Back in business!

hello everyone,

Many apologies with no updates at all in QUITE a long time. That should be changing soon. I have many new Gansett items I have acquired from a number of sources and plan to be updating very soon.

I also have returned from my trip to Lexington, KY. I visited Keeneland Racecourse and was able to watch some of the morning workouts as well as eat in the Track kitchen. No grits for this New England gal!

I was able to take some photos from outside the gates of Calumet Farms. This is where Whirlaway, Hadagal and Coaltown to name a few came from. These horses all raced at gansett.

AND I went for a lovely tour of Three Chimneys Farm where I met Big Brown, Smarty Jones, Sky Mesa and Dynaformer (Barbaro's sire)

Feel free to browse through my photos
Keeneland, Calumet, Three Chimneys

I have already made plans and reservations for my trip to KY next summer and included in my week and a half stay will be MUCH researching about Gansett from the Keeneland library.

Stay tuned for updates on the way!

Lack of updates

I apologise for the lack of updates to the website. Between working more hours at my jobs as well as planning my trip to Kentucky again this year, I've not had time to work on the website. I have a large folder on my computer full of new things to add. Once things have slowed down, I should have more time to add what others have sent me and what I have collected.

Corrie~

Updates to arrive soon..

Many thanks to those who have been so kind to e-mail me about the passing of my horse Tempa.

Here are two videos from my website of me and my horse if anyone is interested. They are large files and do take a whle to load.
http://www.intothesunstudio.com/todaywasyourlastday.wmv
http://www.intothesunstudio.com/slippedawaytempa.wmv

I've gotten a hold of some new things from ebay, which I will be updating the site with soon. Also many kind individuals have continued to e-mail me pictures and information.

Check back soon for updates!

The writing of the book is currently slow going, but is moving forward.
Corrie~

Slow on updates for a while...

I know many of you have been sending in some wonderful photos and information for the website. Please keep them coming. I apologize for not having any new updates in a while. I just had to have my 42 year old horse put down and I have not been in the right state of mind since his passing. Given some time I will be back working on the site soon. Thanks for your understanding.

Another successful trip...

I took another trip with a friend to the Pawtucket Public Library today. Since I've already used the folders I started looking through all the old Pawtucket Times newspapers on the microfilm machine. I really have to thank the staff for putting up with me asking all sorts of techinical questions about the machine and scanner that made them get other lens and the manual! I made sure to thank them over and over again. These people are amazing. I only hope they realize how much their work helps people.

I found some fabulous information during the 5 hours I sat in that chair and stared at old newspapers. Yes you read that right. I sat there for FIVE hours. I made it through all the May, June, July and first two days of August of 1934 so far. I think the staff was getting a kick out of me sitting there for so long.

I will definitely be heading back again as well as to some libraries in Providence at the suggestion of some of the staff.

I just love how the pieces of the puzzle are coming all together.

I'm still receiving e-mails which is wonderful. Please keep them coming!

I have not received my copy of the Gansett DVD from Cox. I'm hoping they send it soon. I'm DYING to see that special.

Thanks for reading.

Corrie~

New photos added...

More new photos have been added to the "Gansett after 1978' album. These were taken by me last Wednesday in the bitter cold. I discovered a few more things , which I photographed. I cannot wait for the weather to get warmer so that I can take photos and video at will without freezing! I will be adding photos from the Pawtucket History Research Center soon. Keep checking back!

The Puzzle takes shape...

The pieces of the puzzle that is Narragansett Park are coming together rather nicely. Pieces that I thought were lost have been found and merged together and the picture forming is amazing.

My research is going very well. I have learned so much information in only the past week alone. Tomorrow I am returning to the Pawtucket Library for more research and I can hardly wait to discover more and continue to work on this giant puzzle.

The Pawtucket History Research Center has granted me permission to use some incredible images they have in their collection. Over the next week or so I will be adding them to the galleries. There are some amazing track photos, photos of the giant crowds that overflowed Gansett in the early days and photos of horses such as Whirlaway and Alsab. Many many thanks to Tim for taking the time to scan these photos for me. You will note the PHRC seal on these photos. I ask if you want to use them for a project that you please contact the PHRC for permission. Their link is on my links page.

The book has been started, though there is a very long way to go before its ready for publication. I'm thinking that I'd very much like to find a local publisher to work with so that I can keep this project in the Providence area.

If you are interested in a copy of the Narragansett Park special that ran on Cox Sports in November, please e-mail me. I have the address of where you can send a check for a copy to be mailed to you by Cox Communications.

Thanks to everyone who has continued to e-mail me. I've been getting several e-mails daily and I have very much enjoyed reading them. I have started working on the "People" page so if you have a loved one who worked at the track and you would like to honor them by writing up something about them and including some photos I will be happy to add them to the website.

Thanks for reading,

Corrie~

Library visit a success!

In the pouring rain a friend from Pawtucket brought me to the Pawtucket Public Library today so that I could use their facilities to begin researching for my book. Not only was the library impressive (we have a small one since I live in a small town!) but the staff was equally impressive. Any time I had a question, the staff answered it and several staff members showed interest in my project. They are a wonderful asset to the people of Pawtucket and beyond.

A very big thanks goes to Tim from the Pawtucket History Research Center. Between him and the Public Library they had several large folders brimming with photos and information for me to use. I spent about 3.5 hours at the library, scribbling away furiously in my notebook and devouring article after article of information and I already cannot wait to go back.

The generousity of people amazes me and I once again thank everyone who has helped contribute to the Narragansett Park site and my research over the last two years.

I ended my trip today with a visit to Building 19 (what is left of the grandstand) I remember my first visit there when I realized what the building had once been. The excitement and my need to photograph and video it all. My last two visits have brought upon feelings of sadness. I spend so much time seeing 'Gansett whole because of my research, that I forget what it actually looks like today. I spent a good hour discovering a few new things, such as original paint creeping through in places and seeing favorite things from previous visits such as the stairs on the ceiling that lead to nowhere (racehorse heaven maybe) and the escalators that lead to a mysterious second floor.

It is sometimes hard to deal with the fate of somethings, but I still left feeling that I am doing something right in striving to protect and share history.

Corrie McDermott~