Friday, August 24, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Roots
Fort Erie Roots by Earl Plato U.E.
At our Dec.3rd United Empire Loyalist Annual Meeting at Betty’s Restaurant some of us volunteered to share something about our Loyalist ancestors. I was one. Following is an excerpt from an earlier article of mine. How did I end up in Fort Erie? Want to know more about your family name? Get on the Internet and try to “Dig Up Your Roots”. I used the Yahoo engine and found The Olive Tree Genealogy by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and was amazed to find out new facts about my Fort Erie (Plato) ancestors. Find the Olive Tree Genealogy Homepage and find the title THREE LOYALIST UNITS. Bring it up. You find: BUTLER’S RANGERS, SIR JOHN JOHNSTON’S BRIGADE & KING’S ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK. I had always believed based on my research that Christian and his son, Peter James Plato were in Butler’s Rangers. They were. But thanks to the Olive Tree I find that Christian started in a different service. Here we read the Canadian version off the Internet: “On Aug. 6, 1777 at Oriskany, then Colony of New York, forces under Sir John Johnston’s command including 150 King’s Royal Regiment, 40 Indian Department Rangers commanded by Major John Butler, 50 German riflemen and many Mohawks and Senecas ambushed 800 rebel militia on their way to relieve Fort Stanwix. 400 rebels were killed. The Internet page headlines: List of Men formerly in Sir John Johnson’s Brigade. Of the 50 Loyalist riflemen we read the list of the men from Sir John Johnston’s “Green” Brigade who joined Joseph Brant’s Volunteers. Two of them stand out for me- William May and Christian Plato - they were brother-in-laws. Christian had married William’s sister, Dorotea May born in 1736 in the Colony of New York. They were married in 1756. Both men became Butler’s Rangers attached to Joseph Brant’s Mohawks. Many years later William May testified in an official government document that he knew Christian’s son and his nephew, Peter James Plato as a loyalist from New York. He gives a good description of his nephew’s history as a Butler‘s Ranger.
***
Christian Plato was a loyalist spy with a price on his head - $100 - that’s like $10,000 today. On page 17 of the book listing the Losses of Loyalists in New York we find Christian Plato, yeoman farmer, losing his home and property by an Act of Congress. If captured during the Rebellion by the American rebels I believe he would be shown no mercy. He survived as did his son. After the war Christian received substantial Crown land grants in Niagara - 300 acres . Peter James Plato received 300 acres and married Catharine Bowen, the daughter of loyalist Cornelius Bowen, and received an additional 200 acres. Like other United Empire Loyalist descendants I wonder when the United States government will reimburse us for the forcible loss of property as in the example of Christian Plato and others. Eh?
The real criteria for being a United Empire Loyalist and using the initials , U.E. , I believe, has to do with substantiated military service during the American Revolution, identified loss of lands in the American colonies, and consistent loyalty to the flag and Crown of Great Britain. Get on the Internet and start looking!
At our Dec.3rd United Empire Loyalist Annual Meeting at Betty’s Restaurant some of us volunteered to share something about our Loyalist ancestors. I was one. Following is an excerpt from an earlier article of mine. How did I end up in Fort Erie? Want to know more about your family name? Get on the Internet and try to “Dig Up Your Roots”. I used the Yahoo engine and found The Olive Tree Genealogy by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and was amazed to find out new facts about my Fort Erie (Plato) ancestors. Find the Olive Tree Genealogy Homepage and find the title THREE LOYALIST UNITS. Bring it up. You find: BUTLER’S RANGERS, SIR JOHN JOHNSTON’S BRIGADE & KING’S ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK. I had always believed based on my research that Christian and his son, Peter James Plato were in Butler’s Rangers. They were. But thanks to the Olive Tree I find that Christian started in a different service. Here we read the Canadian version off the Internet: “On Aug. 6, 1777 at Oriskany, then Colony of New York, forces under Sir John Johnston’s command including 150 King’s Royal Regiment, 40 Indian Department Rangers commanded by Major John Butler, 50 German riflemen and many Mohawks and Senecas ambushed 800 rebel militia on their way to relieve Fort Stanwix. 400 rebels were killed. The Internet page headlines: List of Men formerly in Sir John Johnson’s Brigade. Of the 50 Loyalist riflemen we read the list of the men from Sir John Johnston’s “Green” Brigade who joined Joseph Brant’s Volunteers. Two of them stand out for me- William May and Christian Plato - they were brother-in-laws. Christian had married William’s sister, Dorotea May born in 1736 in the Colony of New York. They were married in 1756. Both men became Butler’s Rangers attached to Joseph Brant’s Mohawks. Many years later William May testified in an official government document that he knew Christian’s son and his nephew, Peter James Plato as a loyalist from New York. He gives a good description of his nephew’s history as a Butler‘s Ranger.
