1867 Race! In Boston! $1,000 Purse

Indians vs. Colts(well, not really)....or...

Deerfoot and Steprock vs. The Horses

A tiny clipping tumbled from my grandmother’s 1942 diary. It was taken from the Watertown Daily Times’ “75 Years Ago Today” column for Nov. 27, 1942. Because November 27, 1867 was the date my grandmother was born just outside Sackets Harbor (on what was the Geo. Jeffers’ farm in the 1940-50's), I paid little attention to the clipping, other than to believe she saved it just because the day was being remembered for something else. After all, my grandmother saved hundreds of clippings -- I'd give my eye-teeth (yep, I still have those) for access to those clippings now. Apparently, the newspaper from which the original article was taken was “The Reformer.” One day, I took the time to read the clipping and found it intriguing. Where was Riverside Park? A $1,000 prize in 1867 in Watertown, N. Y. ? Wow! Indians vs. Horses! Was this a joke? Read on for update!

Well, now we know. Through the benevolence of my friend, Alice Corbett, who has the ability to find just about everything for me back home, we now know the rest of the story! This unusual race was held in Boston, Mass. Grandma's clipping did not show the dateline, Boston - 27th. Thanks for coming through again, Alice!

“A race took place yesterday at the Riverside Park course between three horses and the two Indians, Deerfoot and Steprock. The Indians won the race, the conditions being that the Indians run 3-1/8 miles before the horses trotted six miles. The Indians ran three miles in 15 minutes and 16 seconds, to the horses’ 16 minutes and 19 seconds. The race was for $1,000 and a large crowd witnessed the event.”

by Shirley Farone 4-6-2001