Gage’s Driving Park

During the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, people found a variety of ways to entertain themselves. In McHenry, one of the more popular forms of entertainment was the Driving Park. George Gage, one of McHenry’s presentiment citizens built the McHenry Driving Park, which eventually became the Gage Driving Park. Build around 1884, the park didn’t just feature horse racing. Foot racing and bicycle racing were also very popular. Picnics, baseball games, foot ball games and eventually an amphitheater were also featured on what was described as a beautiful grove. Some gatherings had more than one events, such as a picnic with a baseball game afterward. McHenry teams would often play against neighboring towns or cities a bit further away such as Waukegan or Elgin. Just like the races, these games would also have a purse, usually $100 for each team. Admission to a ball game cost spectators .25.

Consisting of 36 acres, Gage’s Driving Park became one of the most distinguished venues around. The McHenry County Trotting Club and its sister organization in Lake County regularly met there for racing and other events. Races would often follow national rules, as set by the National Trotting Association. Purses varied on placement, the length of the race, and type of race, ranging from $60 to $10. This included people running a foot race, whose prizes were slightly less usually going between $15-$5. In the 1890s, bicycle races tended to win material prizes as opposed to monetary ones. A winner might win a bicycle lamp or a cyclometer. The Driving Park would also hold fundraisers. In 1884, the Park held a picnic to benefit the McHenry Catholic Church (St. Patrick’s) with a dance in the evening at the Riverside Hotel. The picnic featured lemonade, cigars, ice cream, and other items for sale made by some of the Church parishioners.  

For about 30 years, the Driving Park was one of the largest centers of the community. Overtime the Park closed and the Gage estate was broken up. In 1927 it became was is now the Wattles subdivision.

Sources

“Matinee September 12” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 26 Aug 1896, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Amphitheatre Torn Down” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 21 Jul 1897, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 May 2020.

“Grand Trotting Matinee” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 6 Aug 1890, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Foot Ball” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 16 Nov 1899, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Quarter of a Century” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 10 Aug 1916, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Picnic” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 13 Aug 1884, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Picnic” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 30 Jul 1884, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Horse Races Wednesday” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 24 May 1917, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Quarter of a Century” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 29 Aug 1912, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Races at McHenry” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 5 Aug 1896, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Baseball At Driving Park” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 9 Sep 1891, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Attention!” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 3 Sep 1884, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Quarter of a Century” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 2 Sep 1909, 8. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“All McHenry Celebrates” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 5 Jul 1917, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Horse Races Saturday” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 17 Jul 1917, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Horse Races Postponed” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 31 May 1917, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“Two Interesting Races” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 28 Jun 1917, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.

“McHenry Driving Park” The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 30 Jun 1886, 5. Newspapers.com. Web. 25 Nov 2020.