BRANDONVILLE TROTTING PARK 1875

[jeff of pa]

HALF MILE COURSE. Located N.E. Schuylkill County





1875 Map



Tax site Map.



all 3 Lots owned by 1 person from AUBURN. No Buildings on site.
Either Field or Woods. most likely Woods.

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

I think the track was later turned into an outdoor theater

 

[jeff of pa]

I think the track was later turned into an outdoor theater

yes it was

Tax site says No photos available But the Lot just to the East is Woods.
It also says
"Court House.. Owner Unknown"

till 2003 when the Present owner took the land over.
most likely for non-payment of Taxes

 

[jeff of pa]

1938 Penn Pilot Historical Picture Tarck was still there

 

[jeff of pa]

From MAPQUEST

 

[jeff of pa]

http://www.thevintageracer.com/articles/gone_but_not_forgotten2.htm


Originally Horse Track

Later turned into Auto Dirt Track



Later Drive in

 

[jeff741972]

That place looks pretty promising.

 

[jeff of pa]

That place looks pretty promising.

DK & I Drove by it Last year.
Looks like it may have been Grown up pretty good
But hard to tell from our
vantage point driving by on the road.

still need to find and ask the owner,
who lives in Auburn

 

[jeff741972]

Somewhere like that could make for a killer summer this year, alot of gatherings for a long time.

 

[jeff of pa]

[h=2]Brandonville - O'Hara Anthracite Speedway
Late 1920's to the early 1930's
9/8/1935​​, 1950's, 1960's[/h]



Originally built prior to 1875 as a trotting track for horses, this track was of the typical length of a half mile that was popular around that time for such purposes. It may have been the creation of Nelson Brandon who was the founder of the little village based on his name. Little could he have imagined what would become of this track.

It was also the first Schuylkill County track to have Anthracite in its name.

Located in the mountainous region south west of Hazelton, this track apparently was not immune to the auto racing fever that was sweeping across the country.​​ That would lead it to evolving from horses to racing equipment that was of the common type of racers of the day. It was said to have hosted a variety of classes including "big cars" or early sprint cars, midgets and even early forms of go-karts. A few color photographs of early sprint cars in action on its big, sweeping turns are known to exist. Finding information on it's exact first year of auto racing and what class of race vehicles competed on that date has not been forthcoming. These details continue to elude researchers.

With the popularity of drive-in movie theaters that were becoming all the rage from coast to coast, the owners constructed a projection booth/concession stand and the large metal movie screen in the infield. It was built in the mid 1950's as apparently the popularity of the speedway was beginning to ​wane. It would be another form of income for the owners. No doubt this was done to bolster declining profits as the early forms of automobile racers were becoming increasingly more costly to build and maintain. All the while, other forms of entertainment and possibly its location were cutting into the viability of using the race track for that exclusive purpose.

One source indicates that loosely organized go-kart races were held there in the mid to late 1960's, possibly on a smaller inner oval that may have used part of the drive-in movie theater area.

Sometime in the late ​​1960's is when all forms of racing ended, An exact year has yet to be found. It isn't known at this time when the drive-in movie theater ceased to operate as well.

Today, from aerial photos, the second turn outline can still be seen. The contour of the drive-in movie theater and the remainder of the race track are barely evident. From ground level, the area is almost completely flat with only a few mounds of dirt in what was the infield and small, thin trees growing on and among them. Time, man, and progress are quickly erasing most signs of the former activities that once occurred there.​

 

[Clyde239]

jeff of pa (the moderator) copied exactly what I had posted on our website, coalregionracing.com. I spent a few years researching any information I could find on this race track. I also have modern day photos of what this facility appears as now after being dormant for many years.

 

[jeff of pa]

{ UPDATE }

1875

Property Has 3 New Owners in the Last 5 Years

 

[jeff of pa]

BRANDONVILLE DRIVE-IN, Brandonville, PA grand opening ad of Sept. 3, 1948, which reopens as THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN on April 25, 1953. ​

​

Pottsville Republican​

03 Sep 1949, Sat · Page 8

Last Advertised Night

Republican and Herald​

22 Apr 1955, Fri · Page 15

 

[Mackaydon]

Many years ago, I researched, then visited, areas (in Nevada) where once stood the bleacher section of ballfields and racetracks. The trip was rewarding in many ways--until I got stuck in caliche somewhere north of Ely, NV.
Don in SoCal.