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Gig Harbor Now and Then | When spelling was a track and field event

Posted on December 2nd, 2024 By: Greg Spadoni

Our last column noted that in the early decades of the 20th century, athletic meets between Peninsula elementary schools often included non-athletic competitions.

What non-athletic contests were frequently included at inter-school sports meets?

A good variety of answers were posted to the Gig Harbor Now Facebook page — especially the Nerf War — but no cigar.

Guesses on the Gig Harbor Now Facebook page.

Answer: spelling bees and penmanship contests (which, frankly, probably never would’ve happened had Nerf been available).

Spelling bees were a big deal 100 years ago. So important were they that sometimes the spelling champions were named in the newspaper without mentioning the winners of the athletic events.

That may have been because in some years a local winner would move up to the Pierce County spelling championship round, while the athletic champions didn’t have anywhere else to compete. Or maybe not. Maybe spelling was simply more impressive than sports.

The April 29, 1921, Bay-Island News reported the results of a three-school competition, writing under the headline TRACK AND FIELD MEET,

“At the track and field meet held on the Crescent Valley school grounds last Friday, Districts Nos. 37 [Crescent Valley School] and 122 [Lincoln School] (Gig Harbor) and 317 (Rosedale) participated. Rosedale was easily master of the situation, carrying off 75 points; 122 came next with 28 points, 37 claiming the modest score of only 7 points.

“In the spelling match Borghild Jensen of Rosedale won first place in the 8th grade; Arthur Nordahl of 37 won the 7th grade contest.

“In athletics Gig Harbor’s drubbing was deserved by reason of lack of interest and training; but the kiddies promise to make Rosedale earn every point won in next year’s contest. Underestimating the skill of their opponents also contributed to Gig Harbor’s defeat—and our youngsters will hardly repeat that error.”

Annual track meets and spelling contests were common among Peninsula grade schools. These articles from the Bay-Island News were found at the Washington State Library in Tumwater.

Arthur Nordahl showed that while most of the winners of the spelling contests were girls, boys could sometimes take the crown.

Borghild Jensen Anderson

We’re going to pause right here for a word about Borghild Jensen. Under her married name, Mrs. Anderson, she was the best fourth grade teacher you could ever imagine. She was an outstanding person in general, and if ever there was a case made for cloning teachers (or neighbors, or friends, or relatives), she would be Exhibit A. There would be no need for an Exhibit B.

As a teacher and a human being, Borghild Anderson was simply the best.

Who could’ve ever imagined that after having her for a fourth-grade teacher, little Greg Spadoni would be broadcasting her name to the entire world, more than … um, 10 years later? Well, certainly not me. I couldn’t even see beyond fifth grade at the time.

Another track meet

On the same day that Rosedale School was educating Crescent Valley and Lincoln schools, Midway, Artondale, and Wollochet schools were having their own spelling contest and track meet. (By that time, the three schools had consolidated into one district.) With Midway School having no athletic field, the sporting events were held on the county road next to the school, which today is 38^th Avenue. (The makeshift sports field may have included the intersection with today’s Murphy Drive.)

While the winners of the spelling contests were listed first, at least the athletic games’ winners got a mention further down, although it wasn’t stated which events they won.

“On Friday, April 22, the district spelling contest was held. Elizabeth Fleming of Artondale was winner in the 8th grade. Mildred Gustafson of Midway school won in the 7th grade. … After the picnic lunch and the cocoa had been thoroughly enjoyed, the athletic contest began. Although the weather was anything but pleasant, the large number of people gathered along the roadside enjoyed the race thoroughly. These were followed by the pole vault, the running high jump, and the running broad jump.

“Following is a list of the winners in the different events: From Wollochet school the winners are Harvey Young, Charles Elms, Anna Carlson, Arthur Johnson, Jean Elms, Grace Lundquist, Evelyn Olson; winners from Artondale school are Louise Haberecht, Eloise Allen and Marshall Allen; Midway school winners are Ralph Johnston, Vera Forsythe, Rollin _____.”

