By Mrs. William Smith
The field of sports had its place in the early life of Foster County even though the country was new and largely unsettled.
We do not think of those days as being connected with sports; still they undoubtedly had a more important place in the lives of the people living in town or near towns, than the sports of the present time. Now we sit by our radios and TVs and listen and watch the champions engage in important contests. In the 80s and 90s if one wanted recreation of this sort he had to make it himself. Therefore all entered into the life of the day and promoting the sports they loved best.
Undoubtedly hunting, fishing and baseball were the common forms of recreation of this kind, and races were a part of every celebration or get-together. However, we hear and read of a variety of others: tennis, boxing, skiing, sleighing, football, golf, horse racing, bicycling and the games of pool and billiards.
In the summer of 1882 when some of our first settlers arrived in Foster County the only forms of recreation for a man were hunting and fishing. However, as these first arrivals were men, they were satisfied and enjoyed nothing better than taking a gun and going on the wild prairies to shoot antelope, wild ducks and geese; all of which were plentiful. Also they appreciated the meat to vary the regular salt pork and bacon. There were also other wild creatures to hunt, though not for food. Gophers and blackbirds were a real menace to the first crops and fox and coyotes were numerous.
The James River was filled with large fish which were very good eating. However, through the earliest years it was a slow and difficult trip to the river and so it was infrequent. In the early 90s many young fellows or even whole families would go to the eastern shore of the river for a camping and fishing trip of several days or a week, catching a large number of fish during their stay.
In the early 90s Spiritwood Lake became a favorite spot for summer camping parties and many families would go there for an outing. An item in an early paper tells of Richard Tenborg catching some 90 fish in Spiritwood Lake before breakfast one morning. It has been many years since one could think of Foster County as being known for fish‑filled lakes or rivers or even as being a good hunting ground.
Baseball was undoubtedly the popular game of the day in the 80s and 90s and has continued to be a favorite game with all Americans, though not so enthusiastically entered into as in the past. In the early years whenever there is mention of a picnic celebration or get‑together, there are races and baseball games.
The first celebration was held in Carrington on July 4th, 1883, the year Carrington became settled. Although the town was a handful of crude frame buildings, with only the simplest of entertainment, nevertheless the day was one of festivity, and the main events of the day were races of all sorts; potato races, foot races, greased pig races and others.
In the spring of 1885 several young men from Oshkosh, Wisconsin arrived in Foster County and settled in the most easterly part, that time unsettled. They were Dan Clancy, Mac Turner, Ed. Beans, Ralph Walker, who had accompanied the McKinnons, father and sons, to the new country. These young men worked hard on their homesteads during the week but on Sundays they would spend the day together, playing baseball. In 1887 they were joined in their games by newer settlers and they then organized a team which would play teams from other districts on Sunday and holidays. Baseball was their only form of recreation through the first few years.
Carrington had organized baseball clubs during the early 90s with games played regularly. The first game in the season of 1889 was played on a Saturday, the 23 of April. The game was between the single men and the married men and is described in the paper in glowing and most descriptive terms. The married men's team was made up of the following players: George H. Soliday, 1st Base; Don Smith, 2nd Base; Green, 3rd Base; Tom Buchanan, pitcher; Jim McKechnie, Centerfield; Dickenson, Leftfield; M.F. Smith, Rightfield; Wing and Shelly, catcher. The single men's team: Kell 1st Base; E. Hall 2nd Base; Jack Buchanan, 3rd Base; Tommy Burke, pitcher; Ralph Hall, catcher; Steve Lewis, shortstop; Popplestone Rightfield; Hamel, centerfield; McFarland Leftfield; Pepple, substitute shortstop.
Remarks of the merits of the team and the game are most interesting and amusing. "Burke tossed a pretty dew drop to wing who lit onto it like a June‑bug onto a potato vine, sending her out for two bases."
"Tom Buchanan was well acquainted with the ball and was on speaking terms with it. When he saw his old friend coming across the plate he swiped her into right field for four sacks, getting home before the ball could shake hands with him."
"Jack Buchanan pasted the ball out for a single and sent Kelly to third and the "oh's" and "ah's" of the admirers of the boys who pay board could be heard on all sides."
"Kelly was six times at bat, had six hits, and six runs."
"Shelly made a neat fly catch‑ both he and the ball were surprised."
"Jack Buchanan throwing from third to first was like throwing five aces every time."
"When Jack fired a hot one to Kelly on first someone in the bleachers yelled 'see the big lobster muff it'. However the 'big lobster' froze onto the ball like a porous plaster."
Regarding the crowd was also a trite line: "The crowd of ladies at the game, in new spring bonnets, showed that baseball in Carrington is not dead in the feminine heart." The game was won by the single men by a score of 26‑10.
(This report from the Independent 1934)
"When Billy Waiters moved into Melville a few days ago, he looked through some long forgotten mementos of the early days and ran across an interesting relic‑ a baseball record book printed on a sheet of muslin by Ex‑secretary of State, Ed Porter. Mr. Porter was a player on the champion Melville team in the early days. Some of the records are June 6, 1883, Melville vs. Jamestown, score: Melville 169 1/2, Jamestown 74. Obe Wiseman, pitcher; time of game 8 hours.
July 4, 1884, Melville vs. Carrington, score: Melville 173, Carrington 3; game called in 7th inning on account of its being good haying weather. Billy Sunday and Ed Porter were the star players in this game.
The record skips the games of the following years up to 1896 when it mentions the addition of three new players, Billy Walter, Matt Ohner and Philip Wiseman, but gave no account of the games played. Another list of new players was added to the record in 1907: Home Run Highley, Handsom Jordan, Race Horse Clark, and Strike Out Loesch joined the team. The latter was Louis Loesch, a brother of N.N. Loesch, who played first base. Louis was the star Melville pitcher that year.
