About this collection:

➤ Hugh Stobbs Jr. (1935-2020) was a young child when he experienced his first memory of Wheeling Downs, a horse racetrack that is on the grounds of the current Wheeling Island Casino. His father, Hugh Stobbs Sr. (1901-1976), owned a parking garage on Tenth Street, a convenient place between the Downs and local bars and hotels, and therefore received business on race days. Stobbs Jr. would later become the admissions director at the Downs and worked there for approximately 13 years.

The Wheeling Downs itself was a hotspot for horse racing from 1937 until a major fire occurred in 1962. Notably, between 1945 and 1952, the track was owned and operated by the infamous Wheeling Gangster Bill Lias, who lost ownership in 1952 after the United States Government found him guilty of tax evasion and seized his assets. Lias implemented many improvements to the track, including hydraulically operated viewing lifts for race officials and VIPs, and was responsible for turning Wheeling into a gambling hub in the mid-20th century. The Downs would be rebuilt and reopened about five years after the 1962 fire and would be bought at the end of the decade by the Ogden Corporation, which shifted its focus from horse racing to greyhound racing. In 1988, the Downs would be sold to the Delaware North Corporation, and the new owners would make renovations and additions to the property over time. The Wheeling Downs was renamed the Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center in 2002, and in 2008, it was renamed again to its current name, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.

This collection consists primarily of photographs depicting racehorses, owners, jockeys, as well as photographs of Wheeling Downs buildings and grounds, and photographs of Bill Lias, along with other miscellaneous photographs, spanning between 1943 and 1968. The collection also includes memorabilia, including programs from 1947-1956 and a 1946 letter from A.W. Dickinson (the Downs General Manager) to Robert E. Crowley, along with postcards, seat markers, and a 1963 betting ticket. The collection does not include Wheeling Downs records or official race results.  

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