Two Different Riverview Stadiums at Different Times in Chicago's History.

It appears that there were, at different times in Chicago history, two Chicago racing stadiums. The first was called the Riverview Stadium Motordrome aka Riverview Stadium which adjoined to Riverview Amusement Park in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1900s. The second stadium was known as Riverview Speedway which opened in 1936. Both stadiums literally have nearly the same footprint, and both are discussed here.

Chicago Franchise wanted by both the Riverview Stadium Motordrome and the Chicago Motorcycle Club.

A rather peculiar situation has arisen in Chicago, bearing upon the award of an exclusive board track franchise for that city. Such a franchise is wanted by M. W. N. Johnson, now sole owner of the Riverview Stadium Motordrome, and also by the Chicago Motorcycle Club, which would like to build a track on the south side of the city. The Chicago Club, however, has not yet secured a site for its proposed track. On the other hand, the Riverview Stadium Motordrome management is ready to hold its inaugural meet in July.

The Riverview Stadium Motordrome settled on the northwest corner of the Riverview Amusement Park property. It bordered by the North Branch of the Chicago River to the west, Rockwell Street to the east, Addison Street to the north and approximately where Cornelia Avenue would be located to the south.

View of a group of girls wearing costume dresses standing in a circle around the perimeter of a surfaced area during a local competition of amateur athletes from the Chicago area only that was called the local "Olympic Games" and was held only on June 14, 1913, at Riverview Stadium Adjoining Riverview Amusement Park in Chicago, Illinois.

About the middle of April, Chairman Thornley signed a draft of the agreement adopted by the F. A. M. (Federation of American Motorcyclists) Board of Directors suggesting that it be executed at that time. However, there was some litigation then pending relative to the ownership of the track, and the execution of the exclusive franchise agreement and the payment of the fee was deferred.

View of two groups of young men performing a gymnastics routine on two ladders in a dirt or sand lot during a local competition of amateur athletes from the Chicago area only that was called the local "Olympic Games" and was held only on June 14, 1913, at Riverview Stadium Adjoining Riverview Amusement Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Late in April, a settlement was reached, whereupon Johnson wired $1,000 to Dr. Thornley, $750 in payment of the franchise fee and $250 to make up a purse which, as announced last year, was to go to the professional driver winning the largest number of races. The winner of this prize is Joe Wolters.

Johnson has also made application for six sanctions, and Chairman Thornley will undoubtedly decide in his favor, unless he receives formal objection within thirty days, from a majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

The Riverview races will again be refereed by H. T. Roberts.

---

Riverview Speedway 1936-1942 (aka: Riverview Stadium), 2601 West Addison Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Riverview Speedway  was located on the northwest part of the Riverview Amusement Park property which was nearly the same footprint as the former Riverview Stadium Motordrome. Chicago's Riverview Speedway or Riverview Stadium was one of the finest midget auto racing tracks in the country, but had a short life of seven years. The track's grandstands would eventually seat 12,000.

Chicago businessman and sportsman, Thorne Donnelley, and others were behind the project. Donnelley, president of the Midwest Auto Racing Association, announced that the new speedway would be the association's "home track" for the 1936 outdoor racing season. Donnelley, son of Reuben H. Donnelley, Chicago's publishing and printing magnate, was involved with midget racing from the start in the Chicago area, owning midget race cars. Jimmy Snyder was his driver.

Riverview Stadium program cover from August 6, 1939

RECAP OF THE PRIME MIDGET RACES:
Opening night at the one-fifth mile dirt "speed plant" was on Sunday evening, May 24, 1936. Midget racing was in "full bloom" in the Chicago area with the Lincolnwood Motor Speedway (aka: Chicago Midget Speedway), at Pratt and McCormick in Lincolnwood, also hosting a midget racing program that same night.

Jack "Curley" Mills of Los Angeles, a pioneer of midget racing, dating back to some of the earliest midget races on the West Coast in 1934, won the 40-lap inaugural main event at Riverview, besting Bob Swanson, Pat Warren, Chicago's own Jimmy Snyder and Johnny Sawyer. Swanson, the West Coast champion considered by many to be one of the greatest midget drivers ever, defeated Snyder, Chicago's 1935-36 indoor midget racing champion, in a special four-lap match race. A capacity crowd of 8,000 witnessing the races and the track's grandstands would eventually seat 12,000. Just for the record, Paul Russo won the feature race at the Chicago Midget Speedway that same night, defeating Cletus "Cowboy" O'Rourke and Everett Rice.

The 1936 schedule called for races every Sunday and Wednesday evenings. By season's end, the track had seen over two dozen events held with Snyder being named the track's overall champion for the inaugural season. The season finale was held on September 27 with Art Hartsfeld of Toledo, Ohio grabbing the win over Marshall Lewis and Robert "Shorty" Sorenson.

The 1937 season at Riverview Speedway opened on May 23, 1937 with Hartsfeld being the winner of the 40-lap main event ahead of Russo and Ted Tetterton. Another busy schedule with racing every Sunday and Wednesday was seen with the likes of Russo, Lewis, Ray Richards, Frank Beeder, Wally Zale and Ted Duncan among feature race winners. Hartsfeld claimed track championship honors.

