I'm not sure how many times I've driven along W. 7th St. in Columbia (US412), but it wasn't until this day that I noticed the tall obelisk in a park up the side of a hill. I've spent years combing through every brochure and tourist guide in Middle Tennessee, and can't recall ever reading of this place. This monument and the park on the side of Mt. Parnassus are dedicated to Edward "Pop" Geers.
In the late 19th Century, Harness Racing reached its golden age and was one of the most popular spectator sports in the U.S. Pop Geers who lived and trained horses in Columbia was one of the most accomplished men in the sport. As a driver (harness racing has drivers, not jockeys) Geers recorded the first one mile race in under 2 minutes. He was killed in a race at the West Virginia State Fair in 1924. This monument was dedicated to the "Gentleman Racer from Tennessee" two years later.
For more, see this youtube video: youtu.be/m3jMRD32R_Y
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