Racing in Webster City
By Martin E. Nass
Transcribed for the IAGenWeb Project by Janelle Martin, with permission of Martin "Ed" Nass.
As we listen today to the roar of the cars at the Fairgrounds
racetrack, we might wonder how long the interest in racing has been around.
Research indicates that it came with the pioneers who settled in Webster City.
Sarah Brewer Bonebright, daughter of the founder, Wilson Brewer, relates in her
book, Reminiscences of Newcastle, "Horse racing was the usual amusement at
public pioneer gatherings. The eastern exposure (side) of Willson Avenue between
Walnut and Pleasant Streets served as a natural amphitheater for witnessing the
horse races. No residences obstructed the view and settlers from miles around
attended the sport." She continued, "... I suppose there never was a pioneer
horse race where money or its equivalent did not change hands by betting. One
preacher, Elder Housework, would abandon a ministerial trip if racing dates
could not be arranged to accommodate him. Major Minter Brassfield would travel
miles to race his horses. He raced a bay mare, a grey gelding, and a sorrell."
She concluded that the members of her family admired horse flesh, but she did
not remember that they were very successful in picking winners.
A search of the files of the Hamilton Freeman revealed 39 articles related to
horse racing in Webster City from the beginning to 1883. The July 8, 1867, issue
reported in an article with heading The Turf, "Some of the gentlemen of leisure
of our young city, who sport fast horses, are preparing a track in the
south-east part of town for the purpose of improving the speed and bottom of
their horses. We expect to be able to publish to the world that Pachan, Flora
Temple, and Geo Wilkes have been distanced by Sandford's Reindeer, Dude's Flying
Bay, or Kelsey's Lightening Beater. There's fun ahead, boys."
Another article on July 14, 1869, headed by Speed of Horses, related "By
reference to the premium list it will be seen that Norman Fuller, Tho's
McDermott, and J. D. Hunter are the judges of the speed of horses. We presume
that Norm and Tom were made judges simply as ornaments, and that the real
business of exercising horse judgment and science will be left to the other
fellow." It must be noted here that Hunter was the editor and publisher of the
Freeman.
Again, on July 20, 1870, it was reported that "a trotting match for a purse
of $50 will come off on the race track on the west edge of town, next Saturday,
July 23rd, between the black stallion 'Vermont Tiger,' the brown
gelding, 'Honest John,' and the bay mare, 'Lady Butler.' All sports and hoss men
were urged to be present." The results were posted in the next week's paper as
"The hoss trot, after the usual amount of jockeying and syfugling had been gone
through with, came off according to programme, last Saturday afternoon,
resulting in favor of Davis's mare 'Lady Butler.' She won both heats with times
of 2:50 and 2:51."
So much interest existed in the sport that the Webster City Driving Park
Association was organized and incorporated on Nov. 17, 1880, with the general
interest stated as "the improvement of the breed and the development of horses
through the promotion of the interests of the turf." Thirty men of Webster City
bought a share of stock issued for $100 per share to raise $3,000 for the
corporation. Sumler Willson served as President; F. E. Edwards, Secretary; Dr.
J. N. Medbury, Treasurer.. Other stockholders were Jacob Funk, J. D. Hunter, J.
L. Kamrar, L. A. McMurray, N. G. Olmstead, L. L. Estes, G. W. Lee, B. F. Miller,
and 19 others.
This was followed by the first annual meeting of the Association on October
13, 1880. The first days of racing consisted of four heats of trotting horses:
Little Sioux, Billy Boy, Stella C, and Lady M. Little Sioux won first place;
Billy Boy came in second; and Stella C was third. Another set of heats was run
by four more horses: Eureka, Milo, Darlington, and Fammie Fern. Another race was
a running race of half-mile and repeat. Gypsy Queen and Jim Murphy came in first
and second.
On July 29, 1880, the Driving Park Association purchased 42 acres of land
from Josephine Seeley. Here they constructed a half-mile dirt track located at
the south end of West Street. Today this site is occupied by the high school
baseball diamond.
The July, 1881, Freeman newspaper reported an article headlined "The Races."
These were to be held on July 7, 8, and 9. This was to be the "Largest Field of
Horses in Iowa!" 69 horses were to be on the grounds with a total of $2,375 in
purses. This amount included a $50.00 purse for Double Team driving by women.
Special fares were offered on both the Illinois Central and the Northwestern
Railroads for round-trip tickets.
The first day consisted of three classes, with $150 for first place, $75 for
second and $50 for third in each class. For the second day there was a Running
Race, best 3 out of 5 heats on the 1/2 mile track with a purse of $75 each
class. This day concluded with another Double Team Race for ladies from Wright
and Hamilton Counties. No entrance fee was required for the ladies. The purse
was $25. The third day's races consisted of a two-mile race and a half- mile
running race for all horses from Hamilton, Wright and Webster Counties.
Driving Park Races were continued here until January 6, 1897, when the
Association sold the grounds to the Hamilton County Fair Association. The
Fairgrounds were then relocated to this site. From the map with this article it
is interesting to note that the street which ran into the grounds was named Fair
Street. The Fairgrounds continued to use the old Driving Park grounds until the
Fair Board sold it to O. G. Furman on June 4, 1927. Then the Fairgrounds were
again relocated to east of the Boone River. On the same day, O. G. Furman, who
served the Hamilton County Fair Association as secretary, immediately
transferred the grounds to his son, A. A. Furman. A copy of part of the 1918
city map shows the location of this track, which was first created in 1880.
![Racing in Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa](Ed-Nass-Images/iowarace.jpg)
Interest in racing changed to auto racing in 1910. The first auto race was held at the
Driving Park track on July 5, 1910. The first race was between E. Edwards
driving a Buick, Buster Brown driving a Mitchell, and Bert Barnett driving
another Mitchell. This five-mile race was won by Buster Brown with a time of
11:07 minutes. The second race was a ten-mile race between Ray Stockslayer
driving a Cole 30, Bert Barnett driving a Mitchell 30, and R. Jeffkins driving a
stripped-down Overland. Jeffkins won this race with a two-lap lead. A picture of
him and his car is shown with this article. The third race was a five-mile
motorcycle race between Richard J. Mullins and Walter Ferrell. Mullins easily
won this race with a time of 9:30 minutes.
The feature race was a ten-mile race between R. Jeffkins, R. Austin, and Bert
Barnett. Jeffkins was billed as a dare-devil who exhibited cleverness and daring
as he piloted his Overland 42. Austin drove an Anhut Six, and Barnett drove a
stripped-down Overland 25. On his 17th lap Jeffkins had a large early
lead when his carburetor failed. He dismounted, fixed his car, remounted and won
second place. An estimated crowd of 2,000 people were on hand to witness this
first auto race in Webster City.
After this race, Jeffkins drove an exhibition five-mile race, which he
covered in a little more than six minutes. This was exceedingly fast for the
half-mile track. His speed averaged 55 miles per hour, which was the fastest
that any car had been driven in Webster City to that date. At the end of the
racing programme, Savings Realty Company conducted a drawing for a free lot in
the Lawn Hill addition to promote the area for housing. Miss Lottie Miller,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Miller, was the lucky winner of the $300 lot.
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