Historians cite the village of Camptown, Pennsylvania, as the basis for the song, located in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania. The races were resumed nearby in 1965 as a footrace, … See more

In The Americana Song Reader, William Emmett Studwell writes that the song was introduced by the Christy Minstrels, noting that Foster's "nonsense lyrics are much of the charm of this … See more

As one of the most popular folk tunes, 'Camptown Races' has been reference repeatedly in cinema, television and other means of media. Like many of Foster's songs, it was originally recorded on the phonograph in the early twentieth century; 1911 saw its first … See more

• "Camptown Races" by Billy Murray and chorus (1911), sung in the minstrel style See more