The Great Horse Race

[JoyceFarrell]

County Seat a Stake in Race
Tod's Horse Wins, but Youngstown Loses Site
January 11, 1931

They're off!
   
From both sides of a one mile straightaway track in the vicinity of Crab Creek on a bright September day in 1840, 10,000 voices shouted encouragement as two horses got away at the crack of a starter's gun, and amid a cloud of hoof-tossed turf settled to a race that was to decide the issue of a generation-old battle for the location of a county seat.



Climax of Political Rally The race was the climax of a much heralded political rally - an event that eclipsed for Youngstown all subsequent presidential campaigns in point of picturesqueness, excitement, partisanship and interest. It was the year when men sang "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," and when the log cabin and hard cider were almost canonized by an almost frenzied Harrison constituency. General William Henry Harrison, accompanied by Thomas Corwin, the Whig gubernatorial candidate, and by that remarkable character, John W. Haer[?] of Zanesville, known as the "Buckeye's Blacksmith," arrived in Youngstown the day before. Now, after a night of torch-light parades and a day of speeches and singing there came this horse race, a sporting event of such interest to the rival communities of Warren and Youngstown as to almost retire to oblivion, Harrison and his guard of visiting celebrities.
Two-Horse Race

For more than 35 years the people of Warren and Youngstown had voted together on issues of national important, but every local election had been contested on the county seat issue. The rivalry between the contenders was so animated, so bitter and so intense that it was carried into business, religion, social life and sports. Every log-rolling or barn raising near the half-way line was a contest between Youngstown and Warren. Even dog fights and bull fights were interpreted as having some relationship to the location of the county seat. With the approach of the rally in honor of Harrison and Corwin, a number of leading citizens of Warren conceived the idea of humiliating Youngstown by bantering them to run any piece of horse flesh they could dig up against "Dave," the pride of Trumbull county. To back their judgment a stake of $1,000 was posted. George Tod, afterwards Judge [Tod], accepted the wager and covered the money. It is said that Tod spent every night for two weeks in the stable grooming "Fly," owned by Colonel James Hillman, while for Warren the entry was "Dave," the pride of the community and victor of many a test of speed and stamina. At the beginning of the race anxiety raised both sides to fevered pitch; all for Warren sought the north side of the track, and all for Youngstown the south side. The lines had been filled at an early hour, and the passion for betting reigned supreme. What little cash the partisans had was soon staked on the result; watches and penknives followed next, and then of course hats, coats, vests and even shoes, to prove faith and loyalty in their respective towns and cause. An expert rider was mounted on each horse, and as the starter's signaled both animals shot forward exactly even. This was fortunate, for had one rider got the advantage of a leap at the start a free-for-all fight would probably have closed the track. "Fly" and "Dave" darted on, while the surrounding forest echoed a continuous roar of cheers, imprecation, supplications, exhortations and ribald jeers. "Fly" gained a length and the Youngstown side redoubled the clamor. "Dave's" rider applied his quip, bringing Warren's favorite again even. At the half-mile mark the mounts were fighting for an inch gain while the riders' arms rose and fell and their yelling voices testified to their eagerness and determination.
Warren Loses

At the three-quarter mark "Fly" forged ahead, now leading by one length, now by four, now by six. "Fly" thundered across the line; the straight-away track becomes filled with a surging mass of Youngstown supporters, seeking stake holders and the Warren losers. Warren's horse lost the race. George Tod collected the $1,000 stake, many a Warren supporter walked home that afternoon in his bare feet, being reduced to as little as a single pair of pants. At Colonel Hillman's Tavern that evening, the spoils of war were traded and bartered about until Warren's Sundry suits finally fitted the new owners.



Could Not Collect

As for the primary stake in the race, which was to have been the removal of the seat of government of Trumbull County from Warren to Youngstown, the winners of the horse race could not collect. This was a matter outside the jurisdiction of the bettors: an affair to be fought out in a battle of ballots; in a jockeying for position and power in the state legislature; in a game of gerrymandering, vote trading, star-chamber sessions, lobbying and log-rolling. Youngstown finally petitioned for a division of Trumbull County as it then existed, into two counties. The south portion was to have Youngstown as the county seat while the northwest was to retain the name "Trumbull" and the county seat of Warren. Canfield further complicated matters by petitioning for the erection of a new county out of the 10 southern townships of Trumbull and the five northern townships of Columbiana. This last proposal received the support of Warren people, and was finally confirmed by the Legislature in 1848 [?] the new county being designated "Mahoning."


Note:

Butler does mention it, and since his book was written before the article was written, this article can not have been the basis for the mention. History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio Vol. 1 pg. 133 - 134

Harriet Taylor Upton in her History of the Western Reserve Vol. 1 at page 596 mentions it.

Historical Collections of the Mahoning Valley – Vol. 1 pg. 77 – 78
Because of the detail that is given in the article, it must have come from this source.