Agricultural & Trotting Society

The Peoria Agricultural & Trotting Society
1896

Below is a list of members taken from the Standard Atlas of Peoria City and County, Illinois, published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. in 1896. If you would like a digital picture of anyone listed on this page, please email me and I will honor your request as soon as possible. I will also be adding photos of these people online over the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience!

Warren Buckley, Director
John D. Bush, Vice-President
Robert M. Cox, President
H. H. Fahnestock, Treasurer
Theodore J. Miller, Director
Jacob Schnellbacher, Director
D. W. Voorhees, Jr., Secretary

     Peoria can now lay claim to having the finest race track in the West, so far as beauty of location, ease of access and careful construction are concerned. This is the result of earnest work on the part of half a dozen individuals.
     The need of such an enterprise was long felt and the matter had been agitated several times, but the plea was always made that ground for the track could not be had within easy distance of the city, owing to the broken nature of the bluffs. Finally the matter was brought to the attention of E. F. Baldwin, and he began a series of articles in the Peoria Herald, showing that there was not only one such spot, but no less than five, all possible sites. Day after day he argued in the columns of the Herald, showing first one desirable point and then another, until public opinion was aroused, and a meeting called to talk the matter over. At this meeting, which was held in the fall of 1894, a committee was appointed to perfect an organization, and Robert M. Cox became interested. Mr. Cox is a large property owner, an old resident, and a public spirited man. He took an active interest in the matter from the start. Several times it would have fallen though, if he had not come to its rescue, and with his purse and influence saved it. When the organization was perfected he was chosen President.
     Not less fortunate were the members in their choice of the Secretary, Mr. D. W. Voorhees, Jr. Mr. Voorhees is a member of the firm of Luthy & Co., having long been the Vice-President of that institution, on of the strongest agricultural firms in the West. He became interested in the organization of the race track, and labored with the utmost enthusiasm and diligence to bring the enterprise to a successful issue. His labors and those of his fellows were crowned with success, and on the 2d of April the committee were instructed to negotiate for the grounds. What is known as "The Allaire Farm," consisting of sixty acres, were purchased, and with these, sixty acres, belonging to John Hines, Esq., were added. Twenty acres were cut off from this, divided into lots and sold by Theo. J. Miller, E. F, Baldwin and others, the money received from the sale going to erect the buildings on the fair grounds.
     In the meantime Mr. John D. Bush became interested and took a block of the stock so that with his example, there was no difficulty in organizing a stock company of Fifty Thousand dollars. Mr. Bush was chosen Vice-President. He has lived all his life in Peoria and is a large property owner, an energetic, public spirited and successful business man. Mr. H. H. Fahnestock was elected treasurer. Mr. Fahnestock is a leading wholesale grocer and always been distinguished for his public spirit, his financial skill and his zeal. Mr. Schnellbacher is the head of the well known shoe house. M. Theodore J. Miller has already been mentioned. He is one of the most popular, enthusiastic and whole-souled men in the city of Peoria. It is to his negotiations that the Association was enabled to obtain the grounds which they now occupy and which are not surpassed in beauty by anything in the west. He labored for weeks to locate the fair grounds and to sell the lots so that it would be a success. Added to these were Mr. Warren Buckley, a well known grain dealer and business man. The enterprise was successfully launched with a fall meeting. A heavy rain fell while the track was still soft and prevented its being so great a success as had been anticipated but under careful management of Mr. Voorhees, the secretary, the society made the initial meeting a financial
success, and they have arranged for future entertainments in this line so that the Peoria Fair Grounds have been successfully inaugurated and the future cannot but meet with the happiest results.
     The management are all representative men, none of them are actuated by mercenary motives, but they have put into it their time and the money to give the people of Peoria a place where they can witness trials of speed and contests for supremacy without anything to detract from the pleasure of the time.

Submitted by your Host

Any contributions, corrections, or suggestions would be deeply appreciated!