Independence Day fell on a Friday in 1930. That day Pittsburgh newspapers reported that a new greyhound racing track would open in the evening with a slate of nine races planned. The Guyasuta Kennel Club had rented a portion of the National Amusement Park Company’s leased property (known as National Park) between Aspinwall and Blawnox and built a dirt track and grandstands. Over the next 24 hours, the track, which was backed by Pittsburgh numbers racketeers, would find itself featured in newspaper articles across the region for a series of opening day mishaps and the betting taking place out in the open.
In May I will be doing a virtual program about the Guyasuta Kennel Club and its place in Pittsburgh History. The program will take place on two successive Wednesday evenings, May 13 and May 20:
- May 13, 2020: Sponsored by the Heinz History Center’s Rauh Jewish History Program and Archives. Registration information is at the Heinz History Center website.
- May 20, 2020: Sponsored by the Cooper-Siegel Community Library (Fox Chapel, Pa.). Registration information is at: http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=3665&EventID=411493&PK=.
Participants must register to receive the Zoom link and login instructions. Continue reading