***
Christian Plato was a loyalist spy with a price on his head - $100 - that’s like $10,000 today. On page 17 of the book listing the Losses of Loyalists in New York we find Christian Plato, yeoman farmer, losing his home and property by an Act of Congress. If captured during the Rebellion by the American rebels I believe he would be shown no mercy. He survived as did his son. After the war Christian received substantial Crown land grants in Niagara - 300 acres . Peter James Plato received 300 acres and married Catharine Bowen, the daughter of loyalist Cornelius Bowen, and received an additional 200 acres. Like other United Empire Loyalist descendants I wonder when the United States government will reimburse us for the forcible loss of property as in the example of Christian Plato and others. Eh?
The real criteria for being a United Empire Loyalist and using the initials , U.E. , I believe, has to do with substantiated military service during the American Revolution, identified loss of lands in the American colonies, and consistent loyalty to the flag and Crown of Great Britain. Get on the Internet and start looking!
Go West
Go West Young Fort Eriean Earl Plato
Go west young men! Well we’re not young anymore but south western Ontario was our destination. We Fort Erieans were up bright and early and arrived at Oil Springs too early to enter the Oil Museum of Canada there. We walked the grounds on yet another beautifully, clear morn. Yes, this is where the first commercial oil well in North America was drilled in 1858. Of the two sites, Petrolia and Oil Springs I prefer Oil Springs especially for its great museum. The curator opened the doors sharply at 10 a.m. but we continued to look at the Jerker Lines. Jerker Lines? .We could hear the gentle creak of the lines. You have to see them to appreciate these wooden rods as they move back and forth helping to pump the oil or should I say “Lambton County, Canada Tea!” This is oil country. A sign said that they are used to relay power from the pump house to the seven oil wells on the museum property. From the excellent 20 minute video in the museum we learned that this Jerker Line System was developed by John Henry Fairbank here in Oil Springs about 150 years ago and is used around the world. That’s Canadian ingenuity, eh! They are still used today on over 500 wells still pumping in the area. We could see Walking Beam Jerker Lines in the wells in the fields near the museum.
I don’t know if Jane Davies, our talented curator at the Fort Erie Museum, has ever been here but I know she would love the spaciousness of this museum. I had viewed the old historical video some ten years ago. This recent one was professionally well done. Oil Well displays, a geology display, steam pump, fossil and mineral collections, oil tools and a cable drill rig model and we were still in the theatre room! The main foyer had an oil work wagon, a spring pole drilling model, early tools, oil samples and uses and for us old Esso users, an Imperial Oil display, pumps and all. Artifacts galore! The oil drill dropped off at the Museum by Howard Hughes, one of the first street lamps, a wooden hand pump they first used to pump oil, the Red Adair suit and for nature lovers, beautiful butterfly collections from around the world, a bird egg collection , and several photo albums that told the more recent history of Oil Springs. We finally left the museum which is located on the original site of the first commercial oil well dug in 1858 by James Miller Williams. Outside we saw the sole remaining kerosene lamp from Oil Springs in 1862 when the main street of Oil Springs was lined for its whole length of one and one-half miles with these lamps! Oil Springs was the first town in the world to achieve this distinction. Another great Canadian historical event!
We were provided with a local road map and drove the periphery of the site from Kelly Road. From Highway 402 take 21 South (Wyoming turnoff) to Oil Springs - look for National Historic Site signs.
