The Omaha Driving Park, later called Sunset Driving Park, was located in North Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, USA. It was an important recreational and sports venue in the history of Omaha.

History

In 1875 the Omaha Driving Park Association purchased a parcel of land located between Laird and Boyd Streets, and 16th to 20th Streets for horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

. A fair association leased it, added some features. The Douglas County Fair had been held on the site since 1858. In 1880 the grounds were sold to a group of businessmen that included John Creighton

John Creighton

John Creighton may refer to:*John Oliver Creighton, American astronaut*John W. Creighton, Jr., American businessman*John Creighton, 1st Earl Erne, Irish peer*Lieutenant John Creighton, American Naval officer involved in the Little Belt Affair in 1811...

, James E. Boyd and William A. Paxton

William A. Paxton

William A. Paxton was an American pioneer businessman and politician in Omaha, Nebraska. His life as a rancher and cattleman early in his life, as well as early work with the Union Pacific Railroad was highly regarded among his contemporaries; his success as a businessman later in his life led him...

. The new owners spent $15,000 to improve the grounds, and for several years after this the Nebraska State Fair

Nebraska State Fair

The Nebraska State Fair is a state fair held annually in Grand Island. It is an approximately ten-day event; since the early 1990s, the fair ends on Labor Day. Prior to 2010, the fair was held in Lincoln, Nebraska.-History:...

 was sporadically held here.

The Park hosted William F. Cody's first official performance of the Wild West Show on May 19, 1883. Eight thousand people attended the premiere, and in 1898 the Park featured a local wild west show as part of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition

Trans-Mississippi Exposition

The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...

. The Park fell into disuse by 1899. It was renamed as Sunset Driving Park in 1904, and sponsored races in which Barney Oldfield

Barney Oldfield

Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield was an automobile racer and pioneer. He was born on a farm on the outskirts of Wauseon, Ohio. He was the first man to drive a car at 60 miles per hour on an oval...

 and Alonzo Webb beat world record

World record

A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...

s for speed. Race car races were held there through 1908.

By 1910 Sunset Driving Park had relocated west of the city and was eventually renamed the Sunset Speedway. The old driving park on Sprague Street was broken up into 100 lots and offered for sale for residential purposes. The driving park was the last unoccupied part of the Kountze Place

Kountze Place

The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located between North 16th Avenue on the east to North 30th...

suburb.