This article from the April 29, 1921, Bay-Island News was found at the Washington State Library in Tumwater, Washington.

In a tri-school meet in 1923, with Wauna hosting Elgin and Purdy, it was Edward Goldman who received the only mention in The Bay-Island News, for winning the spelling contest:

“The Athletic meet and spelling Contest held April 7, at Wauna School was a big success. The schools taking part were Elgin, Purdy and Wauna. The forenoon was given over to the spelling contest which was won by Edward Goldman, Wauna school.

“The Athletic events began at 1:30 p. m. and lasted until 3:30 p. m. with the following results: Elgin 57 5-6 points, Purdy 19 ½ points, Wauna 58 2-3 points.”

This article from the May 4, 1923, Bay-Island News was found at the Washington State Library in Tumwater.

On page 4 of the same issue of The Bay-Island News were the full results of the competition between Rosedale, Arletta, Artondale, Cromwell, Crescent Valley, Lincoln, and Wollochet schools. It’s a rare look at all the events featured at a local track meet, and includes winning times and distances.

It was rare for the full results of a local track meet to be published in the newspaper. This article from the May 4, 1923, Bay-Island News was found at the Washington State Library in Tumwater.

In the April 29, 1927, Peninsula Gateway, a small note, very short on details, gave only the most general results of Rosedale School’s recent spelling bee and track meet. Unfortunately, it was just a little too brief, with the Rosedale correspondent neglecting to mention which school or schools they competed with.

A pox on all your houses (or at least one school)

In the same issue of the newspaper, the Cromwell correspondent also failed to mention the identity of that school’s competition, writing:

“The athletic track meet and community spelling and penmanship contests were held last Friday as per schedule. We feel well pleased with the results considering one third of the pupils of this school were still in quarantine. Cromwell won first place in both the 50 yd. and 75 yd. dashes for the little boys and little girls, 1st place in both dashes for class 3 boys, 1st place in broad jumps in each 1st and 3rd class boys; besides 3rd place in several events and both boys and girls relay teams will go to Gig Harbor. Cromwell won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd honors in 8th grade spelling by Rosamond Ward, Lillian Andestad and Olaf Berntsen; and 2nd place in Penmanship by Rosamond Ward.”

How could they not have known that less than a hundred years later, some obscure local columnist would be writing about those contests on a personal computer for publication in an online newspaper, and would want to include who they were competing against before he emailed the story to the editor?

Seems ridiculously obvious to me.

Incidentally, the quarantine mentioned in the clip was for smallpox. It was just one of many infectious diseases that would repeatedly shut down Peninsula schools in the first half of the 20th century. Another is mentioned two paragraphs down.

While justifiably proud of their children’s performances in the spelling bees and track meets, both the Rosedale and Cromwell correspondents to the Peninsula Gateway neglected to mention who their schools’ competition was in 1927 (it was not each other). For winning the spelling bee against an unnamed Peninsula school or schools, Irene Langhelm of Rosedale represented the Rosedale school district in the Pierce County spelling contest. These articles in the April 29, 1927, Peninsula Gateway were found at the Washington State Library in Tumwater, Washington.

In 1930 the local competition expanded. A track meet was scheduled to be held at Union High School at Gig Harbor for all 21 grade schools on the Peninsula, not just a select few. In addition to a spelling bee, a second non-athletic competition, a penmanship contest, was also to be held in the morning hours.

In spite of the advanced planning, the all-Peninsula spelling, penmanship, and track meet was thwarted by a common foe of the era: mumps. Too many cases of the illness at Gig Harbor Union High School prompted a change of venue to Longbranch.

A tradition no more

In what is just another example of the Olden Days gone by the wayside, later generations of Peninsula grade school students experienced individual school field days instead of multi-school track meets, devoid of spelling and penmanship contests.

New business

This week’s question is more rhetorical than not, so doesn’t require any sort of setup. Just in time for the holidays, it’s the story of a Key Peninsula man’s Christmas gift to his paramour, personally delivered by him on Christmas Eve, a long, long time ago.