Go west young men! Well we’re not young anymore but south western Ontario was our destination. We Fort Erieans were up bright and early and arrived at Oil Springs too early to enter the Oil Museum of Canada there. We walked the grounds on yet another beautifully, clear morn. Yes, this is where the first commercial oil well in North America was drilled in 1858. Of the two sites, Petrolia and Oil Springs I prefer Oil Springs especially for its great museum. The curator opened the doors sharply at 10 a.m. but we continued to look at the Jerker Lines. Jerker Lines? .We could hear the gentle creak of the lines. You have to see them to appreciate these wooden rods as they move back and forth helping to pump the oil or should I say “Lambton County, Canada Tea!” This is oil country. A sign said that they are used to relay power from the pump house to the seven oil wells on the museum property. From the excellent 20 minute video in the museum we learned that this Jerker Line System was developed by John Henry Fairbank here in Oil Springs about 150 years ago and is used around the world. That’s Canadian ingenuity, eh! They are still used today on over 500 wells still pumping in the area. We could see Walking Beam Jerker Lines in the wells in the fields near the museum.
I don’t know if Jane Davies, our talented curator at the Fort Erie Museum, has ever been here but I know she would love the spaciousness of this museum. I had viewed the old historical video some ten years ago. This recent one was professionally well done. Oil Well displays, a geology display, steam pump, fossil and mineral collections, oil tools and a cable drill rig model and we were still in the theatre room! The main foyer had an oil work wagon, a spring pole drilling model, early tools, oil samples and uses and for us old Esso users, an Imperial Oil display, pumps and all. Artifacts galore! The oil drill dropped off at the Museum by Howard Hughes, one of the first street lamps, a wooden hand pump they first used to pump oil, the Red Adair suit and for nature lovers, beautiful butterfly collections from around the world, a bird egg collection , and several photo albums that told the more recent history of Oil Springs. We finally left the museum which is located on the original site of the first commercial oil well dug in 1858 by James Miller Williams. Outside we saw the sole remaining kerosene lamp from Oil Springs in 1862 when the main street of Oil Springs was lined for its whole length of one and one-half miles with these lamps! Oil Springs was the first town in the world to achieve this distinction. Another great Canadian historical event!
We were provided with a local road map and drove the periphery of the site from Kelly Road. From Highway 402 take 21 South (Wyoming turnoff) to Oil Springs - look for National Historic Site signs.
Old Indian Trail
Forterie0706 Earl Plato
Historical research! Ten years could be spent by me at Fort Erie Centennial library and I still wouldn’t exhaust Fort Erie historian Louis McDermott’s massive collection. So I look at various topics that I might have knowledge of for an article. I found one by Audrey (Miller) Laurie about the Old Indian Trail. I quote from her article written many years ago. Laurie stated, “ There is no more historic or romantic trail than that of the Old Indian Trail between the Niagara River and Lake Erie.” I most agree. The late Bert Miller introduced the Trail to me as a youth. We explored the flora along the limestone ridge and I was lowered into the split-in-the- Rock as a ten year old. As a boy scout I rode the Trail on bicycle from Fort Erie and spent many nights at Split Rock Boy Scout camp. Yes, as a writer of local historical fiction I eulogized the Trail and the Split in my novel, Our People Live. The actual map of the Trail used in the book is a version of Bert Miller’s original drawing. “Historic and romantic!” Read my novel and I think you will appreciate the Old Indian Trail more as Fort Erieans. What are the town’s future plan for this “historical road“? Preservation, I hope, so even with historical plaques if nothing else. Suggestions: Change or add to the Ridge Road North designation - Old Indian Trail or Split Rock Road.
***
Do you remember the “Split-in-the-Rock? It is an anomaly on the west side of the Old Indian Trail. Audrey Miller Laurie wrote the following about the “Split.” “… one place near the top of the Split is a large slab of rock perhaps four feet thick that spans the opening. One end lies on the main limestone and the other end on the part that separated and forms a natural bridge.”
Writer’s note: I have stood on that limestone slab and wondered how it could have formed. In my novel I use it as sacred altar for the local native people, the Attiwandarons. Thank you Audrey MillerLaurie for the reminder of a special place on the Old Indian Trail.