Back from 1883 to 1896 Melville had what was known as the champion baseball team of the state and drew immense crowds to their games.
When one looks at the scores run up at the games these days and the length of time taken, one wonders how many of the present day pitchers could go the route for an entire game. As the players gained in experience the huge scores were eliminated, the games began to be decided by skill and better teamwork.
From 1883 to 1924 Melville always had a good ball team.
"Other games have been described in even earlier papers, some in very expressive terms. Games between towns were also hotly contested. The New Rockford team at that time was called the "Never Sweats." The Haven team was called "the River Rats." Playing faults or unusually high scores were, of course, laid to the roughness or the wetness of the ground, even as today.
Although hunting and fishing and baseball were the commonest of the sports indulged in during the early years of settling Foster County, occasionally there is mention by a pioneer of an early newspaper of some more unusual sport.
As early as 1885 there was a tennis court in Melville. This was their center of social life in the summer and was the property of E.S. Leavenworth, postmaster and storekeeper.
In the early 80s Richard Sykes, one of the partners in the firm of Sykes‑Hughes Land Company, which owned great tracts of land in Foster and Wells counties, was to be seen playing golf on the rough prairie near Sykeston. In a newspaper of 1898, we find the following item: "Mr. Richard Sykes, who is here looking after his vast farm interests, is an enthusiastic golf player, and every evening he may be seen practicing his favorite game on the gold links on the west side. This was in Carrington. Golf is a vigorous game, requiring great skill and exactness of strokes, but Mr. Sykes has the game down fine, a proof of which is the accuracy with which he makes long and difficult strokes. Some of the citizens had become so interested in the game that efforts are being made to organize a golf club here." However we do not find mention in following papers of an organized golf club in Carrington.
Play, "The Destrick Skule, " presented at the Federated Florence Tillson, Mrs. Jessie McKenzie, J.O. Robertson, Thomas Church April 26, 1912. Identifiable persons include R.R. Pryor, Hecker, Mrs. T.N. Putnam, Avery Morgan, T.H. Cousins and James P. Dunn.
Another paper describes golf as follows: "You hit the ball, walk a mile looking for it. If you find the ball you win. If you do not find the ball you send someone to look for it the following morning and if he finds it he wins."
Another favorite recreation of early years was bicycling and there are many mentions of trips in the papers of the 90s and early 1900s. It seems sometimes one would have to be towed home, even as they do in their automobiles of today. One paper tells of a record trip: "Rankin Farquer was in town today on his way home from a bicycle trip as far as Harvey, where he visited friends for several days. He made the trip in three hours and forty minutes."
The winter's of the 80s brought severe temperatures and deep snows; and transportation or travel was almost impossible even with sleds and teams. However in Nordmore and Estabrook townships lived a number of Norwegian settlers who solved this problem beautifully. They traveled as they did in their native country on skis. This was a sport they loved and at which most of them were proficient and it was also a good way to get about on the snow covered prairies.
Newspapers of the late 90s and early 1900s tell of many other sports as they became popular. On May 30, 1894, a football game was played between the married men and the single men of Carrington. According to the description one would have thought the men who played went through a cyclone or battle. The married men were captained by J.D. McKechnie and single men by Dr. MacKenzie. The married men won by a score of 1‑0.
The block where the Chevrolet garage and several residences are now located was in those days a large slough, popular for skating and boating. In the summer of 1897 a boating club was organized with three of the town's young swains the members. The following is taken from a write up of the first meeting of the club: "At the end of the first lesson two of the members were seen wading to shore‑ the water was only two feet deep at the place. One member, being afraid he would get his waterproof overcoat wet, carefully held it aloft as he waded to the shore. The third member however, oblivious of the other two swam as far as he could, resolving to die game and have his boot on when he fell."
There was no pool or billiard in these days but in the spring of 1902 the Comus alleys were opened by George Peabody and were enthusiastically received, the four alleys being full the greater part of the time.
In February of 1901 a snow boat was modeled by two of Carrington's young men and built by Henry Carroll. When put on trial it proved a great success, making the trip from Carrington to Larrabee and back in two hours and forty‑five minutes. The boat was rigged with ordinary sail and jib, containing 113 yards of 8 oz. duck and cost $73. It set on three runners, 14 feet long 28 inches wide and 2 inches thick; made of oak. There were seats to carry thirty passengers. The boat was propelled by the wind.
In 1897 the hunting laws required a person to buy a hunting license which endured for the entire year, except the month of April in which hunting was prohibited.
Finally going back to the popular baseball, we find an amusing account of a game played on July 4, 1905 by the Fats and the Leans. The game was won by the Leans by a large score and the following appeared in the paper: "As soon as the official scorekeeper and his force of accountants figure up the score we will endeavor to give it."
This item in the Independent May 13, 1926: Piling up 27 points for his school when the united efforts of high school teams from five other schools could reach only 25 1/2 points, George Multz of Kensal walked away with an athletic cup and most of the first prizes at a track meet held at Fessenden last week by New Rockford, Maddock, Sykeston, Harvey, Fessenden and Kensal.
Multz won first place in the hundred yard dash, making the sprint in 11 seconds; won first in the shot putt when he threw the missile 40 feet and eight inches; won first in the discus throw with a husky sling of 100 feet and two inches; first in the javelin throw and first in the running broad jump, winning the deciding points of the meet when he placed third in the high jump.
Multz made a jump of 18 feet 11 1/2 inches in the broad jump, and in the javelin throw set the meet record with 116 feet and 10 inches."
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 430