check out these links:

The Story of Dan Patch

The Story of Marion Savage and Dan Patch

Appreciation is extended to Greg Lind, webmaster for the Dan Patch Historical Society.

Aubine and Lady Wellington driven by C.H. Nelson

Excerpts from 1893 Issues of Wallace's Monthly -- Post 1

Horse breeders, horseman, and trotting may have had its best days before 1893. The financial panic of 1893 results in the closing of many trotting stock farms and many breeders limited activity. These posts from the 1893 Wallace's Monthly display excerpts that may be of interest to LTP readers.

Excerpts from 1893 Issues of Wallace's Monthly -- Post 1

Horse breeders, horseman, and trotting may have had its best days before 1893. The financial panic of 1893 results in the closing of many trotting stock farms and many breeders limited activity. These posts from the 1893 Wallace's Monthly display excerpts that may be of interest to LTP readers.

Excerpts from 1893 Issues of Wallace's Monthly -- Post 2

Riverside Fairgrounds -- Mexico, Maine 1928

Where Have All the Sulkies Gone? -- Long Time Passing!

Photograph by Bill Duffy -- billduffy.com

Holiday T-Shirts & Posters -- Plan for Stylin' in 2011

2010 has been a wonderfully productive year for the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center. There always seems to be something new to find, research, and present. I hope you as a reader of this blog have enjoyed posts that bring the past to present hoping to make a positive impact on the future. There are many people and organizations to thank. To all, a Happy New Year!

Images provided by NEPLAINS.COM.

Post Four: Nelson Bloodline Journeys to New Zealand

The horse Nelson Bingen by Bingen was a descendant of Nelson 4209. Suzette Nelson by Nelson was bred with Baron Wilkes resulting in Suzette Baron. Suzette Baron bred with Bingen gave birth to Nelson Bingen. In 1913, Nelson Bingen was purchased by a New Zealander. In 1914 Suzette Baron was exported to Austria.

May Your Holiday Season Be Joyous

Cheryl and Michael Hendricksen, owners of Neplains.com, selected this image for the LTP Holiday Greeting.

Happy Holidays! -- Our Best to You!

Cheryl and Michael Hendricksen -- Stephen D. Thompson

Two Abandoned Trotting Tracks in Augusta

George M. Robinson built a trotting track in 1872 that was abandoned. A. Lambard built his driving park across from his property and stables on Hospital Street. Both tracks were abandoned.

Can You Identify this Image from 1912?

Can You Identify this Image from 1922?

Images of Sylvan Park -- Machias, Maine

The storyboard images of Sylvan Park

are courtesy of Michael C. Hoyt.

Check out his web site for images
of Machias and surrounding towns.

E-Mail Michael Hoyt

Sylvan Park -- 1910 -- W.H. Phinney, Proprietor

The images in this storyboard are courtesy of Michael C. Hoyt. The images presented in this storyboard may be purchased at http://www.mhoyt.com.

Maine's Trotting Horse Heritage Trail Geocaching Challenge

This storyboard presents an idea for comments by LTP readers. The book, Maine's Trotting Horse Heritage Trail, tells the stories of the significant people, places, events, and horses that established Maine's harness racing industry. Take a moment to read this storyboard and e-mail your comments to lifework50@gmail.com. Is this a good idea for geocachers, family outings, school field trips, and those interested in Maine history? Do you have any suggestions that would help make this idea real?

Is the Image in this Storyboard of Sylvan Park in Machias?

Julie Millay, the current owner of the Sylvan Park property
reviewed the image of the trotting park on this storyboard
to determine if the image was of Sylvan Park. Her review

determined that the image is not Sylvan Park.

If you know the name of this trotting park, please e-mail
lifework50@gmail.com

Lost Trotting Park in Concord Township

Click CTL + + to enlarge the image.

"The horse is possessed of intelligence, sensibility, and affection." C.H. Nelson

"THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US; LATE AND SOON"

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

William Wordsworth, 1806.

================================

THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN
It is that we have forgotten
the age when the horse was king.
What we saw was real.
We did not twitter.
We did not friend on Facebook.
If we spoke someone would answer.
We touched. We smelled. We felt the earth.
Today we step away from what is real.
We need to be face to face
with who we are --with what we feel.
We have forgotten the spirit of the age
when we touched -- we felt the earth --
The age when the horse was king.

Stephen Thompson, 2010.

==========================================

The newspaper clip below informs us of

C.H. Nelson's opinion of the automobile.

Click CTL + + to enlarge this image.

Newspaper clip image courtesy of Clark P. Thompson