Narragansett Park: Preserving History

Home made documentary based on Narragansett Park, Pawtucket, RI. This was once one of the premiere horse racing tracks in America. It opened in 1934 and closed forever in 1978. Such horses as Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Alsab, Discovery and War Relic raced at Gansett.

Please enjoy and share this video.

I appologize in advance that some of the video isn't the greatest. I worked with the resources I had available to me.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• narragansett
• park
• horse
• racing
• pawtucket
• ri
• seabiscuit
• war
• admiral
• relic
• whirlaway
• alsab
• discovery

[juditdu]

I walk in that area almost daily..that fountain should be restored or moved to Slater Park..Howell Smith Drug Store carries Narragansett Track calanders...think a horse was buried at the finish line..contact me if you have any questions..look forward to seeing more reasearch of yours...Judith

[Cormak]

Hi Judith,

Thanks for the tip about the calenders. I will give the drug store a call to see if they will hold one and I'll in that direction after work on Thursday.

I believe there were two horses buried at the track. Charlie and the other name escapes me. I'm not sure if any markers remain, but I haven't seen any. If the weather ever gets nice, I'd like to head back and take more images and video.

[ccfarmct]

As a horse trainer at Old Gansett your video brought back many memories. Keep up the good work! Ipresume you also know about Lincoln Downs Race Track also was in RI?

[Cormak]

Thank you! I do know about Lincoln downs which is now Twin River. My family and I go there quite often. I've heard that James Dooley Jr works there in the mutuals department, but I have not been able to contact him. It's been great to be in touch with so many people with fond memories of Gansett. I wish I was old enough to see it in anything other than it's current state.

[flannagan11]

Great work - I spent my junior high school years skateboarding in this park (the industrial one) and always wondered about its history. Footage is hard to find.

[Cormak]

When I was there this past Saturday getting some video I was actually surprised at how much open space there still was and how many of the businesses were run down. Makes you wonder what will happen to the industrial park in years to come. Thanks for you comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[humanTFC]

PHAGGETRY

[dadadadiox]

As an 11-12 year old boy in the early 70's my best friend's older brother was a wanna-be jockey at Gansett. He took us to the stables many times where he did odd jobs hoping to earn credit he might cash in for mounts. He did race but did not go very far. He gave us minor tasks to make his work easier. The horses and people were fabulous.

While watching the Secretariat film long faded memories of 1973 flooded my mind causing me to seek Narragansett Park on the internet. Thanks for making this.

[AAQ40]

Nice job...Too bad Rhode isIand could not buy it back and turn the Retail store into a museum, ..people of all ages want to know the past history of Rhode Island !

[lorason61]

@MFD7X7

[lorason61]

no footage of the the stable area, by the railroad cut ? Hmmm....

[bid1001]

awesome video, myself and 5 others packed my buddys majik bus and we would drink and have a blast going to the track and more fun on the way home. you could drink an drive back then....lol.....what mystique gansett had also lincoln downs as a horse track

[lorason61]

The other horse buried there was "Adobe Post"

[Jays300e1]

Very nice very well put together.

[Stedia0405]

Brought back memories. When I was Ten Years old I used to live in one of the trailer parks on Manton Street. I seem to remember another gate on Manton St. I used to ride my bike up and down the street and watch the cars park on the street. You could also sometimes hear the announcer.