The Beginning!
The first official documentation that I found is “The Certificate of Incorporation”, dated April 16th 1947. The names of the three Incorporators were Harold Milam, Donald Bailey, and Merritt Miley. The affairs of the Corporation were managed by a Board of Directors, which included five members. The first Board of Directors consisted of Waldo Brandt, Eugene Bucher, Robert Loy, Herschel Waggoner and Porter Roth, all of Wabash. Although this was the first official document I could find, the club roots are said to originate in 1937 with eight members. Those eight men were Merritt Miley, Gene Bucher, Waldo Brandt, Don Bailey, Harold Milam, Bob Milam, Herschel Waggoner, and Al Slagel. We will try to find out more on the origin of the club but right now that’s all we have. The property for the Track was purchased by Charles E. Copp then President of W.C.M.C., on December 2nd, 1950 from Mr. Robert and Virginia Milam. The terms were ’20 acres for $2,000.00, down payment of $630.00 cash in hand, and 20 shares of stock issued at $10.00 each to Mr. Milam.’ Thus the Wabash Cannonball Track was born.
The first information about the Club I could find is a letter from Merritt Miley to the club members dated February 6th, 1950 requesting double dues to be made each month until back dues are up to date, but mention of how much they were. The first meeting we have minutes for start May5th, 1952. The club must not have had an abundance of money at this time. The minutes state ‘We took in just enough money at the May 5th meeting to renew our A.M.A. charter.’ Waldo advanced the $30.00 for sanctioning of their first race of the year. The meetings for the 1952 averaged about six members in attendance, and sometimes a guest, and they had two meetings a month. The June 29th race had $896.00 in ticket sales but made a profit of only $89.37, and the concession stand made $34.02 in profits. The June 30th meeting had three new prospective members in attendance, all were denied. A motion was carried that every other meeting be held on Saturday night. At the July 28th meeting John Boardman requested ‘that the club fix the fence to turn his cows.’ August 1st was a special joint meeting and a wiener roast with the Women’s Club to determine which concession stand they would prefer to run. The club had $806.75 paid admission, at the August 10th race; $375.00 in profit. There was also a Rodeo held at the track in August of 1952 which made the club $74.60. The September 1st race gave away $500.00 in prize money and still made $357.00 in profit, not bad for 1952! The November 3rd meeting had the largest in attendance of the year with eight members and one new prospective member. It was the Club Show Night. Waldo advanced the club money again $13.00 to make a complete payment of the track grounds which wrapped up the year 1952.
BK
