The Omaha Driving Park, later called Sunset Driving Park, was located in
North Omaha
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
, United States. It was an important recreational and sports venue in the
history of Omaha
The history of Omaha, Nebraska, began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian Co ...
.
History
In 1875, the Omaha Driving Park Association purchased a parcel of land located between Laird and Boyd Streets, and 16th to 20th Streets for
horse racing. A fair association leased it, added some features. The
Douglas County Fair had been held on the site since 1858. In 1880 the grounds were sold to a group of businessmen that included
John Creighton,
James E. Boyd and
William A. Paxton. The new owners spent $15,000 to improve the grounds, and for several years after this the
Nebraska State Fair
The Nebraska State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is held annually in Grand Island, approximately 100 miles west of the state capital of Lincoln, which hosted the fair until 2010. The fair usually runs for 11 days, an ...
was sporadically held here.
The Park hosted
Buffalo Bill's first official performance of the
Wild West Show
Wild West shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe that existed around 1870–1920. The shows began as theatrical stage productions and evolved into open-air shows that depicted romanticized stereotypes of ...
on May 19, 1883. 8,000 people attended the premiere, and in 1898 the Park featured a local wild west show as part of the
Trans-Mississippi Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Co ...
. The Park fell into disuse by 1899. It was renamed as Sunset Driving Park in 1904, and sponsored races in which
Barney Oldfield
Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield (January 29, 1878 – October 4, 1946) was an American pioneer automobile racer; his "name was synonymous with speed in the first two decades of the 20th century".
After success in bicycle racing, he began auto ...
and
Alonzo Webb beat
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
s for speed.
Auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
events were held there through 1908.
By 1910 Sunset Driving Park had relocated west of the city and was eventually renamed the
Sunset Speedway. The old driving park on Sprague Street was broken up into 100 lots and offered for sale for residential purposes. The driving park was the last unoccupied part of the
Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located betw ...
suburb.
"History at a Glance"
Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved 4/27/08.
See also
* History of North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha, Nebraska has a recorded history spanning over 200 years, pre-dating the rest of Omaha, encompassing wildcat banks, ethnic enclaves, race riots and social change. North Omaha has roots back to 1812 and the founding of Fort Lisa. It ...
References
History of North Omaha, Nebraska
Motorsport venues in Nebraska
Defunct motorsport venues in the United States
Defunct horse racing venues in Nebraska
1875 establishments in Nebraska
Sports venues in Omaha metro area
Defunct sports venues in Nebraska
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