168 replies to this topic

[Phil Harms]

Originally posted by boynton2222
Thank you for the compliment.

I just found out that the Harlem Race Track was on Roosevelt Road and Hannah Ave in Forest Park (which was formerly the Village of Harlem). You wouldn't believe what the dirt track looked like. You wouldn't be able to drive a tank over it. Horrible.

I'm not one to give up, so I have contacted Unocal to see what I can find out. There are a few other avenues I have to check out too.

I also found out that there was a car race in St. Louis at the St. Louis fairgrounds at Grand Avenue and Natural Bridge Road in 1904. That location was only 2 blocks from where my dad grew up and in 1904, he was 21 years old. Could have been where he got "bit" by the whole car racing scene, because one year later he left for Chicago.

Joane

Some info that might be of help if anyone wants to followup ---

The St. Louis track was probably the Maxwelton track, a 1 mile dirt track. First run in 1903, the race you mentioned probably was the Aug 28, 1904 race that was held in conjunction with the St. Louis World's Fair. Stars of the races were Barney Oldfield (Peerless "Green Dragon") and Webb Jay (White Steamer).

A race also was held Oct 1, 1904 at the Harlem/Chicago track. Carl Fisher in a Premier "Comet" was one of the headliners. Fosher would later gain fame as of of the founders of Indianapolis in 1909.

[Phil Harms]

Originally posted by boynton2222
Hi, more questions:

Where was the Harlem Race Track in the Chicago suburbs. I lived in the Chicago area most of my life, but never heard of Harlem, IL. It used to be the Harlem Jockey Club. Anyone know?

As far as the Mystery Woman someone placed on this thread - her uniform definitely has a Pure Oil emblem on it. I'm trying to contact Bill Heger who seems to know alot about Pure Oil. I know they merged with Union Oil in 1970 and someone in Quincy, Florida is resuming the name of Pure Oil on his gas station.

Another question: What was the Cobe Cup Race in 1909 and what is a Locomobile?

Thanks,

Joane Temme Smith

The Cobe Trophy Race was held Jun 19, 1909 at Crown Point, IN. Crown Pt was south of Chicago just across the state line into Indiana. The course was 17 laps at 23.27 miles per lap.

The Locomobile was a famous racing name --- George Robertson won the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup race in a Locomobile. Many are not aware of the fact that Locomobile began life as a steam car before being switched to a gasoline powered vehicle.

[hinnershitz]

Joane, thanks you for offering help. Yes, I am interested in the article and will send you an e-mail.

Your list of events during the 1910 Elgin races matches the one I have, so that's good to see.

The Algonquin Hillclimb was held from 1906-1912 and is not related to the Elgin road races. There's a good web site on the Algonquin events, giving a lot of results.

[Henk]

Cobe Cup



see http://www.lowellpl....us/s1998apr.htm

The historic photographs of the Chicago Daily News give a good impression of the event:
http://memory.loc.go...s70.html#bottom

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Henk
.....The historic photographs of the Chicago Daily News give a good impression of the event:
http://memory.loc.go...s70.html#bottom

What a wonderful resource!

Great pictures, though you'd never relate the pics to the location on the circuit! Except the second Bert Miller one would be where the map has the name 'Lowell' on it?

And that must be one of the longest straights ever used in a closed circuit motor race, surely?

[xkssFrankOpalka]

I think the Cobe Cup race was run only one year. I have a dash badge from that event. It is a miniture of the trophy. It says "Indiana Trophy, presented by Chicago Auto Club, contested at Crown Point, Indiana, June 18, 1909" Joanne, did you make the rerun of the Algonquin Hill Climb this summer? They will run it on June 11, 2005. Ill be there.with one of my cars.

[boynton2222]

Frank,

Really? I think that's great" I have relatives and a pilot friend who live in Algonquin. When I was a teen. I used to swim from the Cary Bridge to the Algonquin Bridge. We always had a summer home, so I learned to swim at a very early age.

In fact, on one of those swims we saved some people who had overloaded a rowboat from some organization (German I think) that had a summer camp on the east side of the river just north of the Algonquin bridge.

