Top of Million Dollar Speedway.

THE MILLION DOLLAR SPEEDWAY A NOVEL

ACCOMPANYING NON-COMMERCIAL PRESENTATION

John Thomas Pierce

Possibly six thousand Belgians, primarily Brabantines and Hesbignons arrived in Missouri across 1852–56. Arrivals from east of the Brabant joined those from the Namur region of Hesbaye.

Courtesy Belgian Heritage Center – Green Bay Wisconsin

A failed nineteenth century attempt by Belgian-born Joseph Guinotte to build a railroad for the Mexican government accounted for his Missouri arrival. Unfortunately for Guinotte, Mexican railway construction had stalled with the outbreak of the Mexican-American war. The railroad there would wait and he required a fresh project. Kansas City was Guinotte’s answer.

The Guinotte home (manor) near present 3rd & Troost

Courtesy rootsweb.com

Twenty miles south of the Guinotte manor, Charles Jeffreys, a second BelgiĂŤ noblesse and engineer created an even larger enclave. While Guinotte and Jeffreys had both endured the shaky aftermath of Belgian independence, neither expected to encounter civil war in pioneer America.

Map adapted from hearthstonelegacy.com – Kansas Missouri Geneology

(For Billy Dodson) Few unclaimed properties remained, excepting damp river bottoms fronting the Little Blue River and one of many Missouri-based Indian Creeks.

Blue River circa 1910. Courtesy KC Public Library (Mrs. Sam Ray postcards)

Kansas City’s mayor shortly offered introductions, presenting a trio of California racetrack promoters: Eric Price, an English bicycle racer, Clint Doty, the son of the National Motor Car Company founder, and William Danforth, a principal of the California - Rodeo Land and Water Company. Stroker shared that they wished to construct a large, elevated board track and had expressed an interest in the Dodson property.

Construction of Uniontown, Pennsylvania track - 1916

By then Danforth had unfurled an unedited set of Beverly Hills track plans as if they were applicable to Dodson.

Danforth used the Dodson feed lot as a guide for placement of an enormous mile-and-an-1/8th track. Records are unclear whether he or Stroker first mouthed a name and a mission.

THE THE

MILLION DOLLAR SPEEDWAY

GREATEST DISPLAY OF SKILL, NERVE AND DARING

On his 8th and final circuit, spectators viewed the Harley J-pilot speed down the far straight before diving into the turn and accelerating out with the throttle stuck open, posting a remarkable time of 45 seconds at nearly 90-mph. The energy created by his powerful motor, the image of a circling motorcyclist atop an enormous wooden structure and the percussive effect of speed atop planks brought everyone to their feet.

Photo courtesy of Archive Moto

Less than three-weeks separated them from what many Kansas Citians would later describe as an evening of skill, nerve and daring. Robert’s stopwatch - repair book annotations chronicled nineteen evening sessions spent at a fifth roller-based test station, efforts devoted to creating what the short man termed light-pedaling.

Author’s father - 1915

Thursday’s Star heralded…

SKILL, NERVE AND DARING AT THE DETERIORATING DAIRY WOODYARD

KERN YOUNGSTER DANCES TO VICTORY

Grand National Motorcycle Stars Ralph Heywood || Maldwyn James Recognizable and important, merging two inches lower with

Motor – Paced Racing Followed by incidentals.

Professional cyclists

3-Elimination rounds

10-Mile feature.

Dodson dairymen were careful to fence their herd away from contamination. A fugitive cow, one risking barbed wire cuts, once broke into a fuel mixing area, eventually aborting. Across 1927 fresh floods swept the final features of the track’s disassembled grandstand into Indian Creek.

Photo credit to Hutch News

The Navy Department dispatched Nebraska-native Admiral Leo Leander Pace to identify a manufacturing location for production of the Double Wasp R-2800 radial aircraft engine. Kansas City rose to the occasion, noting the availability of skilled workers, most from nearby Dodson and Grandview. Pace’s aides were reminded of a peculiar resourcefulness that had allowed these people to construct houses, complete neighborhoods even, starting with little other than lumber discards.

Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800

Had he been posted to their more gentile Virginia offices, a different outcome might have ensued. Instead, Brooklyn was dispatched to Shreveport. Reporting to work, he established residence in nearby Bossier City, BoZur as the locals termed the place. To say Brooklyn was misplaced, understated the issue. One day as he shared a beer, maybe two, with an African-American male cutting his lawn, neighborhood snoops detected a schism between their values and his. Whether due to irrepressible hyperthyroidism or that front-porch beer, Brooklyn’s tenure in Boz-Yur shortened.

Photo courtesy -dnr.louisana.gov

Kansas City, similar to other major chemical-producers like Midland, Michigan and even Wilmington, Delaware, shared in 3-per-day syntheses. Kansas City’s contributions aligned with regional needs in agriculture, polymer manufacturing and medicinals. Armed with a blacked-out valise, Brooklyn pointed his water-pumping Citroen north, arriving four hours later at a second-tier Kansas City hotel, the Genie.

