Join us tomorrow, Saturday, May 24th, between 10 AM and 2:30 PM, as we celebrate the history of the Sport Hill Races at the Easton Public Library parking lot. See some of the motorcars that might have made the hill climb so many years ago.
Featured machines will include the Number One Locomobile factory racer; one of only two that the Bridgeport factory built in 1906 to compete in competition at events like the famous Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island. This car finished in third place in the 1908 race that was won by its sister machine, Old Number Sixteen that is on permanent display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
Members of the Fairfield County Horseless Carriage Club of America will present three demonstration runs on Morehouse Road where spectators can see and hear these machines in action. While safety concerns and the age of the cars prohibit a full-blown race, viewers will still get a rare chance to experience the excitement of seeing these 100-plus year-old marvels of early automotive engineering roaring up the hill.
There will be an additional display of classic vehicles available for viewing in the Library parking lot.
Motorcar historian Alex Dragone and Sport Hill Race historian Bruce Nelson will be on hand to talk about the significance of the vehicles and the original hill climb on Sport Hill Road. This event is free to the public and parking is available at the old Samuel Staples School building at 654-660 Morehouse Road. The Simply Smashed Burgers & More food truck will be on site for those who wish to purchase lunch. Due to the noise produced by some of the older motorcars, we kindly request that you leave your canine companions at home.
In addition to the Horseless Carriage club, this event is sponsored by the Town of Easton, the Historical Society of Easton and the Staples Academy Foundation. A special thanks also goes out to Greiser’s Coffee and Market (everyone’s favorite gathering place for coffee and good conversation) for supplying the organizers and exhibitors with some early morning sustenance!