My son had a restaurant just to the north of Algonquin called Kym's Beef Express. So I know the area very well. Elgin too. Island Lake, Wooster Lake, Cross Lake, Fox River, all of them... I remember when you could stand waist high in Crystal Lake and see your feet clear as a bell - no longer though, all the lakes are polluted now.

Unfortunately those races are not wheelchair friendly, so I won't be attending, but will keep tabs on it. Hope you win.

Someone said the Elgin races and Algonquin races had nothing in common. That isn't so - the Chicago Motor Club (Chicago Auto Club) committee sponsored both of them and they were the ones who rescheduled the first race in Algonquin.

See ya,

Joane

[MPea3]

Joane,

Merry Christmas, and thank you for what you've brought to this board.

Mark

[HistoricMustang]

Joane, another bravo from someone who can not contirbute but is learning so much.

Happy Holidays to all.

Henry

[boynton2222]

Thank you for the greetings. We're just getting started on this quest. There is a lot more to come, so stay tuned in.

It's been fun and I've learned a lot from all of you wonderful race fans (and racers). It's below zero here in Chicago. Brrrr!

Joane

[boynton2222]

Okay, here's a question "off the wall".

I know that several of you have written and published books.

I have written a book with about 1100 pages and it's in the manuscript stage. I understand that you need a representative now, instead of sending your manuscript to a publisher.

I checked the internet and the only one even close to Chicago is in Iowa.

Can anyone help?

Joane

[Ray Bell]

You really need to talk to Joe Fan...

He's just done his Masten Gregory book out of Kansas.

[billthekat]

I may have missed it as I read through this thread, but the November 15, 1997 issue of "The Alternate" has a few paragraphs by Harold Osmer on the Ascot "Speederettes" event, to include a nice picture of the cars used.

[hinnershitz]

Here's the full content of the article on the 1910 Elgin races - actually a preview - which Joane sent to me. As the original file was 1.5 MB in size and part of the lettering very small, I decided to do an OCR:

NATIONAL RACES OVER ELGIN COURSE
New York Times (1857 - current file); Aug 14, 1910; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2001) pg. C8

Stock Chassis Contests Will Be Conducted Over Typical Road Course Aug. 26 and 27.

