Well old Eaton has two new inhabitants this week Graeme
& Darla Monahan. As I passed the
house they live in this morning I thought about…its history! The new two
some live in at a location that few people realize has a great “horsey”
history.
Located on Front Street in Eaton - as it is called by the
locals - actually Route 26, there was a stable behind the Monahan house in the
days of Eaton’s horse racing frenzy.
This stable was well remembered by the elders who have now passed on to
the other side…as a matter of fact many who have never been to Eaton talked
about it. I was told that when he once raced in the area, in that stable stayed a horse that was considered the
greatest pacing harness horse that ever lived…Dan Patch.
Dan Patch was a slow starting young horse sired by a six
year old Joe Patchen who was a former champion, and Zelica who was not
considered an exception race mare. Dan
Messner, a storekeeper, at action for $255, originally purchased him. The horse was allowed to mature to four years
until he was raced … eventually being bought by Marion Willis Savage who owned
the International Stock Food Farm… an unbelievable horse stable. Savage loved the horse and as he progressed
to the champion pacer of the era, Savage started promoting him.
Dan Patch had a custom 65-foot railroad car that was custom
built for him and his two traveling horse companions. His races drew crowds of up to 100, 000 in
number to watch and to enable them to say that “they saw the great Dan Patch
race”. Savage, a great publicist and
promoter sold all types of Dan Patch souvenirs.
The horse became a sensation loved by the crowds and a pacer
that paced his way into the record books by breaking the World Record for the
mile 14 times… including once at 1:55.
Harry Truman said he had even written a fan letter to the horse when he
was a boy!
Dan lived out his days in comfort with the love and
affection of Savage. Ironically, Willis
Savage and Dan Patch died on the same day only hours apart and were buried with
honors on the same day!
Today there are Dan Patch Historical Societies, Dan Patch
memorabilia collections, even books and a movie!
That is not where the history ends however, for in that stable was found another racing
horse of note…her name was Flora Temple…and today we know her since she was the
“Bob Tailed Nag” made famous by Stephen Foster in his song Camptown Races!
See history is everywhere…especially in Eaton.
***Here is a video on Dan!
What a fascinating story. I had no Idea. Maybe it's in there (sometimes I can't see things plainly in front of my face), but what years did this all happen?
ReplyDeleteAn educated guess would be 1899-1904 A man named Sturgis bought him and sold him in 1902 to Savage. That was the "Hay Day" for Eaton as well...It could have been a bit later but after that I think he turned Nationally via his rail car...Wish I had more information but I guess I am lucky to have had the story related to me before and told a number of times by the Old Timers...humorously..when we put on the Bicentennial of the Hamlet...we put up wooden historic markers including one infront of the house which read "DAN PATCH SLEPT HERE!"
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