Historical Images of Porter County

Soldiers Stopping Horse Racing at Mineral Springs
Porter, Indiana

Date: October 22, 1912
Source Type: Photograph
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Chicago Daily News, Inc. (#LOC ichicdn n059810)
Postmark: Not applicable
Collection: Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society
Remark: Armanis F. Knotts developed property along the Little Calumet River with summer cottages that included mineral springs. He named his resort Knotts Mineral Springs. Knotts also bottled the water from the springs, branded with the resort's name, and sold it to guests at his resort and in Chesterton. Knotts expanded his investment in the area to include horse racing, when in 1912 he organized the Racing Foundation Corporation of America, which was more commonly referred to as the Mineral Springs Jockey Club. The Mineral Springs horse track was located in the west one-half of the southwest quarter of Section 34. The state of Indiana permanently closed the race track in 1913 since it violated state gambling laws. Historical information concerning the Mineral Springs Horse Racing Track can be found in the following New York Times article titled "Indiana Soldiers Seize a Race Track; With Fixed Bayonets Prevent Racing at Mineral Springs and Drive Away Spectators," published on page 10 of the Wednesday, October 23, 1912, issue.

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Image and related text prepared by Steven R. Shook