Starting Aug. 28, and continuing over the following day, National stock chassis races of the simon-pure variety, and conducted over a typical road course, will be held on the Elgin, Ill., raceway, and the winners of the various events may well lay claim to the National road racing championships.
The plans of the Chicago Motor Club in conjunction with the Elgin Automobile Road Race Association are In full blossom, which will come to fruition the latter part of this month. Official sanction was only recently granted, but within a few hours after the announcement had been made entries and the promise of entries began to pour in.
Arthur Greiner, an amateur, has named a National for the Elgin National trophy race, and the National Automobile Company of Chicago has entered a National for the Illinois trophy. Two Coles have been named by telephone from Indianapolis, and a Ford car has been entered by the Chicago branch, while assurances are given by the Lozier, Benz, Renault, Marmon, E-M-F, Parry, Falcar, Black Crow, Oldsmobile, Herreshoff, Cino, Matheson, Velie, Marion, Alco, Corbin, Simplex, Jackson, Midland, and Stover that they will make nominations. The Lozier, which has been out of road racing for a couple of years, has gone so far as to secure headquarters at Elgin, which is taken as a guarantee of the company's serious intentions.
Chairman Harry T. Clinton and his associates on the Contest Board of the Chicago Motor Club have selected the officials who will handle the National Stock Chassis Road Races as follows: Honorary referee, C. H. Hulburd; referee, David Beecroft; judges, F. C. Donald, Everett C. Brown, T. J. Hyman, W. C. Thorne, W. F. Grower, A. J. Bania, F. W. Jencks, G. E. Hunter, and Frank H. Trego; starter, Fred J. Wagner; assistant starter, Oliver G. Temme ; clerk of the course, Harry T. Clinton; assistants, W J. Zucker and J. S. Woodworth; Technical Committee, A. E. Edwards, Berne Nadall, Otto Von Bachelle; timers, C. H. Warner, J. P. Frisby, R. T. Laughlin, H. W. Cooper; chief checker, John. H. Kelly; assistants, L. Z. Sheldon, Ralph Hoagland, W. Nussbaum, Frank Sparks, Ed Guston, O. L. Foote, Hosmer H. Allen, Lyle Miller, and L. R. Campbell; chief scorer, Charles E. Gregory; chief flagman, Frank B. Wood; military aid, C. A. Tilt; chief announcer, L. B. Sanders; chief electrician, Al Adams.
At the same meeting it was decided to postpone the club's annual hill climb at Algonquin, Ill., the new date selected being Thursday, Sept. 15. This action was taken because it was found that it would be impossible to finish by Sept. 10 the artificial hill which will be used for the standing start climb.
The Club has had trouble getting Perry Hill for this, the grade being in another county. The Algonquinites, however, have promised to build a special hill 1.000 feet in length and which, it is said, will be one of the stiffest propositions a motor car ever has been called upon to tackle. Ten teams and twenty men started at the hill immediately; it will be done by Sept. 1.
The Motor Club has received the design of the Elgin National Trophy, which is to be the prize in the big race the second day, the event for cars under 600 cubic inches piston displacement. It is been described as a classic vase, three feet eight inches high above the pedestal. It is a two-handled cup, the main decorations being the laurel oak and water leaves. This cup is designed to take s(?-unreadable) wreaths with inscriptions and two panels one for the motor car scene on the obverse side, and on the reverse side the main description of the cup. On the neck of the cup is the figure of Father Time. The trophy is valued at $4,500.
The schedule of races, trophies and prizes follows:
Friday, Aug. 26. - Three Races - Class B, Division 2-B - 101 to 230 cubic inches piston displacement; minimum weight, 1.400 pounds; distance sixteen laps, or approximately 130 miles. For the Fox River Valley Trophy and $300 in cash to the winner. Trophy is to be won outright.
Class B, Division 3-B - 231 to 300 cubic inches piston displacement; minimum weight, 1.700 pounds; distance, twenty laps, or approximately 170 miles. For the Kane County trophy and $300 cash to the winner. Trophy to be won outright.
Class B, Division 4-B - 301 to 450 cubic inches piston displacement; minimum weight, 2.000 pounds; distance, twenty-four laps, or approximately 204 miles. For tbe Illinois trophy and $400 in cash to the winner. Trophy to be won outright.
Saturday, Aug. 27, - For the Elgin National Trophy - 300 miles for stripped stock chassis open to the chassis of any Gasoline car which is in accordance with the definition of stripped stock chassis defined under Class B with a piston displacement under 600 cubic inches and minimum weight of 2.300 pounds. Possession of trophy for one year and $1.000 in cash for the winner; $300 in cash to second, and $200 in cash to third.
Twenty entries have been received to date, as follows, and every indication points to a representative entry of stock chassis in each class:
Fox River Trophy, 101-230 Class - Ford, Frank Kulick; Cole, W. Endicott; Overland, A. Schillo.
Kane County Trophy, 231-300 Class - Marmon, J. Dawson; Marmon, R. Harroun; Cino.
Illinois Trophy, 301-450 Class - Marmon; National, Al Livingstone; National, A. W. Greiner; Velie, J. H. Stickney; Velie, E. C. Gooney; Falcar. (2.)
Elgin National, Under 600 Class - National, A. W. Greiner; National, Al Livingstone; Lozier; Marmon, R. Harroun; Matheson; Cino.

[boynton2222]

Thank you very much for putting that piece on the thread.

I wanted to add that the trophy was solid silver and weighs 40 lbs. Most drivers entered the race because of the trophy. That trophy now has a value of $100,000. In addition to the trophy, the winner got $1,000, second place $300, and third place $200.

Postcards were sent all over the country advertising the races. Winning races allowed car manufacturers to make promotional postcards. Their car was always featured with the driver highlighted. Most postcards were real photos; however, humorous postcards were the popular souvenirs of the day. Many of the drawings showed the local people of Elgin as farmers. Promotional brochures contained printed routes to the race site.

