The Walla Walla Fairgrounds: A City’s Passion for the Track
Thousands turn out to witness local harness racing and the competitive spirit of Walla Walla’s equestrian community.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
That the Walla Walla public is a lover of horse flesh is seen by the large crowds that have attended the races at the fair grounds every day this week. While today's attendance is slightly less than yesterday's, there is a crowd estimated at 1,500 attending the races this afternoon and witnessing some fine sport. The gentlemen's driving race proved to be a pretty event, Dr. Nelms driving his Major Del, winning in two heats from Johnny, driven and owned by Frank Ennis. Homer, owned and driven by Archie Henderson, showed excellent speed, but was wild and broke frequently, which greatly lessened his chances of winning. Major Del took the first heat in 2:42. In the second heat, Del went off his feet, giving Johnny a long enough lead to come under the wire an easy winner, with Del second and Homer third. The third heat went to Del after a pretty race, Johnny second and Homer third. Time 2:33 1/2.
“That the Walla Walla public is a lover of horse flesh is seen by the large crowds that have attended the races.”
The Walla Walla Fairgrounds remains a central pillar of the community, echoing the 1903 excitement. While harness racing has faded from daily local consciousness, the fairgrounds persist as a site of civic gathering and agricultural celebration.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.