The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center -- Storyboard Archives

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Judges, The Tabulators, the Announcer, the Photo Finish Camera Operator, the Video Camera Operator, and the Producers -- Bringing Quality and Excitement to Harness Racing at Maine's Agricultural Fairs

Entering the Paddocks Saturday at the Fryeburg Fair

Posts from the 2011 Fryeburg Fair!

2011 -- In the Paddocks at the Fryeburg Fair

This is one of the many links to the 2011 posts of the Fryeburg.

To see more click on the Oxford County Category!

A Photo Sampler from the Fryeburg Fair -- From Emily's to the Craft Exhibitors

Saturday 2012 at Fryeburg: As I Stood atop the Grandstand in the Judge's Box, I could hear the sounds of excitement build as the athletes raced by the Grandstand. So Sweet the Moment!

The Fans and the Grandstand -- Harness Racing at the Fryeburg Fair -- Saturday 2012

Saturday at Fryeburg -- Horses and Cattle on Parade

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Lost Trotting Parks of New England

Currently, I am in the process of developing storyboards that present images of the lost trotting parks of New England. Here's a quick sample! The storyboards will be displayed on October 21 at the banquet of the New England Harness Writers' Association. The banquet will be in Marlborough, MA.

Presenting the Lost Trotting Park of Charlemont, Massachusetts

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Exploring the History of Maine's Agricultural Fairs

A goal of the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center is to highlight the history of the early agricultural societies and farmer clubs that once existed in the State of Maine. The Cumberland Farmers' Club traces its roots to 1868. The posts and storyboards on the Cumberland Fair give you an idea of what the is today and through your imagination how it may have looked in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In several of the storyboards readers will find the names of officers and individuals who offered special premiums. Perhaps a search for the descendants of these individuals could enrich our knowledge and the images of the history of the Cumberland Farmers' Club.

Officers of the 34th Annual Exhibition of the Cumberland Farmers' Club -- September 23 and 24, 1902

Programme and Purses at the 1902 Cumberland Farmers' Club Fair

Horse Department at the 1902 Cumberland Farmers' Club Fair

1902 Published Regulations at the Cumberland Farmers' Club Fair

Special Premiums offered at the 1902 Cumberland Farmers' Club Fair

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Cumberland Fair 2009

Photographs from the Cumberland Fair 2009

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Dead Heat Win in the Fifth Race at Cumberland Fair

Monday Night at the Cumberland Fair

Images from Atop the Grand Stand!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Connections

Today as I drove to the Farmington Fair I listened to an NPR broadcast on Maine Public Radio. This show focused on the extinction of birds and other animals on our earth throughout the last 30 years due to our environment and the fragmentation of ecosystems. The presenters questioned if anyone really cared.

One presenter brought up the concept of connecting -- connections. He wondered if the tiger would someday be extinct. He commented, "if a person had never gone to a zoo and looked a tiger in the eye, then why would this person even care if the tiger became extinct in the wild." As I listened I thought of the harness racing industry, the breeders, the drivers, the trainers, and the workers. Then I thought of the small yet loyal fan base attending the harness racing on the Maine Fair Circuit. Within the next fifteen to twenty years how will this fan base be replaced.

The answer is one word -- Connections. However, connections are fragile and complex. However, if a child, a middle school student, or a high school student were to look into the eye of horse, would they care? Would they become connected? Who would become the industry's messengers to promote this complex and fragile process of connecting? My thinking directs me to the Horsemen -- the families and the drivers.

In my work with the Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center, I have, in a manner of speaking, looked the horse in the eye. I have found work and a cause that brings me a great sense of meaning, value, and purpose. I believe that the work of the Center will create connecting opportunities for Mainers to remember the history and importance of the horse throughout Maine. This remembering is the first step to connecting -- a connection I hope brings new people to the industry and a fan base that will support the industry in future years.

Lost Trotting Parks Most Popular Post!

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Lost Trotting Parks TOP TEN ALL TIME POSTS

End of Day for the Maine Horseman -- End of First Session at the Cumberland Fair

Images from the Opening Day -- Cumberland Fair -- From the Paddocks to the Track -- From the Top of the Grand Stand -- End of the Day!

The Farm of Healing Horses

I let the Camry's GPS set my path for home from the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Oddly I ended up in Bowdoin. As I drove I gazed upon a field filled with sunshine and horses.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Saturday's 50-50 Raffle at the Farmington Fair

Volunteers work the 50-50 Raffles at all Maine Fairs to

raise money for scholarships and other good causes.

The winner of the raffle is often quite happy!

It's always a Win-Win!

Wholly Louy Sets Farmington Track Record in the Hight Pace -- Saturday, September 22, 2012

Back to Back Maine Agricultural Fairs

Back to Back Track Records

Wholly Louy set Farmington Track Record in 1.54.2

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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