A recent question from a reader brought up the subject of Devonshire Racetrack.
As Windsor tries to shed its “sin city” moniker, a look back at our history shows we’ve always been the playground for what the Americans can’t have. There was a time when Windsor boasted 3 Horse racing tracks. The Windsor Jockey Club, Kenilworth Racetrack, and Devonshire Racetrack.
Horse racing was once illegal in Michigan, and as a result, Windsor cashed in on what our neighbours to the north couldn’t get at home. The postcard of the racetrack above dates to about 1927.
Photo from the DTE Energy collection @ Wayne State University
This aerial view shows the ghost of Devonshire Racetrack in 1967, on a site that would soon see construction erect our illustrious Devonshire Mall. How original of a name. Look across Howard Ave, and you’ll see the old Roundhouse, which gave way to the equally imaginatively named Roundhouse Centre.
I’m not sure when the track operated, but I know it outlived the Jockey Club, that gave way to Jackson Park in 1930. Once Michigan legalized Horce Racing, our industry went in the crapper. You would think that after all these years we would learn to stop relying on our Northern neighbours so much…
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Before EC Rowe was built, that road was a Sandwich East Twsp road called 3rd Concession. It went from Howard east as far as Banwell which is where Tecumseh town limits started. It was 2 lanes. You can see remnants of it from behind the mall alongside EC Rowe to Turner, and east of Walker , it picks back up at Central and becomes N. Service Road. to Pillette. . East of Lauzon, it is S. Service Road.
I know this has not been replied to in some time, but,the woman that died on this site was told to me by my parents. Her name was Judy Kane. She was in her 20's. I was very young, so she is just a name to me, but I thought I would answer that question for Pete A. And yes, it was because she had not been found for a few days that her body was dragged & they believed it was dogs that pulled her along that caused the damage & the seperation of the body parts.It remains, to this day, an unsolved mystery.
I remember my Dad hoisting me on his shoulders to see races at the old Devonshire and Kenilworth tracks. Around 1949 - 50ish, an ex horseman named Doug Hayes rented the old Devonshire building and lived there with his wife Doris. They held hay rides and sled rides for various groups. I helped one winter in making the gallons of hot chocolate for the guests to drink after the cold sled ride. Just beyond the old roundhouse there were a row of apartments called "the flats". My parents lived in one of the attached houses for three years when they were just starting out. That area has a lot of history buried under shopping malls.
I don't recall the old roundhousebut i do remember the old coaling tower that was close to it and a couple old section buildings a friends dad workedfor the NYC as a brakeman
John that roundhouse belonged to the NEW YORK CENTRAL the CN had theirs on the river front
shirley the 3rd concession you mentioned was the original E C ROW a 2 lane tar road
there was another racetrack just off Howard ave called Dayus but i don't think it was a horse track
Dayus Speedway stock car racing on Howard Av. and Checker Flag in Tecumseh in the old days.
How do I access the DTE historical air photos? The link in this page is not direct. If anyone knows how/if i can access these online, please email me at jon.choquette@gmail.com
Much appreciated
-Jonathan
Here you go Jonathan http://tinyurl.com/5tp4unr :)