Because of increasing industrialization and the growth of cities, many people in the Mahoning Valley were living in an urban rather than rural environment by the end of the nineteenth century.  Because they were no longer engaged in heavy manual labor—doing all the daily chores that went along with farming—they looked for other ways to exercise and stay healthy, and have fun.

The Youngstown Driving Park Association organized ‘to secure to its members and the public generally a driving park of the best possible order…to train or exercise their horses.’  The park on Poland Avenue, ¾ mile from the Public Square, opened on July 4, 1866 with a ½ mile oval course, even and level, and by August had built a ‘large booth’ to accommodate 1500 spectators for horse races.

In the 1880s, there were enough cycling enthusiasts to form the Mahoning Cycle Club.  These were all men who rode ‘high-wheelers;’ by the 1990s, as the bicycle evolved, women were riding, too, wearing special cycling outfits with shorter skirts.  For a quieter outing, one could cruise the river on a yacht from the Mahoning Pleasure Boat Company.

In 1898, 50 golf enthusiasts founded the Mahoning Country Club and leased 55 acres of land for a 9-hole golf course.  The club moved to Liberty Township in 1909, became the Youngstown Country Club, and opened a new golf course and clubhouse 3 years later.

Would you rather live in a city, a suburb, or in the country?  How do you get fresh air and exercise?  Which 19^th century activity would you like to try?  Visit the Arms Family Museum or www.mahoninghistory.org to see more artifacts and documents related to the development of sports in the Mahoning Valley. For a better look at these primary documents, go to MVHS@mahoninghistory.org.  Under Education, click on ‘What Do You Know’ for a list of articles.  Then click on the embedded images in an article for a downloadable file.