Operating on the border : a history of the commercial promotion, moral suppression, & state regulation of the thoroughbred racing industry in Windsor, Ontario, 1884-1936

Abstract

This is a history of the commercial promotion, moral suppression, and state regulation of the thoroughbred racing industry in Windsor, Ontario, in the years 1884 to 1936. The central questions which structured the process of enquiry were, first, in what ways did promoters, reformers, and regulators influence the conduct necessary for the economic viability of thoroughbred racing at an incorporated racing association in Windsor, from 1884 to 1936, and second, in what ways was this influence on the operation of racing mediated by historically specific circumstances. Answers to these questions were eventually realized by engaging in a series of reciprocal sojourns between proposed questions, available evidence, and the appropriate concepts to be employed when answering.