Harry McQuinn of Indianapolis was the "guy to beat" at Riverview Speedway in 1938 as the track ran pretty much a one night a week schedule on Sundays. McQuinn wheeled the Wisconsin-based Marchese Miller No. 4 midget to the overall track championship. Bob Lundgreen and Harry Zoern were the promoters that season. The Riverview track was the only Chicago area speedway to hold weekly midget races during the season. The new Raceway Park near Blue Island hosted its inaugural program on September 24, 1938 with McQuinn grabbing the "opening night" 40-lap feature.

A few weather-related postponements caused the 1939 racing season at Riverview Speedway not to get underway until June 4, with Wisconsin's Tony Willman in Fred Tomshe's Offenhauser-powered midget taking top honors in the 40-lap feature over Jimmy Snyder. Snyder was coming off of a great run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, finishing second in the 500-mile classic after grabbing pole position honors after a record qualifying effort. Less than a month later, Snyder would lose his life in a midget racing accident at Cahokia, Illinois, at 31 years old.

Chicago's Wally Zale captured track championship honors for the 1939 season. Zale, along with Willman, Lyle Dickey and Ray Richards were feature winners during the year. Richards won the 75-lap championship chase on September 10 in his Marchese Miller midget.

Zale nailed down his second consecutive Riverview Speedway track championship in 1940, sharing feature win honors with the likes of Ted Duncan, Ray Richards and Bob Muhlke. The season got underway on June 2 with Duncan in the Tomshe Offy claiming top honors in the 40-lap feature. Zale in his own black “Offy” No. 1 won the season finale on September 15 over Duncan, Muhlke, Myron Fohr and Tony Bettenhausen. The "rough and ready" Zale was reported to have won a total of 67 midget feature races during the 1940 season.

Chicago's Wally Zale was the area's most prolific midget racing feature winner from the mid 1930s until his passing in 1942. Zale, nicknamed "The Human Cyclone," during his heyday, established a single season feature win record of 67 in 1940. Zale was credited with 178 midget victories before his death in a double-train/car collision. Zale is pictured here at Chicago's Riverview Stadium in 1940. 

With the War in Europe seemingly getting closer to the United States day after day, Riverview Speedway kicked off its sixth season of midget racing on May 18. The 1941 season opener saw Ted Duncan in the Frank Podriznik No. 15 "Offy" win the 30-lap feature race over Jimmy Caris and Bob Muhlke.

Duncan would post track title-winning efforts in 1941, using a 100-lap victory on August 31 to propel himself to the track championship. Duncan, along with Muhlke, Ray Richards and Myron Fohr, were feature winners during the season. The 100-lap season finale was won by Richards on September 21 as he defeated Duncan, Muhlke, Pete Nielsen and Shorty Sorenson. Richards, who grabbed fast time honors during time trials with a lap of 15.58 seconds, covered the 100-lap distance in a record 26:30.80 minutes.

With the United States now in World War II and automobile racing seemingly ready to be halted any day, Riverview Speedway opened the 1942 season on Sunday evening, May 24, after being rained out the week before. Former Golden Gloves boxing champ Jimmy Caris of Chicago wheeled the Hopkins Offy to victory honors in the 30-lap feature ahead of Ray Richards and Bob Muhlke.

Hailing from Highland Park, Illinois, Richards, behind the wheel of his Leader Card Offy No. 5, would garner track championship honors during the track's final season. In addition to Richards and Caris, other feature winners were Myron Fohr, Cletus "Cowboy" O'Rourke, Ted Duncan and Tony Bettenhausen.

Richards scored a 100-lap victory on June 21, defeating Fohr and Muhlke. Another 100 lapper was held on July 19, with O'Rourke claiming the win over Bettenhausen, Richards and Al Cummings.

Wednesday evening, July 29, 1942, would mark the final racing program ever held at the Riverview Speedway oval as the U.S. Government ended all auto racing activities for the duration of the war. Tony Bettenhausen would have the honor of winning the final feature race at the track, wheeling his Muntz-Nichels Offy to the 100-lap win over Richards, Muhlke, Cummings, and O'Rourke. He covered the distance in 25:03.07 minutes. That night, Richards was awarded his track championship trophy and claimed top honors in the 15-lap "handicap" race.

Who would have realized that when the lights were shut off that night, it would mark the end of racing at the popular speedway on Chicago's northside? The Riverview amusement park would last until 1967, but its neighboring speedway was just a memory after World War II ended. 

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Schützen Park, aka: Sharpshooters' Park (pre-Riverview Amusement Park) in Chicago, Illinois. (1879-1903)

Schützen Park also known as Sharpshooters' Park was located on the banks of the Chicago River between Belmont Avenue and Roscoe Street with the main entrance on Western Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois.

Sanborn Fire Map from 1894 - Western Avenue was the western border between former Jefferson Township and the City of Lake View - both annexed to Chicago in 1889.

Details of Schützen Park/Sharpshooters' Park Sanborn Fire Map from 1894.

