GENTLEMEN'S DRIVING AND RIDING CLUB OF DENVER RECORDS
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Gentlemen's Driving and Riding Club collection contains meeting minutes and correspondence from club members to officers of the club. Other materials include yearly financial reports, an incorporation statement, as well as exhibit guidelines and award lists.
This series contains meeting minutes, bound and unbound.
Correspondence, annual reports, stationery and other club records comprise this series.
This series contains a silver loving cup trophy presented by JJ Joslin to JK Stuart for winning the greatest number of races (14) with his horse Argyle in 1907.
Dates
- 1884-1930
ACCESS:
The collection is open for research.
OWNERSHIP:
The Gentlemen's Driving and Riding Club of Denver Records are the physical property of the Denver Public Library.
PUBLICATION RIGHTS:
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
The Gentlemen's Driving and Riding Club became an integral part of Denver's early history. Formed in 1882, members consisted of men who were leaders in the Denver business community and society.
The exclusive group staged horse competitions and exhibitions in Arlington Park in Denver. Their clubhouse was located on what is now East 4th Avenue and Downing Street. In the mid 1880s, the club moved the races from Arlington Park to City Park. Major Jacob Downing acquired the property and maintained it as a clubhouse. (When Downing died in 1907, his wife turned the building into the Downing Home for Old People). In early 1904, the club moved its headquarters to 1525 Curtis Street. Races were held during the summer, typically drawing between 2,500 to 6,000 spectators per event.
The cost for a membership was approximately twenty-five dollars and membership dues were ten dollars a year. Forty-five dollars a month, paid by the owner, covered maintenance and training of each horse. Events consisted of the mile, trot or pace, and a saddle event. Enthusiastic judges awarded ribbons and engraved sterling silver cups to horse
owners at the end of each race. The Gentlemen's Driving and Riding Club dissolved in the early 1930s.
Extent
3 boxes (1.5 linear feet)
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
PROVENANCE:
The provenance for this collection is unknown. The estate of Lawrence R. Reno donated a silver loving cup trophy in January 2009.
SIZE:
Number of Boxes: 3 (1.5 lf)
LOCATION:
WH150
PROCESSED BY:
Carisa McPhail
Ann Brown
November 2007
PROJECT MANAGER:
Ellen Zazzarino
- Adminstrative records. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Ephemera. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Gentlemen's Driving and Riding Club of Denver-- Archives.
- Horse racing -- Colorado --Denver. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Riding clubs -- Colorado -- Denver. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- GENTLEMEN'S DRIVING AND RIDING CLUB OF DENVER RECORDS
- Date
- 2007
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository
