Springdale Driving Park (Part 2 ~ Horse Racing Venues)

 Upon the demise of the South Holyoke Driving Park, Messrs. John J. Prew and William Norris decided to build a new track on land that they owned, the present-day acreage of Springdale Park. 

Planning for the new driving park, which would include a baseball park, had been underway for several years, culminating in 1895. As Holyoke Water Power Co. owned the old South Holyoke Driving Park facility, there was little motivation for private interests to invest significant funds in maintaining or improving it. It fell into disrepair due to neglect. As will be revealed in the next installment, there was a nearly 40-year revival of the facility as an athletic park.

The new site selected was an improvement over the former location. The new driving park and ballfield would be built on a 20 to 25-acre parcel of level land about a quarter mile south of the old driving park. The surveying Engineer, Mr. Sickman, determined that the parcel would accommodate the half-mile regulation-size track. There would be room to build a 200-foot-long grandstand and a 400-foot-long row of stables. 

The baseball field would be situated within the infield of the track, with bleachers placed outside each foul line and potentially along the riverbank in center field.

The park's entrance would be near James Street. The park was located along the trolley line route from Springfield, providing convenient access for larger crowds.

To raise money to build the park, the owners would sell 42 lots along the street, each 120 feet by 30 feet, for $450 a parcel. The owners of these lots would also receive a pro-rata ownership interest in the driving park.

Other areas that were considered for a driving park included land on Cherry Street and the Willimansett section of Chicopee.

In November 1896, members met to form the organization and elect the officers. In March of 1897, bids were solicited for the construction of the park. On June 21, 1897, William Norris died. He was a part-owner of the land and an enthusiast of horses and racing.

The new South End Park opened on July 5, 1897, with a baseball game played in the morning and horse racing in the afternoon. In August, a bicycle race meet was held with competitions of several distances. 

For the year 1900, the Treasurer's Report indicated that the park was financially self-sustaining. G. J. Prew, who had managed the park for four years, resigned to dedicate more of his time to his clothing store.

In 1901, Holyoke, Westfield, Worcester, Waterbury, CT, and Nashua, NH were a part of the New England Horse Racing Circuit. As the Worcester Driving Club established the schedule, the club chose favored dates, such as holidays, for races at its track. The Holyoke Club was not satisfied with this arrangement, as holidays drew large crowds, bolstering admission charges and wagering. 

On June 29, 1903, a portion of the grandstand collapsed during a baseball game, resulting in injuries to many attendees. Lawsuits were initiated against the driving park, which had leased the property, holding it accountable for the incident. The driving park was virtually bankrupt and was sold at auction to Jacob Becker, who wanted to continue horse racing. However, his plans did not materialize.

In January 1904, Joseph N. Prew purchased the park at a second auction and formed a new association to discharge the debts of the Springdale Driving Park. He indicated that horse racing would continue. There was a prevailing view that those who lost approximately $6,000 owed to them by the former Springdale Driving Park would protest any arrangement to hold races at the park. Very little racing was held at the track in 1904. 

In 1905, the 25 acres of land were sold to the City of Holyoke for under $20,000. The city sought to add parks for the enjoyment of its residents and wanted to build South Holyoke Park on this exceptional parcel of land. The expansive space at a low purchase price was accepted unanimously by the alderman. This marked the end of the seven-year Springdale Driving Park.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union; publication dates and pages are shown.

Google Images: the first two photos.

Map: Joseph L. Tighe, Holyoke, Massachusetts, 1903

The grandstand is to the upper left, the Connecticut River to the right, and the track is between. The horse stables can be seen in the upper center, as a dark line near the distant tree line.