The Race Ground on River Street

This map, which was created in the early 1850s, long after the race track had disappeared. Using our imaginations, however, we can picture in our heads what the race track might have looked like.

The race track was a quarter mile long. It started at a brook at the east side of River Street and went about down past where the Middle Bridge is now located. Based on written descriptions, the race track was straight and had two tracks (shown in red) that were separated by a raised pedestrian walkway (shown in yellow).

In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.In addition, a land owner across the river caused part of the race grounds to wash away.

That land owner was Titus Hutchinson, a prominent lawyer, who lived at what is now called 1 The Green. He owned a small meadow behind his house.

To protect his meadow from being eroded by the river, he built a structure into the river that diverted the water to the opposite side.

This diverter not only protected Titus Hutchinson’s land, but it changed the course of the river entirely. In some places the river moved over at least 90 feet. Mr. Hutchinson’s meadow was greatly enlarged.

His neighbors across the river, however, lost much of their land and part of the pedestrian walk and one lane of the race track was washed away.