No not Camp Town:
The song, “Camp Town Ladies” was derived from a colorful era of horse racing in early America. In the decades of 1850 through 1900, harness racing became a top horseman's sport in our country. It was, in fact, a glorification or spin-off of the old buggy and carriage race. It seems since the days of the Romans, horse racing has captivated the hearts of people everywhere. In the 1950's, era, I drag-raced on back roads. In 1850, my Great Grandfather “Elisha Beatty”, no doubt raced his neighbor, “Jeremiah Hagenbuch” to town in his two-seater buggy. I shall never forget the movie where Gary Cooper played the part of a gentle Pennsylvania Quaker, who raced his buggy to church. I believe the movie was entitled, “Friendly Persuasion.” At any rate, sulky racing has its roots in early America. Today, it is one of America's greatest sports. The “Little Brown Jug,” harness racing's greatest event, is ran at Delaware, Ohio, just 18 miles from my back door.
During the middle 1800's, and after 1900, there developed a circuit of itinerant horse racers. They took their steeds from town to town to race. In the South, wherever there was a track, events were held. Usually, the races were held on weekends and holidays. The owners and handlers would pitch tents on the back side of the track for living quarters and shelter for the horses. Very few tracks had barns to accommodate the owners, so they used tents. Thus, we have the title, “Camp Town,” as they were called, as they were like small towns. Besides the participants, there were cook tents, harness makers, blacksmiths and other vendors. To be sure, the Patent Medicine Man was there to sell his Liniment, good for “Horse or Man.” The local farmers would sell their hay and grain to the horse owners. So, it was a busy, buzzy, exciting time at the “Old Camp Town Races.”
In the North and Midwest, the harness races took up with the county fairs. Today, in Ohio alone, there are 70 out of 88 counties that offer harness racing at their county fairs. Those early fairs had a little barn space, making the camp towns necessary.
It was during the period of 1854 to 1861, that a horse stole the hearts of Americans far and wide. This horse is honored in more museums than any other horse in history. In a moment, you will see why. The name of this horse was Flora Temple. She was the “Darling” of the harness racing circuit. People came from miles around to see her race. The fact that Flora Temple was a mare, taking on all comers, made for even a more exciting race. She was one of the great trotters of all time. Flora Temple was the first horse to break the time of 2:25 and 2:20 for the mile distance. And the amusing and remarkable fact was that she did not possess one drop of “Trotter Blood.” Her ancestry was not wholly known, but was of Thoroughbred and Saddle-horse stock. She stood only 14 1/4 hands tall, and beside other Trotters of her day, looked like a midget. She was “long for her inches,” compactly built, and had endless gaminess and stamina. She loved to run and was a born-winner. On October 19, 1859, at Kalamazoo, Michigan, she, for the fifth, “yes, I said fifth,” and last time, posted a new world mark. It was for this mark or 2:19:3/4 that she was honored by the Lancaster Glass Works of Western New York, with her very own flask. Thus, the reason she is in more museums than any other horse. Not only will you find her where horses are honored, but in every major glass museum in the country. No flask collection is complete without her.
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