Historical research! Ten years could be spent by me at Fort Erie Centennial library and I still wouldn’t exhaust Fort Erie historian Louis McDermott’s massive collection. So I look at various topics that I might have knowledge of for an article. I found one by Audrey (Miller) Laurie about the Old Indian Trail. I quote from her article written many years ago. Laurie stated, “ There is no more historic or romantic trail than that of the Old Indian Trail between the Niagara River and Lake Erie.” I most agree. The late Bert Miller introduced the Trail to me as a youth. We explored the flora along the limestone ridge and I was lowered into the split-in-the- Rock as a ten year old. As a boy scout I rode the Trail on bicycle from Fort Erie and spent many nights at Split Rock Boy Scout camp. Yes, as a writer of local historical fiction I eulogized the Trail and the Split in my novel, Our People Live. The actual map of the Trail used in the book is a version of Bert Miller’s original drawing. “Historic and romantic!” Read my novel and I think you will appreciate the Old Indian Trail more as Fort Erieans. What are the town’s future plan for this “historical road“? Preservation, I hope, so even with historical plaques if nothing else. Suggestions: Change or add to the Ridge Road North designation - Old Indian Trail or Split Rock Road.
***
Do you remember the “Split-in-the-Rock? It is an anomaly on the west side of the Old Indian Trail. Audrey Miller Laurie wrote the following about the “Split.” “… one place near the top of the Split is a large slab of rock perhaps four feet thick that spans the opening. One end lies on the main limestone and the other end on the part that separated and forms a natural bridge.”
Writer’s note: I have stood on that limestone slab and wondered how it could have formed. In my novel I use it as sacred altar for the local native people, the Attiwandarons. Thank you Audrey MillerLaurie for the reminder of a special place on the Old Indian Trail.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Part 3 of 3
FortErie Race Track Part 3 of 3 Earl Plato
The headline read, “PIONEER BOOKIES FLOURISHED.” Harry Hawkins, long time Fort Erie resident, now deceased, recalled those early days at Fort Erie Race Track circa 1900. He said that in the pioneer days of the track there were no “pari-mutuel” machines. “The old handbook was run by Chambers and Walker,” Harry said. “Used to be 40 or 50 hand bookies in the ring. Big difference in the betting then, if you bet a horse at 25 to 1 and he was backed down to 10 to 1 and he came in, you got him at 25 to 1. The machines put an end to that. Same odds for everyone,” In the old days the bookmaker couldn’t lose. One horse would be 2 to1, another - the favourite - 6 to1. If the bookies got too much money on the better horse they’d put the money upon the other one. They had to, to make money. In other words Harry said.” … the bookies could manipulate the odds to their advantage.” Harry produced another treasure. It was a silk souvenir programme for Friday, June 22nd. 1900. It was framed for protection. “E.P.Taylor offered me a good price for this, But I wouldn’t sell it for any price.” One last question to Harry Hawkins was: As a lifelong turf follower Mr, Hawkins, do you have any advice for the race track bettor?” We read that the tall, lean expert laughed, “If you go to the races for sport that’s okay, but if you go to make money you’re a sucker. It’s been said before and I’ll say it again. You can win on a race but you can’t win on the races!” Thanks Harry.
***
Look at our race track today. Enormous parking lots with shuttle buses to pick you up and drop you off at the entrance, Transportation for both horses and patrons has changed drastically since 1897. In those early days horses and patrons were transported to the track by a ‘race’ train. Today the horses arrive in modern streamlined vans and the patrons arrive in flashy new cars or by modern buses. Toronto patrons back then would board the Grand Truck Railway out of Toronto arriving here at the Bridgeburg station about 11 am. Many of the passengers would dine at the Barnea House just across from the station. Note: The old north end C.N.R. station house is gone but the Barnea House is still in operation. You now had three ways to get to the track we are told. You could rent an outfit with a horse and drive yourself or have someone drive you there. That was quite expensive. A second way was to join others on a surrey with a fringe on top. This was considerably less money. The third way and least costly was to take Merriweather’s bus which was a huge wagon drawn by a team of “gleaming black horses.” Note: Remember this was before the ‘internal combustion machines’- cars that is!
