Fellsway Driving Club 



BELIEVING that Somerville was the 

 center of a big territory rilled with 

 humanity who were lovers of the 

 horse was the incentive for the 

 funning of a driving club by the fol- 

 lowing thirteen well known horsemen of that 

 city: James I. Brooks, Frank E. Morrison, 

 George M. Davis. Harry W. Litchfield, F. S. 

 McKown, Daniel Paine, G. L. Davis, Fred B. 

 Brown, A. Towle, William Patten, George N. 

 Coyle, G. M. Welch, and William Garland. 



These men met on March 7, 1908, in the 

 directors' room of the Columbia Building, 

 in Somerville, and officially organized them- 

 selves as the Fellsway Driving Club. After 

 electing F. E. Morrison secretary pro tern, 

 an adjournment was made for the following 

 Friday evening, which fell on the 13th. 



While it is noticeable that the club was con- 

 ceived by thirteen men. and held its first 

 meeting on Friday the 13th. it might be 

 deemed by superstitious people that it 

 started under adverse circumstances, but the 

 history 1 if the club has since well proved 

 that such was nut the case. 



On this Friday evening, James I. Brooks 

 presided, and, after he had deliberated on 

 tiie object of the new organization, was held 

 the first election of officers, which resulted 

 as follows: President, James I. Brooks: 

 vice-president, George M. Davis: treasurer, 

 Harrv W". Litchfield: secretary, Frank E. 

 Morrison ; directors, B. R. Cobb, George H. 

 Cross, Tobn M. Temple, George A. Law, F. 

 S. McKown. Fred M. Yiles, James Hen- 

 nessey, George Carter, and A. E. Kenney. 

 Fred Morrill was elected chairman of the 

 racing committee and Frank Morrison as 

 secretary, while Daniel Paine had charge of 

 the ribbons. 



One important matter taken up was the 

 appointing of a committee, Amos W. Shep- 

 ard, chairman, to interview the Metropol- 

 itan Park Commission on the location of a 

 speedway which the club members decided 

 they wanted built a half-mile long. The 

 meeting closed with a very interesting talk- 

 on speedways and future prospects by Al- 

 bion Towle. George M. Davis, A. E. Jones, 

 A. F. Kenney and George Coyle. 



So rapid was the growth of the club 

 that at the very next meeting, held on March 

 27, there were thirty-five members present. 

 Permanent quarters were secured at 2 1-2 

 Franklin Street, Somerville, which was 

 called the Fellsway Clubhouse, and arrange- 



ments were made I'm' the purchase of fur- 

 niture to have the room comfortable for the 

 use of the members. It was further decided 

 that the club hold weekly meetings, Friday 



JAMES I. BROOKS 

 President 1908-09 and 1911 



being the day chosen. A committee was ap- 

 pointed to wait upon G. A. Graves about 

 securing the use of Combination Park for 

 matinee racing. 



The by-laws of the club were adopted on 

 April 3, one of which was that the dues shall 

 be $10 per year, payable $5 semi-annually, 

 in advance. 



The members met in their new clubroom 

 the evening of April to, and they were much 

 pleased with the way the committee had ar- 

 ranged the spacious room. The racing- 

 committee brought in a report that the rules 

 governing matinees held by the Fellsways 

 be the same as those already in use by the 

 Dorchester Gentlemen's Driving Club. 



At the meeting held on April 17, the com- 

 mittee reported that the Metropolitan Com- 

 mission, while favorable for the building of 

 a speedway, saw no way of doing it that 

 vear. It was then decided that the commit- 

 tee find out the condition of the back-stretch 

 of old Mystic Park, as Mr. Brown, of the 

 racing committee, claimed that it was in per- 

 fect shape for racing of quarter-mile heats. 