German veterans from the Franco-Prussian War, who served in Fredrich the Great's "Jaeger Rifle Corps." held target practice there every Sunday afternoon using paper targets and toasting the winners with steins of beer.

It all started with a man named Wilhelm A. Schmidt who, during the late 1800s, wanted nothing more than to open a modest "Sharpshooters' Park." Schützen Park, (Schützenverein in German: Shooting Club) did well until 1903 when Schmidt’s son, George, returned from school. Upon returning from Europe George told stories of the parks he had seen which boasted fantastic Ferris Wheels, Carousels, and more. He argued that these rides would attract people from all over and with some monetary help from a lawyer named William Johnson, and a banker, Joseph McQuade, his vision quickly became reality. After that point, the park became known as “Riverview Sharpshooters' Park” and was home to three rides. 

Legend has it that the wives complained about being left behind with the children in the scorching heat of the summer. Soon, families pack picnic baskets and went to the park with their husbands. To occupy the family's time, a shaded area had benches and tables set up, and free band concerts were played. Rifle practice was soon discontinued, though rifle ranges and shooting galleries (with real bullets) later became a permanent part of Riverview Park.

George Goldman and William Schmidt purchased the 22 acres of land after Schmidt sold his Sedgewick Street Bakery and his invention of the soda cracker to the National Biscuit Company in 1903. By 1903, there were 500 miles of streetcar tracks crisscrossing the city, making public access to the park possible from every point in Chicago for 5¢. A beer garden and some small food concession stands were soon added. Music, parades, band compositions, political rallies, games, and shows kept the park a lively center for cultural entertainment.

The children complained that there was nothing for them to do. So the owners opened a free playground. There were now many things to do - a slide, a teeter-totter, and a wading pool. Soon they added one large restaurant, a large bandstand, a Rhine wine bar, five other taverns, a large 100-foot by 50-foot dance hall, an ice house, more chairs, tables, and benches.

Riverview Sharpshooters' Park, Chicago. (1904-1908)
In 1904, there were 25 major picnics held at Sharpshooters' Park ranging in attendance from 5,000 to 35,000 people. Riverview opened that year with the Sharpshooters' name. Ponies and goat carts were added to the park for the enjoyment of picnicker's children. The need for speed eventually made them obsolete. They were originally in the main area but later moved to an area they called “Kiddy Land”. Many concessions and games of skill became a part of the park such as pop (soda pop) and ice cream stands, a shooting gallery, ball-throwing, cane games, and pony rides.

Riverview Sharpshooters' Park's competition was the White City Amusement Park and San Souci Amusement Park, both located on the south side of the city. Rides and attractions were being introduced at Luna Park, Coney Island, and other East Coast locations with great success. George convinced his father to lease six acres of land fronting on Western Avenue to two Eastern amusement park representatives for $7,600 a year for a ten-year contract.

The park opened on July 3, 1904, to the public with only three rides (owned by the Eastern representatives) plus some other concessions, all under tents. The use of electricity in illumination and spectacular shows attracted 32,000 people on opening day. The park closed the 1904 season with a profit of $63,000 with only 70 days of operation. All of the concessionaires made a nice profit.

The Riverview Sharpshooters' Park Company ("Sharpshooters' Park" part of the name was dropped in 1905) was formed but competition became fierce when a fence between the two areas was removed. (The park had expanded to 140 acres and blossomed with 100 attractions by 1910.) When the 10-year lease expired, the Schmidt family gained full control of the park. The family kept Riverview Park one of the most successful in the industry despite economic trials and through tough times like the great depression.

FIRST RIDE
The "Figure 8" was the first roller coaster at Riverview Sharpshooters' Park. The ride has 12 cars on a trough-like track on a timber frame. A steam engine carried the cars up an incline and gravity brought riders back to the starting point. The cars were guided by side-friction wheels and propelled on four swivel casters. The coaster has a few mild four-foot drops on a short track and went six miles an hour it cost $16,000 to build.

SECOND RIDE
The Merry-Go-Round was second in popularity to the Figure 8 roller coaster. It was a concession at Riverview Sharpshooters' Park owned by the Eastern group. The "Morris Carousel" was described by the owner as having "very handsome figures in an octagon pavilion 100 feet across and 45 feet high." The cost of a ride was 5¢. (The larger "Fairyland Carousel" did not arrive until 1908) In the foreground is a glass etching souvenir booth.

THIRD RIDE

The "Thousand Islands" was the third ride in the park when it opened as Riverview Sharpshooters' Park. It was composed of 1,000 feet of canals with a 28-foot high chute. The boats passed through the canals at a slow speed, then were brought to the top of the incline where they rapidly descended into a pool of water. The boats returned to the starting point. A large outdoor water wheel operated by a motor, concealed behind scenery, kept the water flowing in the canals. Dark tunnels and scenes to startle the riders were added. The ride was nicknamed Old Mill, Mill on the Floss, Tunnel of Love. and The Mill. For 10¢, riders could steal a kiss.

LET'S MOVE ON TO RIVERVIEW PARKS HISTORY (150+ PICTURES & FILMS.)

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.