In 1905 the Foresters
held a “field day” at the park and it was
reported that the crowd was large. There were numerous
events including horse racing, motorcycle racing, track
and field and baseball throw, etc. Records of another
such event held in 1909 were found that featured members
of the New York Athletic Club and the Irish-American
Club participating. The field of entrants included “world
famous runners”.
It appears however that Mr. Wall
struggled with the use of the property and posted signs
there in 1910 prohibiting the playing of baseball games.
He cited property damage from vandals including broken
windows in the clubhouse and fences that were damaged.
On July 6, 1912, the Hartford
Courant reported that W.R. Freeland bought the property
from A.H. Wall and planned to open it as an amusement
park. He also intended to hold horse races there every
weekend.
In 1913 the Hartford Courant
reported that a Certificate of Incorporation of the
Freeland Park Company was filed with the Secretary of
the State. The Incorporators were William R. Freeland,
John B. Lyon and John N. Brooks. Later in this year
they leased the park to Messrs. Bright and Mortel of
New Haven for a trotters training camp.
In 1916 Freeland unloaded it
to Edward Burns and Thomas Wall. Regular events were
still going on in 1920 and the Hartford Courant reported
on another field day that would have a program that:
“will consist of seven events for members of societies
and clubs for the all around athletic championship of
Litchfield County for a silver loving cup. The field
events include two baseball games, a football game and
a baseball-throwing contest. The track events, which
are 14 in number will commence at 4:00 o’clock.”
It seems that Freeland invested some money into improvements
as another newspaper clipping reports about an upcoming
event that would be in conjunction with a “State
Parade”. It reports that a committee inspected
the “Torrington Driving Park” to insure
the quality of the facility for the event. They found
the running track to be in first class condition and
the grandstand had been recently overhauled and reinforced
with new supports and was passed upon as safe and in
A-1 condition. Even the bridge over the river on Bogue
Road was being replaced.
W. J. Nelson bought it in 1922.
He would promote horse races and motorcycle races. Later
in that year the Town of Harwinton placed a lien against
the property for back taxes totaling $154.00.
In December of 1923, Nelson and
three others incorporated a company, which was known
as the Litchfield County Fair and Amusement Company
and they took over control of the park. William and
his wife Bessie were officers in the corporation. The
Certificate of Incorporation in our land records stated
their purpose as: “To hold agricultural fairs,
public exhibits of agricultural products, stock and
everything and anything pertaining to farm and farm
life. Conduct baseball, football, cricket or other clubs
a playing field, band concerts, vaudeville, dancing,
roller-skating, etc.”
It doesn’t appear that
the venture got off the ground. In the spring of 1924,
a civil action was brought against the owners for the
purpose of foreclosing on the mortgage.
In the fall of 1924 the Nelsons
sold everything to George Betros who, in 1927, unloaded
the 27-acre park to Marshall Betros in. By now all intended
usage as an amusement park had faded away into distant
memories of what once was a very proud moment for the
towns of Torrington and Harwinton.
What is puzzling is that almost
all accounts that I’ve been able to dig up during
the research of this project refer to this park as “Torrington’s”
when it was clearly in Harwinton. Some people may say
that there was an annexation of certain land from Harwinton
to Torrington. While it is true there was an annexation
(sounds like another story), this did not occur until
1923 and involved a different parcel of land. The site
of the Torrington Dog Pound, the Sewage Disposal Plant,
and before that Nelsons’ Park, Freeland’s
Park and Murphy Park, were and still are, within the
borders of Harwinton. The Torrington Historical Society
has pictures of the track in its collection.
The Beautiful fountain at the entrance to the park
All that remains of the concrete pool that featured
the fountain as its centerpiece
