The Maine Spirit and the Horse: The North Kennebec Agricultural Society -- The Story of Nelson 4209 -- Supporting the Banner Picturesque Waterville

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

Saturday, January 1, 2022

The North Kennebec Agricultural Society -- The Story of Nelson 4209 -- Supporting the Banner Picturesque Waterville

During the 19th century there were agricultural societies with trotting parks or driving park associations that were located in Waterville, Augusta, Readfield, Windsor, Monmouth, Litchfield, Pittston, and China. In Gardiner, the trotting park was owned by the Gardiner family. Known as the Oakland Park, harness and bicycle races took place.

The North Kennebec Agricultural Society was formed in 1847. It was highly successful and became the model for other agricultural societies in Kennebec County. The storyboards in this post are pages taken from The Centennial History of Waterville published in 1902.

There were two additional trotting parks in Waterville: 1. Central Maine Park located where the Seton Hospital is today and 2. The Webb Trotting Park located on Route 4 across the street from the Elm Plaza.