196 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



corporated under the name of Mitchell, 

 Woodbury; & Co. Mr. Austin, by tireless in- 

 dustry and sterling worth, a number of years 

 ago became one of the firm. He resides at 

 40 Pleasant Street, Methuen, .Mass. 



CHARLES H. BELLEDEU 



Ciiari.es H. Belledeu was born in West 

 Deer Isle, Me., in i860, and was graduated 

 from the local schools of his native town. 

 His first work in Boston was in 1879 as a car ~ 

 penter's apprentice for a Mr. Lilford, in the 

 North End. After serving three and a half 

 years, he entered the employ of j. and C. A. 

 Noyes, builders and contractors 5 Province 

 Court, Boston, and. in 1888 he bought out the 

 interest of J. Noyes and soon after became 

 the sole owner of the business. He remained 

 in Province Court until 1908, when he re- 

 moved to Wareham Street. Due to ill health 

 he retired from business in 191 3. 



Mr. Belledeu was one of the very first mem- 

 bers of the Metropolitan Driving Club, one of 

 the charter members of the Dorchester Driv- 

 ing Club, and a member of the Gentlemen's 

 Driving Club of Boston, where he served on 

 the executive committee for five years. While 

 Mr. Belledeu was the first secretary of the 

 Dorchester Club, and did much for that or- 

 ganization in the early days when its meeting 

 place was at Morrill's Hall, yet his connection 

 with the Metropolitan Club so far superseded 

 the others in importance, that it is in that 

 particular light he stands so prominent in the 

 matinee field. 



Mr. Belledeu was the first president of the 

 Metropolitan Driving Club and held that of- 

 fice for six consecutive years. He was. there- 

 fore, in the executive's chair when that par- 

 ticular piece of furniture was, to all intents 

 and purposes, located on the sidewalk at 

 Charles River Speedway. When he retired 

 from office, though, the club was owner of 

 its own property and had, for a long time, been 

 in most thriving circumstances. 



In 1905 Mr. Belledeu was a most zealous 

 worker in having the clubhouse at Charles 

 River Speedway transferred from a syndicate, 

 headed by Thomas G. Plant, to the Metropoli- 

 tan Driving Club. Finally, in order to accom- 

 plish this, he was obliged to stand sponsor for 

 the sum of $5,000. In taking this obligation 

 Mr. Belledeu fully understood that were the 

 Metropolitan Club to dwindle out. it would be 

 the last of racing at Charles River Speedway, 

 and would leave him the sole owner of a club- 

 house located in a part of the city where no- 

 body wanted one. 



But in no way 'did Mr. Belledeu consider 

 the possibility of such a fact arising, so firm 

 was his conviction in the future success of the 

 driving club of which he was at the head. 



As was afterwards proved, his faith in the 

 enterprise was well substantiated. 



It was in the last year of Mr. Belledeu's 

 reign as president, 1909, that he conceived the 

 idea of a half-mile track to be located between 

 the speedway proper and the Charles River. 

 He talked this over with a few members of 

 the club and they agreed that it looked feasible, 

 provided the Metropolitan Park Commission- 

 ers could be induced to go ahead with the 

 project. 



Mr. Belledeu had several talks with Super- 

 intendent Gilman, of the speedway, regarding 

 the possibility of having the half-mile track 

 and Mr. Gilman was very enthusiastic over 

 its construction, believing that with this addi- 

 tion the Charles River Speedway in every way 

 would certainly be the best in the whole coun- 

 try. 



In interviewing the Metropolitan Park Com- 

 missioners, disappointment was in store for 

 Mr. Belledeu and his followers, in their stating 

 that lack of funds would prevent them from 

 building the half-mile track in the very near 

 future. He related this downfall to Mr. Gil- 

 man. The latter cheered him up by saying 

 there were tons of ashes dumped at divers 

 places during *the year, and that he would see 

 in the future that they were put on the marsh- 

 land, which had been surveyed for the half- 

 mile course. This Mr. Gilman did for almost 

 three years or. to be exact, until the season of 

 191 1. When the grade of the marshland had 

 been raised to the proportions required, and 

 all the expense necessary for the Park Com- 

 missioners would be in covering the ashes 

 with loam, they readily consented to do so. 

 and. as is well known, the half-mile track 

 was opened for racing in the season of 1912. 



To give Mr. Belledeu's complete career in 

 amateur racing would require a volume of 

 space in itself. His fun horses included 

 Kentucky Wilkes, 2:21 1-4; Ludlow, mati- 

 nee, 2:191-4: Black Diamond, 2:321-4 (a 

 great snow horse); Susie K., 2:241-.?. mati- 

 nee record, 2:14; Ben H., 2:12 3-4: Ned 

 Winslow, 2:123-4: Chase. 2:071-4. Ken- 

 tucky Star, 2:08 1-2, which Mr. Belledeu 

 drove a mile in 2:031-2: Haynes, 2:233-4: 

 Doctor G., 2:21: Dash, 2:16 3-4, matinee 

 record. 2:12. etc. 



Mr. Belledeu was the first one to drive at 

 speed over the Charles River Speedway as, 

 on the day it was opened to the public, he 

 started Kentucky Star in the contest with 

 other aspirants to be first over the course. 

 and Kentucky Star was easily the winner. 



In [906 Mr. Belledeu won twelve races 

 with Kentucky Star, driving him in 2:093-4, 

 to wagon, in one of the events at Readville. 

 He was the winner of the first race, and the 



