The Great Auto Race
Over the decades, the venerable Emeryville racetrack (originally known as the Oakland Trotting Park and, after 1896 as the California Jockey Club) was used not only for horse racing but also for county fairs, automobile races, motorcycle races, and aviation meets.
The first automobile race at the California Jockey Club took place in 1909 and was sponsored by the Reliance Athletic Club. The event began on Sunday, July 4. Ten thousand spectators attended, many of them arriving in gaily decorated automobiles, and a carnival spirit prevailed.
Dirt Track Racing
In this era of dirt track racing, the Emeryville track could easily accommodate the early race cars because of their slow speed, but precautions had to be taken to make the event safe for both fans and participants. The speed contest was under the control of several marshals, including automobile commissioner Robert W. Martland. Tire inspectors made sure that the cars were equipped with properly inflated racing tires; an emergency committee of doctors was present to take care of accident victims, and two ambulances stood ready to transport injured drivers to the nearest hospital. Despite these precautions, the great auto race ended in disaster.
In the first race on July 4, three electric cars. a Columbus. a Rauch & Lang, and a Fretchie, competed in a 10-mile race. The Columbus electric won this contest. covering the distance in 25 minutes and 42 seconds for an average speed of about 23 miles per hour. The second race was a five-mile speed contest between one-cylinder motorcycles. Three Indians, three Ducks, a Reading Standard. and a Curtis entered this race. An Indian motorcycle won the race in 7 minutes and 49 seconds, for an average speed of 37 miles per hour.
Spectators Sickened
On July 5, the second day of the race, a crowd of 20,000 witnessed a tragedy. The 8th event of the day consisted of a race involving a Buick, a Studebaker, a Stoddard Dayton, and a Cadillac. The automobiles were racing around the track at “a terrific rate of speed.” when a spectator, C. G. Stafford. the former Mayor of Eureka, 73 years old and deaf, wandered out onto the track and was struck by the Cadillac driven by E. N. Silver of Centerville. “A groan of horror arose from the crowd and thousands of people rushed to the spot… ”, but Stafford. his bones broken by the impact, died instantly. The Cadillac overturned, tossing the driver from the vehicle. Silver suffered a “broken nose. the loss of several teeth. and an abrasion of the forehead…:” He was rushed to the hospital but soon recovered from his injuries. The race car was totally destroyed. After the accident. a silence fell upon the crowd. Although the races continued. many spectators left the track early, sickened by what they had witnessed. The great auto race was a success in terms of attendance, but the terrible accident temporarily dampened enthusiasm for the sport.
This story originally published in 1996 for the Emeryville Centennial Celebration and compiled into the ‘Early Emeryville Remembered’ historical essays book.
