A thousand words

[my miss storm cat]

No really, this is so cool!

Check out the gallery.

http://www.nola.com/175years/index.s...times-pic.html

[Rileyoriley]

Enjoyed it. Thanks!

[GenuineRisk]

The two towers flanking the Gentilly Avenue entrance to the New Orleans Fair Grounds were built in 1860 by the Mechanics and Agriculturalists' Fair Association of Louisiana for its 1861 horse racing season, but the War Between the States broke up those plans.

I'm surprised they didn't call it the "War of Northern Aggression."

Seriously, cool photos. Thanks for posting.

[OldDog]

This is great stuff!

I presume FGFan has seen this. She would love it.

I hope to get to Fair Grounds some day.

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by OldDog

This is great stuff!

I presume FGFan has seen this. She would love it.

I hope to get to Fair Grounds some day.

I have seen it and I do love it!!! We're having a lot of fun celebrating this fine, old track.

If you get here Old Dog please let me know.

Horse racing here is just about as old as our city, there are actually documents banning horse racing on the streets of New Orleans in the late 1700's, which of course would be the French Quarters and Canal St.
Then in 1838 the Metairie Racetrack,the site of the legendary Lecomte and Lexington marathon races, was built which is now the Metairie Cemetery. Of course as all thing NOLA there is a storied history of how it became a cemetery instead of a race track. Although we are listed as the 3rd oldest racetrack, horse racing is much older here. When the Gentilly course was built they didn't like it and raced in Metairie. So technically we are older than Saratoga, sacrilege I know...
For any of the history buffs here, there are some great old documents and photos of horse racing in NOLA on this site.....
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/index.php
One of which includes the passage and allowance of other gambling venues being conducted at the racetracks in 1839, slots would have been allowed if they existed at the time.

[OldDog]

There you are!

Thanks for the link -- I will check it out. And when I finally get back to NOLA I'll let you know.

[Riot]

Cool, thanks!

[pointman]

Originally Posted by FGFan

I have seen it and I do love it!!! We're having a lot of fun celebrating this fine, old track.

If you get here Old Dog please let me know.

Horse racing here is just about as old as our city, there are actually documents banning horse racing on the streets of New Orleans in the late 1700's, which of course would be the French Quarters and Canal St.
Then in 1838 the Metairie Racetrack,the site of the legendary Lecomte and Lexington marathon races, was built which is now the Metairie Cemetery. Of course as all thing NOLA there is a storied history of how it became a cemetery instead of a race track. Although we are listed as the 3rd oldest racetrack, horse racing is much older here. When the Gentilly course was built they didn't like it and raced in Metairie. So technically we are older than Saratoga, sacrilege I know...
For any of the history buffs here, there are some great old documents and photos of horse racing in NOLA on this site.....
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/index.php
One of which includes the passage and allowance of other gambling venues being conducted at the racetracks in 1839, slots would have been allowed if they existed at the time.

"Technically" the first documented organized horse races in what is now the United States were in 1665 at the Newmarket Racecourse in New York on the Salisbury Plains of Long Island.

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by pointman

"Technically" the first documented organized horse races in what is now the United States were in 1665 at the Newmarket Racecourse in New York on the Salisbury Plains of Long Island.

"Technically" I didn't say we had the first documented horse race in the U.S. if that was your point, pointman.
I technically only referred to Saratoga, which is considered the oldest race track in the U.S.
We are 3rd, even though the Fair Grounds was built 10 years prior to Saratoga in 1852. That was my point, pointman.

But since we are doing factoids, a good one that you pointed out.
We do have the longest stretch in the U.S., next is churchill and most people are surprised with the 3rd.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by FGFan

"Technically" I didn't say we had the first documented horse race in the U.S. if that was your point, pointman.
I technically only referred to Saratoga, which is considered the oldest race track in the U.S.
We are 3rd, even though the Fair Grounds was built 10 years prior to Saratoga in 1852. That was my point, pointman.

But since we are doing factoids, a good one that you pointed out.
We do have the longest stretch in the U.S., next is churchill and most people are surprised with the 3rd.

Touchy.

As I understand it, Saratoga is the oldest continuously run race track in America.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by FGFan

One of which includes the passage and allowance of other gambling venues being conducted at the racetracks in 1839, slots would have been allowed if they existed at the time.

That is hilarious.

I really hope to get down to visit during the meet, sooner rather than later!