Terre Haute - A history and a guide

This is my history and guide to my adopted home - Terre Haute, Indiana.

Old Postcards - 23

More postcards from my collection...

Four Cornered Race Track

This postcard, stamped in Terre Haute on May 9th, 1911, has the printed text - 8914

Four Cornered Race Track

This used postcard, stamped in Terre Haute on 18th April 1910, has the following printed text...

Made expressly for S. H. Knox & Co.
Printed in Germany

Four Cornered Race Track

This unused postcard has the following printed text...

A-9963
Published expressly for S. H. Knox & Co.
Made in U.S.A.

The land was originally used as the site of the Indiana State Fair held in Terre Haute in 1867 and at that time had a 1/2 mile racing track. Owned by Vigo County Agricultural Association, president Uriah R. Jeffers, and designed by surveyor-engineer George Roland Grimes, the track was completed in 1887.  It cost 5,695 and was situated on 47 acres of land donated by William Riley McKeen at Brown and Wabash Avenues, where the ISU stadium is now. Originally a mile long, the track was reduced to one-half mile in 1910. In 1924 Terre Haute's Memorial Stadium to honour "the boys who died in World War I" was built on the site.

Around 20 world trotting records were set at the track. Axtell (1886-1906) and Axworthy (1892-1917) were among the most famous trotters of their time. Axtell set the mile record for trotters at 2:12 on October 11, 1889 at the track. At the time he set the record, he was owned and driven by C.W. Williams of Independence, Iowa. After the race, he was purchased by a syndicate headed by William Putnam Ijams and John Conley for $105,000, $30,000 more than had ever been paid for any horse of any kind. Thereafter, he was maintained at Warren Park Farm in Terre Haute until he died in 1906. For many years, an oil portrait of Axtell hung in the lobby of the Terre Haute House. Axtell sired Axworthy, who subsequently sired 59 stallions - 26 of these would better 2:10 in the mile and two would surpass 2:05. For more information about Axtell see the Axtell Family Organization website. Other records at the track were broken by Mascot and Nancy Hanks.

Garfield High School

This postcard, stamped in Terre Haute on June 5th, 1915, has the following printed text...

13548
Levin Bros.
The Acmegraph Co., Chicago

Garfield High School

This postcard, stamped in Terre Haute on November 2nd, 1915, has the following printed text...

13548
The Valentine - Souvenir Co., New York
Printed in U.S.A.

By 1909 the north side of Terre Haute needed a high School and in 1912 the new school opened on the corner of Maple and Twelfth Streets. The school was named in honour of President James A. Garfield and was the home of the Purple Eagles until North Vigo High School opened in 1971. The building was demolished in 1971 and the site is now occupied by Garfield Gardens and Towers.

This page created 23rd February 2008, last modified 28th April 2008