Watkins Glen in Schuyler County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

At Watkins Glen

Dedicated to the Founders

Photographed By J. J. Prats, October 12, 2014

1. At Watkins Glen Marker

Inscription.

At Watkins Glen. Dedicated to the Founders. Each year on Friday after Labor Day, the Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen celebrates the community’s rich road racing history and the first post-World War II road race in the United States. The event is dedicated to the committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Watkins Glen that launched that initial race on October 2, 1948. , The members of the Race Executive Committee included

Cameron R. Argetsinger, who was General Chairman for the 1948 race, is credited with bringing the ides of having a sportscar race to the Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Jean, continue to pursue the development of Watkins Glen as the home of American road racing to this day.
Jean Argetsinger, wife of Cameron Argetsinger, helped Cameron with the races, founded the Glen Paddock Club, wrote the official race programs from 1958 to 1969. She is now President of the Watkins Glen public library as well as President of the Board of Trustees of the International Motor Racing Research Center, built due to Jean's efforts.
Arthur H. Richards, Jr., who was secretary for the Chamber of Commerce and Press Director for the racing event in 1948.
Donald Brubaker, who was president of the Chamber at the time and was instrumental in motivating the Chamber and the entire community to get behind Argetsinger’s idea.
Leon Gros-Jean, who chaired the larger “committee of 100” that helped organize and manage the initial race. He also carried out much of the communications necessary to bring the races to Watkins Glen.
Mayor Allen D. Erway, worked tirelessly to obtain the necessary permits for the races and became known as the ‘man who stopped the trains,’ after arranging for the New York Central Railroad to reschedule the trains for the races.
Lester Smalley, owner of Smalley’s Garage where tech inspections for the initial races were conducted. He was Pit Chairman for the 1948 and subsequent races.
Florence Smalley, who conducted the tech inspections and was known as the Chief Scruntinizer.
William F. Milliken, Jr., who was Tech Chairman for the 1948 races and Regional Executive of the Sportscar Club of America. Milliken was instrumental in formulating race regulations for the early races and engineering the road surface and safety features of the original 6.6 mile course.
Dominick Fraboni, owner of the Chevrolet dealership in Watkins Glen at the time.
D. Burr Stone, who was the Watkins Glen Fire Chief in 1948.
Linwood Miller, who was the Watkins Glen Chief of Police.
Ernest Porter, Schuyler County Highway Superintendent.
Jerry W. Black, Schuyler County State Assemblyman.
Jay Turner, Supervisor for the Town of Dix.
Harry Klube, Supervisor for the Town of Reading
Joseph Hoffman, Chairman of the Schuyler County Board of Supervisors.

All of these individuals worked on a day-to-day basis to prepare for and conduct the first races on October 2, 1948.

Each year on Friday after Labor Day, the Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen celebrates the community’s rich road racing history and the first post-World War II road race in the United States. The event is dedicated to the committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Watkins Glen that launched that initial race on October 2, 1948.

The members of the Race Executive Committee included

Cameron R. Argetsinger, who was General Chairman for the 1948 race, is credited with bringing the ides of having a sportscar race to the Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Jean, continue to pursue the development of Watkins Glen as the home of American road racing to this day.
Jean Argetsinger, wife of Cameron Argetsinger, helped Cameron with the races, founded the Glen Paddock Club, wrote the official race programs from 1958 to 1969. She is now President of the Watkins Glen public library as well as President of the Board of Trustees of the International Motor Racing Research Center, built due to Jean's efforts.
Arthur H. Richards, Jr., who was secretary for the Chamber of Commerce and Press Director for the racing event in 1948.
Donald Brubaker, who was president of the Chamber at the time and was instrumental in motivating the Chamber and the entire community to get behind Argetsinger’s idea.
Leon
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Gros-Jean, who chaired the larger “committee of 100” that helped organize and manage the initial race. He also carried out much of the communications necessary to bring the races to Watkins Glen.
Mayor Allen D. Erway, worked tirelessly to obtain the necessary permits for the races and became known as the ‘man who stopped the trains,’ after arranging for the New York Central Railroad to reschedule the trains for the races.
Lester Smalley, owner of Smalley’s Garage where tech inspections for the initial races were conducted. He was Pit Chairman for the 1948 and subsequent races.
Florence Smalley, who conducted the tech inspections and was known as the Chief Scruntinizer.
William F. Milliken, Jr., who was Tech Chairman for the 1948 races and Regional Executive of the Sportscar Club of America. Milliken was instrumental in formulating race regulations for the early races and engineering the road surface and safety features of the original 6.6 mile course.
Dominick Fraboni, owner of the Chevrolet dealership in Watkins Glen at the time.
D. Burr Stone, who was the Watkins Glen Fire Chief in 1948.
Linwood Miller, who was the Watkins Glen Chief of Police.
Ernest Porter, Schuyler County Highway Superintendent.
Jerry W. Black, Schuyler County State Assemblyman.
Jay Turner, Supervisor
Photographed By J. J. Prats, October 12, 2014

2. Watkins Glen Circuit Monument and Markers
for the Town of Dix.
Harry Klube, Supervisor for the Town of Reading
Joseph Hoffman, Chairman of the Schuyler County Board of Supervisors.

All of these individuals worked on a day-to-day basis to prepare for and conduct the first races on October 2, 1948.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1953.

Location. 42° 22.6′ N, 76° 52.289′ W. Marker is in Watkins Glen, New York, in Schuyler County. Marker is on Franklin Street (New York State Route 14) just north of 10th Street, on the left when traveling north. It is across from the courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Watkins Glen NY 14891, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Present Watkins Glen Circuit (here, next to this marker); The Original Watkins Glen Circuit (here, next to this marker); Watkins Glen State Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); Honoring Our Naval Veterans (approx. half a mile away); Chemung Canal (approx. 2 miles away); Brick Tavern Stand (approx. 2.4 miles away); Montour Falls Memorial Library (approx. 2.4 miles away); James A. Shepard (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watkins Glen.

More about this marker. The center panel of the

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marker shows the current year’s poster for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Festival. The right-side panel has three photographs captioned “Briggs Cunningham in the Buick powered Mercedes bodied Bu-Merc, at speed. Photo by Lytle, 1948" “Cameron Argetsinger, originator and organizer of the races, at the Flat Iron Building. 1948.” “The starting grid for the 1948 Grand Prix qualifying race; the four lap Junior Prix. Photo by Art Richards.”

Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry for Cameron Argetsinger. “Argetsinger grew up in Youngstown, where his father, James Cameron Argetsinger, was general counsel and secretary of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company.[2] He spent the summers of his boyhood in Schuyler County, New York visiting his grandparents and, later, his family's summer home. He inherited a love of fast cars from his father and in 1947 bought a sports car so he could become a member of the nascent Sports Car Club of America. Before long, Argetsinger began to dream of organizing a sports car race in and around the town of Watkins Glen. "It's been said, and it's not entirely wrong, that I did it because I had an MG-TC and didn't have a place to race it," he told The New York Times in 1998.” (Submitted on January 1, 2015.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 585 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 1, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

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