[xkssFrankOpalka]

Makes me wonder what the Indiana Trophy was?

[hinnershitz]

Originally posted by boynton2222
Postcards were sent all over the country advertising the races. Winning races allowed car manufacturers to make promotional postcards. Their car was always featured with the driver highlighted. Most postcards were real photos; however, humorous postcards were the popular souvenirs of the day. Many of the drawings showed the local people of Elgin as farmers. Promotional brochures contained printed routes to the race site .

Which reminds me of (from 1911) :





(Always interested in flying farmers).

[boynton2222]

What a great addition. Never saw those postcards. Thanks.

[Michael Ferner]

Thanks to all of you for your input.

The Newberry Library here in Chicago is mailing me a pix of Mrs. Oliver G. Temme in her racing gear from a Chicago Tribune article dated September 30, 1923. Now this concerns me, because my father didn't divorce his first wife until 1927, it might not be my mother and perhaps his first wife raced also. We'll see when it arrives.

I have also located someone who does restore old photos and is a race car buff, so he's anxious to see the pixs too.

The pix just arrived and I signed for them. I have 4 pix of women race car drivers, only one shows my mother - but they all show the No. 16 race car. One shows 5 of her female racers around the car. They aren't identified though. Pix are photographed by H. A. Atwell - Chicago.

On the left front side is No. 16 toward the top. The hand brake just to the right of it. It is also on the right side (same location). Both of these locations are standing in front of the car and looking at it. There is also an exhaust (?) pipe running along the left side.

Joane

I received the Chicago Tribune newspaper article on Mrs. Oliver G. Temme dated September 30, 1923 which reads as follows:

FAIR SPEED DEMONS IN AUTO RACE

Two of the women auto race drivers who will compete this afternoon in the races at the North Shore dirt track (shows both pix). Both Miss Simmone Soudan and Mrs. Temme are sell known in women's auto racing circles and have enviable records. The women will race in a ten mile event and the winner will be pitted again the victor amount the MEN in a special twenty-five mile match race.

Queens of the speedway of the middle west who in practive have been reeling off the miles in less t han sixty seconds will face the starter in a ten mile race in which victory will carry with it the right to challenge any woman driver in America for the championship. The winner also will be matched with the winner of the twenty-five mile race for men, the two to engage in a dual contest which will bring the program to a close.

Miss Elfreda Mais of Indianapolis is perhaps the most experienced of the field, holding the mile record for women of :52 2-5. Miss Mais has hung up a number of short distance records ON THE INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY. (continued) Hats anyone?
?

(continued)

Other women who will compete for honors are Miss May Smylie, Miss Teresa M. Putz, Miss Margaret Zimmrman, Miss Ruth Hambel, Miss Elinor Loftus, Miss Simmone Soudan, Mrs. B. C. Brautigan, Mrs. Oliver G. Temme. Mrs. Oliver G. Temme will also appear in an exhibition race against time.

The two ten mile races for men, the winners of which will meet in the twenty-five mile event, will bring out a number of dirt track record smashers who already have made names for themselves at Hawthorne and at the Roby speedway, including Esthan Wenneston, Cliff Woodbury, Roy Nonnermen and Harry Nichols.

What say now?? No women drivers, eh? More hats please. Pix from this article are available if interested.

Joane

Anyone still in contact with Joane? Did she ever mention her mother's maiden name?

I have found the same article (Chicago Tribune, Sep 30, 1923), showing a picture of Mrs. Oliver Temme, but I am getting a bit confused here: First, she says that her father didn't marry her mother before 1927, and the picture would probably show his first wife. Then, when she finally gets to see the picture, no word whether it shows her mother or not!

In any case, given that her mother's first name was Helen, I have found a Miss Helen Plott (possibly Piott - those microfilms are sometimes hard to read) in another race at North Shore on July 4, 1924. Would be interesting to know if her parents first met there and then :love:. Also, what was the first name of Oliver Temme's first wife?