By Mike McCormick
Special to the Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
The first Vigo County Fair about which records have been found was conducted Nov. 6, 1837 on the grounds of the Central Turf Club.
While seeking to ascertain the precise site of the turf club, the writer uncovered an informative document dated May 1, 1837, which heretofore has not been published in any local resource: book, newspaper or periodical.
It is a letter written by an anonymous Terre Haute resident addressed to John Stuart Skinner, editor of the “American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine.”
Skinner is remembered as the man who first published “The Star Spangled Banner” after spending the night of Sept. 14, 1814, under British guard with Francis Scott Key. He was a lawyer, book publisher and newspaper editor.
Skinner founded the “American Turf Register” in 1829. Previously he was publisher and editor of “The American Farmer.”
Skinner encouraged informative letters from jockey clubs and turf clubs from around the nation. In a 1836 issue of the magazine, he listed all known jockey and turf clubs in the U.S. and lamented that he had scant information from the “western states of Indiana and Illinois.”
No Indiana clubs were identified. The only one on the Illinois list was at Jacksonville. Perhaps in response to that lament, the following letter was sent from Terre Haute:
“Mr. Editor:
“An association of individuals has been formed in this place for the improvement of the breed of horses, entitled ‘The Terre Haute Central Turf Club,’ and its members have elected the usual number of officers for the more faithful and successful prosecution of its objects.
“They are all gentlemen of good standing, in whose integrity and fairness the public here have the utmost confidence; and it is the design not only of themselves, but the citizens generally, that turf matters here shall assume a footing of respectability equal to the claims of those of more established reputation.
“We have the finest natural track on earth, and with the improvements contemplated, it will not lose by a comparison with any west of the mountains.
“It is situated just one mile from town, on the beautiful For Harrison prairie, a vast plain as level as your office floor, and on soil peculiarly adapted to the sports of the turf.
“Indeed, I know we have the advantage of our Atlantic brethren in this particular – are superior to our Kentucky neighbours — and equal, at least, with our younger sister, Illinois.
“We lack the material, however — the one thing needful — to make our racers come quite up to the renown of your Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky nags. Though deficient, we are not altogether without good stock, and especially we are far from lacking spirit, which, as you know, is one of the essentials necessary to lead to improvement.
“The Wabash valley, though she has no Rodolphs, nor Bascombes, nor Post Boys, can boast of a few very good horses, such as Haserac, by Kosciusko; Blood-and-Turf, by John Richards; Truxton, by Cook’s Whip; Sir William, by Sir William; Childers, by Sir Harry; Kentuckian, by Kosciusko; and Master Burton, by Bertrand, besides some other horses of minor note.
“These horses have all made good seasons for a year or two past, and there are few, if any, which have not come up to the expectations of the enterprising gentlemen who introduced them to the country.
“The citizens begin to take a pride in good horses, and I hazard nothing in saying that many of our eastern and southern breeders (not forgetting our Kentucky friends), would find it to their advantage to introduce some of their fine stock into this new, rich, and improving country.
“No good horse that ever ran over our Wabash courses has been permitted to leave the country, if he could be purchased at a reasonable figure. This speaks something for the spirit of our turfmen at least.
“We shall have fall races over the ‘Central Course’ at Terre Haute, commencing on the second Wednesday of October, and though we shall not be able to promise very large purses, they shall be respectable.
“There are two hundred dollar purses for the first and second days, and one hundred each for the two last, will be given no doubt; amounting in all to nearly one thousand dollars.
“The rules and regulations of the ‘Central,’ at Baltimore, have been adopted by our club and they will be enforced with scrupulous exactness.”
The author affixed a “D” to the end of the letter, suggesting the epistle may have been written by Terre Haute newspaper editor Thomas Dowling, a prominent horseman.
Dowling owned Truxton, a three-year old brown colt which recorded the fastest mile heat for colts and fillies at the Central Course in Terre Haute on Oct. 11, 1837
Apparently named for President Andrew Jackson’s horse, Truxton also recorded the fastest mile heat at the Turf Club course as a four-year old on Oct. 4, 1838.
Lady Harrison, a three-year old roan filly by Sir William owned by Daniel Weisiger, finished second to Truxton in the mile and won a $100 purse three days later by capturing three straight heats in best-of-five competition.
Nathaniel F. Cunningham, the Vigo County resident who served as treasurer of the State of Indiana from Feb. 9, 1859 to Feb. 9, 1861, had a full stable. One of his best horses in 1837 was Polly Hopkins, a four-year old filly, which won the three-mile event.
Other horse owners participating during the 1837 racing session at the Terre Haute Turf Club course were Judge Elisha Mills Huntington, James Shaw, John Galvin, M.M. Bayse, Col. John G. Floyd, T.R. Hazell and A. M. Boatright.
