Mr. Thomas S. Rigsby came to Bunker Hill after he served in the Civil War. He began his business as a dealer in and trainer of horses. On the outskirts of the city were large barns and a half mile race track. This track was supposed to be one of the best in the State of Illinois.
From all over Illinois, he received horses which he trained to race. Many of these horses won premiums at fairs in Illinois and Missouri.
Gazette News June 25, 1885: A trotting match is to take place on the Davis Track next Saturday for a purse of $50. The entries are: Jencks' "Pacer Boy" and Rigsby's "Jesse James."
Gazette News July 10, 1889: Among the horses entered in the Fourth of July trot at Alton was "Billy Logan" entered and driven by its trainer, Tom Rigby, of Bunker Hill.
Gazette News January 8, 1890: Thomas Rigby has bought from D. E. Pettingill the 20-acre tract west of the Nutter place, and will convert it into one of the best speeding tracks of its size which can be found in the state.
Gazette News August 6, 1890: Encouraged by the success of a fort-night age, our local horsemen have announced a series of trotting and running races on the really excellent Rigsby track west of town on Saturday next.
...Read more about this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/
...Read more about this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/
--Cite this story: The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." Bunker Hill Gazette-News, October 11, 2012.
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