The Maine Spirit and the Horse: Harness Racing at the Oxford County Fair, South Paris, Maine 1939

A Comment about The Maine Spirit Blog

Historians and horse lovers owe a great debt of gratitude to Stephen Thompson for his thorough and fascinating survey of Maine’s tie to the magnificent beast that, in both work and sport, was a principal means of tying this vast state together in the long era before the automobile. Water Village, my history of Waterville, only touches on the horse, most particularly the astonishing creature named Nelson. Thompson’s work reveals the full tale of the impact of these beloved animals in this area, and in celebration of the horse, future generations will be grateful to know a story that otherwise might have been lost in the mists of time. -- Earl Smith, Dean of College, Emeritus, Colby College

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Harness Racing at the Oxford County Fair, South Paris, Maine 1939

Today the Oxford County Fair in Norway no longer offers harness racing as a featured event. The track at the fairground is probably the best track in the State of Maine. This post features harness racing at the Oxford County Fair when the fairgrounds were located at the site of what is now the high school serving Norway, South Paris and perhaps the area's smaller towns. This storyboard demonstrates that in 1939 the fans were still in the grandstands. The links below will show additional storyboards of harness racing in 1939.