Geography Dept.Champaign is a city centrally located in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately 136 miles south southwest of Chicago. GPS coordinates are: 40° 06' 30.9" N 88° 14' 2.1" W.This is a current map today of where the CHAMPAIGN FAIRGROUNDS would have stood back in the day when the old high wheel sulkies were still in fashion. This is the corner of E. John Street & S. 4th Street (formerly Mount Hope Avenue). The south end of the former race track property is now occupied by the University Baptist Church.Picture Gallery.Racing Results.
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History Dept.The true story of the Champaign Fairgrounds, for now, is lost to time as it's history is intermingled with it's next door neighbor Urbana. It is written that "The first (county) fair dates back to 1852", but is that the fair at Champaign or Urbana? We know, based on the county maps, that the Champaign racetrack dates back to at least 1876 as the fairgrounds in Urbana are not present in the 1876 Illinois state atlas. Of course it's likely that the fair came into existence before any race courses were constructed.In summary we know that the Champaign racetrack existed in 1876 and races were advertised as late as 1902. Records from the Champaign County Historical Archives state that the current fairgrounds (assumed to be in Urbana) was purchased around 1905. But it was probably more like 1903 or 1904 as a story in the October 3rd, 1905 edition of The Horse Review states the first meeting ever on the new Urbana track took place just a month earlier in September 1905.
Memory Lane.Stories & Headlines.Tuesday June 11th, 1901Racing Results.
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