Dog Track in Schiller Park


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Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: lursa1967 (---.dsl.emhril.ameritech.net)
Date: April 02, 2012 11:26PM

Has any one have any info on this? There is a sign at Mannheim and Lawrence in referring to a dog track being at that location.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 03, 2012 02:18AM

I believe that was the Fairview Kennel Club dog track. It opened in the late '20s, was operated by Bugs Moran and burned to the ground in 1930. I don't know if it reopened after that, though.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: lursa1967 (---.dsl.emhril.ameritech.net)
Date: April 06, 2012 10:14AM

Thanks. I didn't realize at the time there were 3 dog tracks in the area. I did find one site with a ticket to the track. I am just completely fascinated by anything to do with 1920's Chicago. I think primarily because I live near Mount Carmel Cemetery. Lots of rivals in life and neighbors in death.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: adgorn (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 29, 2012 08:54PM

Is this of what you speak? http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=0.000115203154646253&lat=41.955214&lon=-87.888308&year=1962

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 01, 2012 11:58AM

Wow, what track is that? It's interestingly close to the the Outfit-run Sahara Inn on Mannheim. There was another motel directly across the street from it, too, the name of which escapes me. I think it housed a Japanese restaurant before it was torn down.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: WayOutWardell (63.226.79.---)
Date: May 02, 2012 12:38AM

So, was that O'Hare Stadium? Looks like another super-short oval track.
Check out the Nickey '57 Chevy at the rear:
[url=http://public.fotki.com/racewaypark/non_raceway_park/oharestadium.html]O'Hare Stadium[/url]

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: rjmachon (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: May 02, 2012 05:44PM

WayOut,
You are correct on the Japanese restaurant and motel across the street. I can't remember the name as well. Could it have been a Japanese motel as well?

That has to be O'Hare Stadium from what I read about the track.

O' Hare Stadium, Chicago, Ill. - 1/4 mile paved oval. Opened in 1956 and torn down in 1968. NASCAR star Fred Lorenzen was track champion in 1958. The site is now an industrial park located south of O'Hare Int'l Airport.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: WayOutWardell (63.226.79.---)
Date: May 02, 2012 10:51PM

Neat. Something else interesting about the site of the stadium: the road that cuts across where it stood has the now-outdated name of Trans World Way (the others are Delta and United Parkways).

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: rjmachon (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: May 03, 2012 08:50PM

Getting back to dog tracks for lursa1967, I can see the track I believe on the historicaerials website in the year 1939. It is just northeast of the old O'Hare Raxce Track found by Adgorn above here. I don't know anything about dog tracks but this track looks pretty big to me compared to the O'Hare Race Track which is only a 1/4 mile oval.

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Re: Dog Track in Schiller Park
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 04, 2012 02:19AM

I'd bet that's the Fairview track, or its remnants anyway. Illinois made dog racing illegal in 1930, so it's possible that it was never rebuilt after the fire. If you zoom in, notice that there doesn't seem to be any grandstands surrounding it. The oval is visible in the 1951 photo but is gone by 1960.

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