The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-08
ven Race Track

ven Race Track.
 The following is taken from the Am
 erican Horse Breeder
 For a long time l have contemplated
 writing something about the old time
 years ago, but have not been in exist
 ence for about 40 years or more There
 werethree of them-all half mile tracks
 and all located inside the city limits,
 l recently asked an old-time horseman
 what he could remember about the
 track at Cedar Hill when he replied that
 he had no recollection of the coure at
 all. I presume the following will be
 news for the younger horsemen and
 to the older generation will be re-
 hinder of early days.
 The first match race that I can re-
 member was trotted at the Cedar Hill
 track. This half mile track was docat-
 ed west of State street and near East
 Rock, just south of the site formerly oc-
 oupied by Basserman's brewery. The
 land was very nearly level, so that
 no grading was required for the con-
 struction of the track. West of the
 course was dwelling house which was
 the only residence in the vicinity. This
 trotting park was q very attractive re-
 sort and so near the center of the city
 that it was easily reached. Some tall
 shade trees were on the property and
 near the race track which was regula-
 tion shape.
 The land on the west side of the track
 was slightly elevated and from this ele- walton spectators had good view of all
 the horses in the races. The track was principally used forexercising and train
 ing horses. In those days Jarvis Jos lyn was an extensive buyer of horses for himself and fol the Trowbridges, firm that shipped horses and mules ta the East Indies and other foreign territory. Occasionally MT. Joslyn had some fast horses that he trained on the Cedar Hill track. Roswell Hart had sportin g resort at the park and trained some of his trotters there. As ] remember the race horses of those days they wree all trotters. l have no recollection of ever seeing a pacer on the track referred to.
 Tn the match race previously mention ed the contestants were Homer Fenn of Woodbridge and Ichabod filling of Derby. The latter was known as Tx Alling When the drivers came onto the track for preliminary exercise, AL lens horse was hitched to a light weight stylish sulky while Fenn's black roan was hitched to a road sulky with hubs larger than the crown of mans hatFenn's sulky was not q heavy one, but the large hubs made the vehicle look so heavy that some of the spectators asked Homer if he wasn't foolish to start with such a heavy sulky. At this Fenn drove away and soon returned with much better looking sull1y. The race which was for $100 a side was short one and was won by MT. filling. Fenn's horse was no match for filings trotter Dur ing a recent conversation with MT. Tenn about the match race he stated that he was confident that the race took place in 1858, or 43 years ago.
 The Cedar Hill track was in existence but a few years, as there was not enough business for the track to keep it up. A year or two after the match race referred to the entire track property |, was purchased by Charles A. Warren, who was one of the foremost men in | having the State street horse railroad l constructed from the center of the | city to a point beyond the track prop | erty.
 As soon as the street cars commenced | to make regular trips there was an in | creased sale of building lots that were | formerly part of the Cedar Hill track, | It is presumed that MT. Warren be- | came wealthy in consequence of the | purchase of the land and sale of it in | building lots. So many houses and | streets are now on the land referred to that it would puzzle a stranger to as- certain where the track was located.
 The cars that were in use on the line 1 when the road was first built were i small cars that were drawn by one horse, the driver acting as conductor.
 Passengers put their fare In a small | box in the front end of the car
 Another half mile race track was To- cated south of Grand avenue and be- tween James street and Blarchley ave- nue. This track was in use 45 years ago, and was used for races and for 1 horses that were exhibited at state fairs and exhibitions of other agricultural societies The land was so nearly lev al that no grading was required in con- st structing the track. As I remember the location there were at that time only two houses between New Haven and Fair Haven which is now part of this city and a short distance east of the central part of New Haven. One of on the north side of Grand avenue and some distance from the street. At that time the level part of Grand avenue was called '"rhe shell road" as the .oad bed was made of oyster shells that use had ground into a sub stance as white as shell lime, This 'oad was perfectly free from stones as white as snow and hard and smooth enough to be good footing. As there were no car tracks in the street then it vas the favorite speeding ground for lorse owners in all this section, and many impromptu races were decided on the shell road" After time the ,yster dealers learned that oyster shells | were too valuable to use on the high way The dealers began to deposit the hells in deep water in order that the ,ery young oysters could adhere to hem. Since that time no oyster shells lave been used for road making.
 Ii was at the Grand avenue race |