Mel was spending another afternoon pressing fern specimens into newsprint pages. Past 55 and nearing 60, he had captured many Missouri fern species. But Missouri was only one place, leaving ten thousand more un-pressed. While the aroma of plant specimens pressed into damp news print ranges from pleasant to neutral, what Mel was experiencing could better be described as vile or sulfurous…the odor did more than irritate his nostrils; it reminded Mel-the-veteran of burnt hair and charred flesh.

National Museum Natural History – Plant Press (‘not Mel’)

Upon leaving his McGee apartment, George guarded himself against intrusive wartime memories, finding work therapeutic. Upon jarring loose the shop door he reviewed his greatest accomplishment, a panoramic shot featuring images of two racers. Schultz angled his head slightly to the right, his square jaw open and nares flared, eyes defined astonishment. Kern’s gaze was less visible in the old photo but left an impression of eyes fixed on his wheel’s leading edge, elbows tucked and arms set low.

Photo: Library of Congress/LC-USZ62-105081

George was thankful for wartime prayers that had emanated from 34th and Paseo. Ahead of his return, though, George was stunned to learn that his friend Robert had passed into history. He wept for the war’s fallen but more so for his friend and advocate, Robert.

All vows: Prohibitions, oaths, consecrations, vows that we may vow, swear, consecrate, or prohibit upon ourselves - from this Yom Kippur until the next them henceforth.

They will all be permitted, abandoned, cancelled, null and void, without power and without standing.

Our vows shall not be valid vows; our prohibitions shall not be valid prohibitions; and our oaths shall not be valid oaths.

Curb trauma had a loosened the chair’s axle retainer, its right wheel shortly collapsing. Ma’am, are you all right? Can we call a doctor? Margo was primarily angry and fortunately uninjured. I’ve been paralyzed for ten years; it’s a little late for doctors. What I need is a mechanic.

Older depiction of Hotel Muehlebach - KCUR.ORG

A New York transplant, the Woz was more of a bikie than Racer and George realized. An adolescent Woz had joined Sundays’ Central Park pace lines, groups of below-the-waist identically attired cyclists sporting identical black chamois-lined shorts; over-the ankle white socks and slotted cleats, contrasting with arrays of colorful jerseys advertising a broad range of New Jersey delis, the Police Athletic League and Brooklyn, an Italian bubble gum company.

Women’s cycling clubs

Woz’ parents insisted Brian, their only child wear a cycling helmet, one constructed using three-frontto-back rubbery strips sewn into a thick leather hat band. As devotees of TE Lawrence, they were saddened by Lawrence of Arabia’s tragic end, one from a motorcycle-related head injury.

Courtesy of Randy Swart, Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

On a Saturday that would have otherwise been his day off, Woz applied a popular decision-making approach, one of stewing, embracing indecision until late afternoon sun produced lengthening shadows. He then resorted to a time-honored technique, shutting his office door and driving home.

For that evening he would simply be K0-WOZ, all shortwave, no title.

Heathkit legacy – people.ohio.edu

Brooklyn elected to send Racer. Would you ride there to monitor her air for toluene and xylene? Depending on what you discover, we’ll compare your measurements with reference entries in the 1974 Threshold Limit Value list, that TLV booklet.

Author’s collection

Although disappointed with Racer’s negative findings, Wanda resigned herself the fumes weren’t too bad. She then presented Racer with one of two unused inhalers, noting she had been unsuccessful in coordinating their activating triggers. While reading aloud from an unfolded insert, Racer circled a cartooned depiction of a young male robustly inhaling with a similar device clamped between his teeth.

1st Metered dose inhaler - Medihaler Iso

While Wanda Swearengin found herself downwind of Cook Paint, she was definitely downstream of one hundred years of European-American history applicable to Kansas City‌.Belgians migrated east of Kansas City’s downtown, meaning their neighborhood was circumscribed by the river and railroad yards. Some residents chose a Preservation as its names while others favored East Bottoms. Still others claimed its Preservation label had originated with pioneering Guinottes.

Photo courtesy of Life magazine historical collection

Nelly Don vice presidents welcomed Kansas City internist, ID Funk, anticipating he could reestablish Nelly Don’s in-house clinic. Acquainted with the garment trade, he arranged office visits for nearly one hundred, primarily female employees. By day’s end (Consuelo’s) steps traced a gentle transition beginning on Charlotte Street, sending her slightly downhill toward Columbus Park. From the park’s greenery she trekked worn grass…

kcparks.org

The family-owned Olympic claimed no boards, no millions, perhaps most importantly, no out-of-town promoters‌removed from the original Speedway by twelve miles and nearly a decade.

Courtesy - Carb Hall of Fame

School administrators waving Sunny Pines and Quiet Waters brochures created phony bladder wall contractions in Olive, launching her toward restroom privacy. Even sweltering August school sign-ups witnessed her at the head of enrollment lines, Otis’ status as currently enrolled apparently lessened her anxiety.

Photo credit to mn.gov

Racing’s legendary bad boy, bootlegger roots prompted mixed responses. How much longer could a family-owned enterprise offer accessible, yet noisy entertainment near Kansas City’s core. Racing’s noise, speed and risk attributes may not have recommended it to everyone but those simple Friday nights at the Olympic Speedway were loud and frenetic and so much fun.

Courtesy gettyimages.com – Powell Motor Speedway