The average attendance in those days was between 2,500 and 3,000 patrons. We learned in those first twenty years that approximately 90% of these people were Americans. What? No Peace Bridge until 1927. Hey, I think I know. Our International Bridge carried the Michigan Central trains from Black Rock, New York to Bridgeburg on a regular basis. Don’t forget the ferry boats from across the river to Fort Erie South. It was a mile walk or so up Bertie Street . I am sure here were horse
carriages there too. Cost? Do you know? Any anecdotes you want to share e-mail me plato1@cogeco.ca or phone 905-894-2417.
The headline read, “PIONEER BOOKIES FLOURISHED.” Harry Hawkins, long time Fort Erie resident, now deceased, recalled those early days at Fort Erie Race Track circa 1900. He said that in the pioneer days of the track there were no “pari-mutuel” machines. “The old handbook was run by Chambers and Walker,” Harry said. “Used to be 40 or 50 hand bookies in the ring. Big difference in the betting then, if you bet a horse at 25 to 1 and he was backed down to 10 to 1 and he came in, you got him at 25 to 1. The machines put an end to that. Same odds for everyone,” In the old days the bookmaker couldn’t lose. One horse would be 2 to1, another - the favourite - 6 to1. If the bookies got too much money on the better horse they’d put the money upon the other one. They had to, to make money. In other words Harry said.” … the bookies could manipulate the odds to their advantage.” Harry produced another treasure. It was a silk souvenir programme for Friday, June 22nd. 1900. It was framed for protection. “E.P.Taylor offered me a good price for this, But I wouldn’t sell it for any price.” One last question to Harry Hawkins was: As a lifelong turf follower Mr, Hawkins, do you have any advice for the race track bettor?” We read that the tall, lean expert laughed, “If you go to the races for sport that’s okay, but if you go to make money you’re a sucker. It’s been said before and I’ll say it again. You can win on a race but you can’t win on the races!” Thanks Harry.
***
Look at our race track today. Enormous parking lots with shuttle buses to pick you up and drop you off at the entrance, Transportation for both horses and patrons has changed drastically since 1897. In those early days horses and patrons were transported to the track by a ‘race’ train. Today the horses arrive in modern streamlined vans and the patrons arrive in flashy new cars or by modern buses. Toronto patrons back then would board the Grand Truck Railway out of Toronto arriving here at the Bridgeburg station about 11 am. Many of the passengers would dine at the Barnea House just across from the station. Note: The old north end C.N.R. station house is gone but the Barnea House is still in operation. You now had three ways to get to the track we are told. You could rent an outfit with a horse and drive yourself or have someone drive you there. That was quite expensive. A second way was to join others on a surrey with a fringe on top. This was considerably less money. The third way and least costly was to take Merriweather’s bus which was a huge wagon drawn by a team of “gleaming black horses.” Note: Remember this was before the ‘internal combustion machines’- cars that is!
The average attendance in those days was between 2,500 and 3,000 patrons. We learned in those first twenty years that approximately 90% of these people were Americans. What? No Peace Bridge until 1927. Hey, I think I know. Our International Bridge carried the Michigan Central trains from Black Rock, New York to Bridgeburg on a regular basis. Don’t forget the ferry boats from across the river to Fort Erie South. It was a mile walk or so up Bertie Street . I am sure here were horse
carriages there too. Cost? Do you know? Any anecdotes you want to share e-mail me plato1@cogeco.ca or phone 905-894-2417.
Part Two
Fort Erie Race Track Earl Plato
Part Two: When did Fort Erie Race Track open? What was the length of the track initially? Were the races running or trotting? Who owned the track back then? A reporter unnamed asked one Harry Hawkins of Queen Street, Fort Erie the above questions. He said, : I found this man who could answer my questions relative to the sport of kings at Fort Erie Race Track in those early days. The track was opened July 1st of 1897 according to Harry. He displayed a faded golden ribbon that said , FORT ERIE JOCKEY CLUB, At its base it read FALL MEETING - Sept.6th to 23rd, 1897. The race track was a mile in length initially. Many running races with one meet for trotting. The track was built by Mr. Hood and Mr. German informed Garry. Hood owned the Tennessee Hotel and Mr. German was the long time Member of Parliament for Welland. Eventually the two sold the track to F. Hendrie who in turn sold it to John. H. Madigan.
