Built in 1902 by the King County Fair Association, The Meadows was the premier venue in the Northwest for horse racing. The track was located just five miles south of downtown Seattle, between the south end of Beacon Hill and the Duwamish River, in what is now known as the Georgetown neighborhood. The grandstands seated 10,000 spectators, who had convenient access from both Seattle and Tacoma via the interurban rail line. The state legislature banned gambling on horse racing in 1909, so the track was used for some amateur horse racing, along with automobile races and airplane demonstrations.
The "Official Programme" pictured here lists races held on August 3, 1906, and contains statistics on horses and riders in each of the six races. The brochure also lists the top three horses in each race so far in the season. A schedule of trains on the Puget Sound Electric Railway is listed, as well as advertisements from many local businesses.
Caption information source: "Meadows Race Track" by David Wilma, HistoryLink.org Essay 2995. Caption information source: "The 'Meadows,'" The Seattle Sunday Times, February 25, 1906, p. 60.
Physical Description: 1 pamphlet (18 p.) ; 4 x 9.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
