Race Track where North Side Park is located.

On August 4, 1927 approximately 2500 people witnessed the opening of auto races at the fair grounds park here in Breese

The racing program had been arranged and conducted by the O. & S. Racing Association of Centralia, Illinois, of which Dewey Shank and V. E. Owens were the leading officials.

The feature of the day was the 15-mile race, in which nine racers took part. This race was won by Art Withrow, of St. Louis, Mo., who drove a Howe Special, the time being 20 minutes and 12 seconds.

Automobile racing was something new in Breese, and it is the first time in ten years that Clinton County has been given the privilege of witnessing races in our County, and judging from the huge crowd that thronged the gates, it was an amusement that everyone was anxious to experience and enjoy.

The day was ideal for racing and a crowd of about 2S00 was present. There were people gathered there as early as 10 o'clock in the morning. About 2:00 p.m.

the grand stand was filled, and when the races had started, there were people standing as high as three deep along the lengthy fence, besides a hundred or more who were on the inside of the track.