What did Leonard Bolton of the Key Peninsula give to his mistress on Christmas Eve, 1941?

Unhelpful hint: he was not much of a romantic.

Next time

On December 16, we’ll reveal what Leonard Bolton gave Grace Martin on Christmas Eve in 1941. We’ll also explain why that column’s new local history question will be a very short and easy one.

Yes, that’s right, for a change, the opposite of a long and impossibly difficult local history question.

Speaking of impossibly difficult, two guesses at the identity of the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery have been brought to my attention. They were posted on Instagram, which, like Facebook, is someplace I can’t access, so word got to me through the internet/telegraph/postcard/personal messenger grapevine.

Sisternofore ventured both guesses: a piece of iron from the first dock [in Gig Harbor, I assume], or zwieback bread from the first settlers.

Incorrect on both counts, but not bad guesses at all.

There is a glaring error preceding sisternofore’s Instagram post that needs to be addressed. After introducing the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery contest, it says, “You can win a prize (if you want it).”

In reality, accepting the prize is mandatory, not voluntary. The rules of the contest, clearly stated when the Item of Mystery was first posted, say, “The shrewd history and hardware detective who correctly identifies the first Gig Harbor Now and Then Historical Item of Mystery is obligated to receive the 19 Marlboro filter cigarettes leftover from column #34, whether they want them or not.”

With that clarification out of the way, here’s the latest clue for the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery: The first few dozen of these on the Peninsula were in Burley, although they weren’t used there.

The Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery remains unidentified. Photo by Greg Spadoni.

While I can’t respond to all of them, there have been several other guesses ventured on the Gig Harbor Now Facebook page, and while they are all reasonably good ones, none are correct.

Item of Mystery solved

Although the correct answer was not posted on Facebook or Instagram, the identity of the Item of Mystery has been solved. None other than Gig Harbor Now’s Two In Tow & On The Go columnist, Tonya Strickland, figured it out.

It’s a very difficult question, extremely hard to figure out from the limited clues given, almost impossible to even know where to start, yet she did it anyway. It was a very impressive and ultimately successful effort on her part, and she deserves every bit of credit for it. But (you knew that was coming, right?) the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery Rules Committee has determined her entry to be invalid.

In a 50-page ruling, handed down just before press time today, the Committee explained that she was disqualified on two counts. One, as a regular contributor to Gig Harbor Now, she is ineligible, and two, she had already rejected my offer, after Gig Harbor Now and Then #34, to use the left over 19 Marlboro filter cigarettes to teach her pre-teen kids to smoke.

Tonya Strickland basking in the glow of a very difficult job well done, and one day later chagrinned upon learning she had been disqualified by the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery Rules Committee.

Item of Mystery not solved after all

Because Tonya has been ruled ineligible, and her entry therefore invalid and disqualified, the Gig Harbor Now and Then Item of Mystery remains unsolved and the prize unclaimed. As long as she doesn’t spill the beans, anyway. And no, beans are not a new clue.

Breaking news

There’s late word that Ed Friedrich offered the guess of a gaudy-type wrasslin’ champion belt buckle. While that’s not the item’s original use, it could very well be used for that (by somebody who’s not me). If nobody (other than Tonya) ever figures out the item’s actual identity, maybe I’ll offer Ed a few of the 19 Marlboro cigarettes, just for his creativity. They’re filtered, you know.

— Greg Spadoni, December 2, 2024

Greg Spadoni of Olalla has had more access to local history than most life-long residents. During 25 years in road construction working for the Spadoni Brothers, his first cousins, twice removed, he traveled to every corner of the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsulas, taking note of many abandoned buildings, overgrown farms, and roads that no longer had a destination. Through his current association with the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor as the unofficial Chief (and only) Assistant to Linda McCowen, the Museum’s primary photo archive volunteer, he regularly studies the area’s largest collection of visual history. Combined with the print history available at the Museum and online, he has uncovered countless stories of long-forgotten local people and events.