ljchou Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Located between Hutcheson and Milby just north of Harrisburg. Looks like still existed as of 1920. Any photos or info on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Interesting. I never heard about this track before. I hope someone can give more information. I am familiar with Epsom Downs that might have taken its name from the race track in Surrey England and existed here between 1933 and 1937. It was located roughly where present day Jensen Drive (formerly Old Humble Road) intersects with U. S. 59 - the Eastex Freeway. Then we have the Sam Houston Race Park which, while still physically present, hasn't seen a race in a while. 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 On 6/2/2020 at 10:07 AM, ljchou said: Located between Hutcheson and Milby just north of Harrisburg. Looks like still existed as of 1920. Any photos or info on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljchou Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 Looks like Epsom Downs was in a different location. Quote Brief history of the Second Ward Aside from the parts of the neighborhood located within the downtown district, much of Second ward was very rural until the turn of the 20th century. There were few named roads to take residents to and from Second Ward into downtown, located only 1-2 miles, away except for Commerce Street, Engelke, and Harrisburg. The area was home to many farms and even a horse race track during the late 19th century. Many of the large farm tracts were sold for industrial use after 1900. The former site of the Volksfest Park at the head of North York was sold to the Houston Meat Packing Company which was a large scale meat packing and canning plant. The former site of the horse racetrack became the Milby Car Barn for the Houston Electric Railway Company which was later purchased by Metro and is slated to become the future site of an HCC East Side campus. During the 1920’s -1950’s the area took on a distinctively Hispanic flavor due to de facto segregation in Houston. Just as 4th Ward became a self sustaining community for African Americans, Second ward did the same for peoples of Hispanic heritage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 20 hours ago, Specwriter said: Interesting. I never heard about this track before. I hope someone can give more information. I am familiar with Epsom Downs that might have taken its name from the race track in Surrey England and existed here between 1933 and 1937. It was located roughly where present day Jensen Drive (formerly Old Humble Road) intersects with U. S. 59 - the Eastex Freeway. Then we have the Sam Houston Race Park which, while still physically present, hasn't seen a race in a while. 😞 Didn't Sam Houston Race Park have live races earlier this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Here is a clipping from the May 22, 1909 Houston Post about a race meeting at Harrisburg Road Track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 One more clip, this time from the Jan. 9, 1910 Houston Post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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