This rare photo is of Camp Durang from July 1893 showing the Penna. National Guard having summer maneuvers. This view is approx. the area of Milmont and Arlington Aves. you are looking toward the Ridley Township Municipal Building. No picture of the race track is known to exist.
Note: Horse racing was big business in Delaware County in the late 19th century. Weekend races popped up everywhere and there were several full size race tracks in Haverford and Ridley Twps. The Ridley one, which you see on old maps, stood in the area of Milmont and Belmont Aves. in Milmont and was popular with Chester and other local towns. Read below this race description from 130 years ago. It was an all day affair.
RACING AT RIDLEY
Plenty of Amusement with Flyers at the Driving Park
A large
number of sporting men from Chester and vicinity gathered at Ridley Driving Park
at the third meeting yesterday afternoon to witness the races. The weather was propitious, and though the
track was very dry and dusty, yet the conditions were much more favorable than
at either of the previous meetings. The
afternoon proved one of unexpected hilarity and amusement, occasioned by the
antics of the Western ponies either owner had entered. A number of lively events not down on the
program took place and elicited roars of laughter.
George
Mahon, John Grundy and A. H. Tyson were selected as judges, and after the usual
preliminaries the racing began. The
first event was the 2.50 class, best three in five, mile heats, and a suit of
horse clothing being the prize. W. S.
Burke entered his mare, Mattie B; M. S. Hatton, Plumber Boy, and George Leiper
Hickory. O. Trowbridge drove up with his
bay horse, R. Nevill and there being objections, the judges barred him from
racing. His horse was entered in the
2.40 class, but no other entries being made, this event fell.
The
three starters were watched with interest as they moved around the track. Plumber Boy was the favorite, and he
confirmed his Admirers’ good opinion by winning three straight heats, with
Hickory second and Mattie B. third. The
best time made was 3.01.
The fun
began in earnest with the next event, a running race, half-mile heats, best
three in five. The entries were: P. Riley Black Prince; Hunter, Flip; W.
Higham, Moya; William Miller, Jack; J. Humphrey’s brown pony, and P. Nolan,
Dolly. It took five heats to decide this
race, which was won by Hunter’s Flip in the last three heats, the next two
heats being won by Higham’s Moya. The
best time was 1 minute. Nolan’s Dolly
distinguished herself by bolting sidewise into the crowd, then bucking like
Mark Twain’s Mexican plug, and again shooting around the track like a
rocket. She threw her rider, made the
crowd stampede and made things lively all around. Riley’s Black Prince took to
the woods much to the amusement of the spectators.
Another
pony race was started with Grannan’s Sorrel Top and Boyd’s Brown Duke entered,
and the crowd had some more fun. This
was a running race, half-mile heats, and was won by Grannan’s Sorrel Top in
1.01. The price, as in the other running
race, was a riding saddle and bridle.
There
were only two entries in the 3-minute class – H. Strode’s Elwyn and O.
Trowbridge’s Nell H. The prize to the firs was a whip, and a lap sheet to the
second. Nell H. won the first and the
last heat in 3.03.
The
final event was the 3.30 race, best two in three, was won by Harry Strode’s
Mattie in 3.10, against A. D. Gordon’s Nell and W. J. Grannan’s Victor.
The
meeting was the most successful one yet held at the Ridley Driving Park and the
next races will be likely to attract still larger crowds.
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