This vintage colorized postcard captures a lively scene at the Suffolk County Fair Grounds in Riverhead, New York, during the early 1900s. The image shows harness racing in progress, with several sulky drivers and their horses trotting down the dirt track. A covered grandstand filled with spectators lines the left side of the view, while on the right a tall judges’ or announcer’s stand rises above the crowd beneath autumn-colored trees. The postcard vividly conveys the excitement of fair-time races and the bustling atmosphere of an agricultural fair. On the reverse, the card is published by the Eagle Post Card Company of New York. A handwritten message reads: “It is on these grounds that we practice our out of door sports. It is about a quarter of a mile from school. We use the tracks also.” This personal note suggests that the track and fairgrounds were used for more than public events—they were also a community resource. The Suffolk County Fair was a major institution on Long Island for nearly a century. The Suffolk County Agricultural Society began holding fairs in the 1840s, and in 1867 Riverhead citizens purchased and donated 20 acres to establish permanent fairgrounds, which opened the following year. The fair showcased livestock, poultry, produce, and machinery, and it quickly became known for its popular horse and bicycle races. The site grew to prominence, hosting events such as political rallies—Theodore Roosevelt campaigned there—and even sporting spectacles; Babe Ruth is said to have played baseball on the grounds in 1923. The fair operated annually through the 1930s, until the land was sold to the Riverhead School District between 1934 and 1936. The grandstand and racetrack, however, lived on in postcards like this one, which now serve as visual records of an important part of Suffolk County’s history. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 