Writer’s Note: It is the Madigan name I recognized in my time. The well kept Madigan horse farm was located on Bertie Road adjacent to the track. We would ride our bicycles by the white washed fences and stop to admire the thoroughbreds. Who was president of the Ontario Jockey Club when Madigan was owner? Many of you know the name - E.P. Taylor. He purchased the track from Madigan. Harry Hawkins must have been a collector of track memorabilia for he had many newspaper clippings. One was from the Buffalo Courier dated that first meet July 1st, 1897, “ Canadians were in Fort Erie today and they left considerable money with the bookmakers as only one favourite got to the ftont. The track was heavy and holding … Adam Beck and his friends lost heavily on the fifth race which was won by Prima …” Harry showed another clipping dated Saturday, July 16, 1897 - Toronto Mail and Empire: “ There will hardly be any denial of the proposition that having invested in a racing enterprise more money than all the other jockey clubs in Canada put together that the Fort Erie Jockey Club is entitled to such return for its enterprise.”
That’s one sentence! That’s quite a start, eh!
Harry Hawkins was also asked, How much were those early purses? His replay was they were small - three or four hundred dollars. “Even less.” He then emphasized, “ … until Madigan;s time and the inaugural of the Derby with a purse of $10,000. Then came the new Woodbine in Toronto paying $50,000!
Any memories of our track you would like to share? Call me at 905-894-2417 or e-mail me at plato1@cogeco.ca
Part Two: When did Fort Erie Race Track open? What was the length of the track initially? Were the races running or trotting? Who owned the track back then? A reporter unnamed asked one Harry Hawkins of Queen Street, Fort Erie the above questions. He said, : I found this man who could answer my questions relative to the sport of kings at Fort Erie Race Track in those early days. The track was opened July 1st of 1897 according to Harry. He displayed a faded golden ribbon that said , FORT ERIE JOCKEY CLUB, At its base it read FALL MEETING - Sept.6th to 23rd, 1897. The race track was a mile in length initially. Many running races with one meet for trotting. The track was built by Mr. Hood and Mr. German informed Garry. Hood owned the Tennessee Hotel and Mr. German was the long time Member of Parliament for Welland. Eventually the two sold the track to F. Hendrie who in turn sold it to John. H. Madigan.
Writer’s Note: It is the Madigan name I recognized in my time. The well kept Madigan horse farm was located on Bertie Road adjacent to the track. We would ride our bicycles by the white washed fences and stop to admire the thoroughbreds. Who was president of the Ontario Jockey Club when Madigan was owner? Many of you know the name - E.P. Taylor. He purchased the track from Madigan. Harry Hawkins must have been a collector of track memorabilia for he had many newspaper clippings. One was from the Buffalo Courier dated that first meet July 1st, 1897, “ Canadians were in Fort Erie today and they left considerable money with the bookmakers as only one favourite got to the ftont. The track was heavy and holding … Adam Beck and his friends lost heavily on the fifth race which was won by Prima …” Harry showed another clipping dated Saturday, July 16, 1897 - Toronto Mail and Empire: “ There will hardly be any denial of the proposition that having invested in a racing enterprise more money than all the other jockey clubs in Canada put together that the Fort Erie Jockey Club is entitled to such return for its enterprise.”
That’s one sentence! That’s quite a start, eh!
Harry Hawkins was also asked, How much were those early purses? His replay was they were small - three or four hundred dollars. “Even less.” He then emphasized, “ … until Madigan;s time and the inaugural of the Derby with a purse of $10,000. Then came the new Woodbine in Toronto paying $50,000!
