Edward Geers
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | Pop Geers |
| Born | Edward Franklin Geers January 25, 1851 Lebanon, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | September 3, 1924 (aged 73) Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Harness racing |
| Honors | |
| United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame (1958) | |
Edward Franklin Geers (January 25, 1851 – September 3, 1924), nicknamed "Pop", was an American harness racer and author of 'Ed Geers' experience with the Trotters and the Pacers.'[1][2]
Early life
He was born on January 25, 1851, in Tennessee to William Gideon Geers and Emily Woolard.[3]
It was in Wilson County, Tennessee that Geers first discovered the passion for horses that would shape his entire life, developing his training and driving abilities from boyhood.[4]
Career
He took charge of training a string of horses at the age of 20.[5] Geers recorded his first victory at the Wilson County Fair, driving Little Dave across the finish line in 3:04. Four years later, he laid further groundwork for his professional ascent, founding his own stable at the Swell Stock Farm owned by Major Brown in Spring Hill, Tennessee.[6]
Geers settled in Nashville, Tennessee in 1873, and it was there that he developed the talents of Brown Hal, giving rise to the renowned Hal family.[5] Following the closure of his Nashville training stables, he relocated in 1876 to the early fairgrounds in Columbia, Tennessee.[7]
His introduction to New York racing came in 1877, when he competed at Fleetwood Park Racetrack.[5]
Among the first to recognize the potential of the bicycle wheel, Geers embraced the innovation early.[6] In 1892, he guided Nancy Hanks to a 2:04 mile in a then-revolutionary ball-bearing, pneumatic-tire, featherweight sulky that reshaped the sport of harness racing.[4]
On August 18, 1916, Geers drove his first sub-two-minute mile, clocking 1:59 3/4 at Driving Park Racetrack.
Death
E. F. Geers died on September 3, 1924, in Wheeling, West Virginia, United States.[3] The veteran driver passed away from injuries suffered in a racing accident at the West Virginia State Fair.[7] When his mare Miladi Guy fell, he was thrown from his seat, fractured his skull, and died while still unconscious.[4] He was laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery.[8]
Legacy
Geers was honored in 1926 with the dedication of a memorial park in Columbia, Tennessee featuring a granite obelisk.[8] Pop Geers Park originated as the first community park developed by the city.[9]
His decades of competitive racing translated into nearly $2,000,000 in accumulated prize winnings.[10] He was inducted into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1958.[11] In 2009, he was inducted into the Wilson County Agricultural Hall of Fame.[6]
References
- ^ "50,000 Pay Tribute To Geers's Memory. Activities at West Virginia Fair Are Suspended Out of Respect to Dead Driver". The New York Times. September 5, 1924. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ McCormick, Mike (August 16, 2014). "Historical perspective: Edward 'Pop' Geers and the 'Four-Cornered Track'". Terre Haute Tribune Star. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ a b McCormick, Mike (August 16, 2014). "Historical perspective: Edward 'Pop' Geers and the 'Four-Cornered Track'". Terre Haute Tribune Star. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Sport: Dead". time.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c "POP' GEERS DIES IN TRACK ACCIDENT.; " Grand Old Man of Trotting Turf" Is Hurled From Sulky When Horse Falls". The New York Times. September 4, 1924. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Edward "Pop" Geers". wilsoncountyaghalloffame.org. December 29, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ a b "Special Program: The Life and Times of Pop Geers". ohiocountylibrary.org. November 21, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ a b "Edward Franklin 'Pop' Geers". visitcolumbiatn.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ "Sheila Hickman: About Edward Franklin (Pop) Geers, Columbia harness racer". columbiadailyherald.com. June 23, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ "Sport: Hambletonian". time.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ^ "EDWARD F. GEERS". harnessmuseum.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.