The New York State town of Monroe, with a population bordering 40,000, is located in Orange County and is named after President James Monroe. It once enjoyed its own 4 furlong oval harness race track, built on 21 acres of land on the outskirts of the town, which attracted large crowds because it was one of the 4 tracks on the Orange County Harness Racing Circuit. The other three tracks on the Circuit between 1908 and 1927 were Endicott, Middletown and Goshen. The racing was administered by the Monroe Racing Association, with Max Schafer acting as the first President. The inaugural meeting was held on 8th August 1908 and organisers were rewarded with a crowd of 2,200 people. Receipts increased annually and improvements to the track and its facilities were made over time. A new 75 feet long grandstand was erected in 1910 with the capacity to seat 1,000 punters, and this was extended in 1911 to seat a further 500 people. In 1927 the track ceased being a part of the Racing Circuit, being replaced by Elmira, and consequently crowds dropped to such an extent that the track was no longer viable. In 1929 the Monroe Racetrack Association was dissolved, but it was not until 1964 that the grandstands and outbuildings were demolished. |