Any memories of our track you would like to share? Call me at 905-894-2417 or e-mail me at plato1@cogeco.ca
Beginning of Fort Erie Race Track
Fort Erie Race Track Beginning Earl Plato
Several years ago on the north wall of one of the upper barracks of historic Fort Erie a poster caught my eye. It was a petition from local citizens circa 1890’s asking for the creation of a race track for thoroughbred horses in the town. I scanned the lists and there was the name of my great-grandfather Jacob W. Plato. His son, William Jacob Plato, my grandfather, lived on Henrietta Street just to the east of the race track. Many of my relatives worked at the track over the years. Of course they bet on horses too. During the late Depression years I remember cousin Fred Plato coming home with a winning ticket he had found along the east entrance way. There was often a myriad of colourful betting tickets strewn on the ground after the races were over. Fred was alert and one of his found stubs thrown carelessly away by a bettor was worth some money. How much I don’t recall but I remember those were the poor days of the Thirties. Fred was elated. More than once our Grandma Anderson would walk us north from our home on Highway Three along the C.N.R. track. No admission in those days for us. We would stand at the outside fences and I would peer through the boards to see those horses thundering down the back stretch. As a fifteen year old George Henningham Sr. hired me to shake out a bale and a half of straw in each race stall. That was good money for me. Two years later I was hired by Mr.Henningham to help deliver bales of hay and straw at the race track. It was an education to watch the workings of the race horse industry. Several times I was given “hot tips” if I gave one of the race track workers five or ten dollars. No deal was the advice from Bud the son of the boss. Lesson learned? Yes. On the occasional trip to the track over the years I took only $20. Never any more. My father-in-law, Sid Kew, was manager of Longmeadow horse farm in Ridgeway for over thity years. He was a careful bettor who did well over decades at the track. Every five years he had enough in winnings to pay his way over and back to his home city in Bristol, England. Some of my relatives were avid bettors and my aunt’s son was a bookie. My wife Elaine and I visited the track a while back with a group. I had $20 for eight races. As usual o luck. It was still a thrill to see the horses and their jockeys thundering down the track. Old memories, yes, and good ones. The next few articles are about the history of the track. Again thanks to Louis McDermott for his wonderful collection of Fort Erie’s race track history.
Several years ago on the north wall of one of the upper barracks of historic Fort Erie a poster caught my eye. It was a petition from local citizens circa 1890’s asking for the creation of a race track for thoroughbred horses in the town. I scanned the lists and there was the name of my great-grandfather Jacob W. Plato. His son, William Jacob Plato, my grandfather, lived on Henrietta Street just to the east of the race track. Many of my relatives worked at the track over the years. Of course they bet on horses too. During the late Depression years I remember cousin Fred Plato coming home with a winning ticket he had found along the east entrance way. There was often a myriad of colourful betting tickets strewn on the ground after the races were over. Fred was alert and one of his found stubs thrown carelessly away by a bettor was worth some money. How much I don’t recall but I remember those were the poor days of the Thirties. Fred was elated. More than once our Grandma Anderson would walk us north from our home on Highway Three along the C.N.R. track. No admission in those days for us. We would stand at the outside fences and I would peer through the boards to see those horses thundering down the back stretch. As a fifteen year old George Henningham Sr. hired me to shake out a bale and a half of straw in each race stall. That was good money for me. Two years later I was hired by Mr.Henningham to help deliver bales of hay and straw at the race track. It was an education to watch the workings of the race horse industry. Several times I was given “hot tips” if I gave one of the race track workers five or ten dollars. No deal was the advice from Bud the son of the boss. Lesson learned? Yes. On the occasional trip to the track over the years I took only $20. Never any more. My father-in-law, Sid Kew, was manager of Longmeadow horse farm in Ridgeway for over thity years. He was a careful bettor who did well over decades at the track. Every five years he had enough in winnings to pay his way over and back to his home city in Bristol, England. Some of my relatives were avid bettors and my aunt’s son was a bookie. My wife Elaine and I visited the track a while back with a group. I had $20 for eight races. As usual o luck. It was still a thrill to see the horses and their jockeys thundering down the track. Old memories, yes, and good ones. The next few articles are about the history of the track. Again thanks to Louis McDermott for his wonderful collection of Fort Erie’s race track history.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
