Farmers and Fast Horses: Harness Racing in Kalamazoo

Graduate Student Rachel Hekman

Farmers and Fast Horses: Harness Racing in Kalamazoo

During the nineteenth century, Kalamazoo was home to some of the fastest trotting tracks in the nation, but this popular sport was not without controversy. Graduate student Rachel Hekman shares her research that paints a picture of the Kalamazoo racetracks as scenes of a growing struggle between vice, virtue, and changing definitions of ‘middle class morals.’

Recorded 10/08/2015

Presented at Kalamazoo Public Library, Thursday, October 8, 2015.

Categories: Kalamazoo History

Tags: history; kalamazoo