William Ransom Johnson lived near here at Oakland and, known as the “Napoleon of the Turf,” dominated American horseracing early in the 19th century. He trained more than 20 champions and achieved national fame from the 30 North-South match races held at Long Island’s Union Track from 1823 to 1834. The most famous of these, American Eclipse vs. Sir Henry in 1823, drew more than 60,000 spectators and became the nation’s first major sports event. After Johnson’s Henry lost two of three heats, several bettors lost fortunes. Johnson also represented first Petersburg and then Chesterfield County in the Virginia legislature from 1818 to 1837, and he died in Mobile, Alabama.