Children staging big play festival - youths of city gather on Oliver playfield
What was making news in our area during this week in years past? The History Museum offers these newspaper excerpts to give you an idea.
Sept. 3, 1901: “Elkhart, with the assistance of surrounding cities observed Labor Day in a successful manner, the features being an industrial parade, games, athletic sports, speeches, music and dancing. The Elkhart papers of Saturday said that a large part of South Bend’s population would be there and they certainly told the truth.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 4, 1915: “Beginning at 3 o’clock this afternoon 1,000 children will stage the first municipal play festival of South Bend. This big outdoor demonstration of playground work will be given at the J. D. Oliver playfield on Laurel street near the New York Central railroad tracks.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 5, 1923: “An increase over last year of 1,112 students, sufficient to fill an additional 40-room school building, is reported for South Bend schools for the opening of the fall term.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 6, 1930: “Isham Jones and his famous 14 piece Brunswick recording orchestra will open the fall dancing season at the Palais Royale ball room this evening, remaining over to furnish music for Sunday night also.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 7, 1941: “National collegiate golf champions, both individual and team, will be named in South Bend, June 22 to 27, 1942, it was announced yesterday in Chicago by Ted Payseur, Northwestern coach, and secretary-treasurer of the National Collegiate Athletic association golf committee.The executive committee of the N.C.A.A. approved the recommendation of the golf committee, of which Charles (Chick) Evans is the chairman, that the tourney be held at Chain o’Lakes Country club with the University of Notre Dame acting as host in the first big national event in the year-long centennial celebration of the university.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 8, 1956: “A former Air Force navigator has added his testimony to a report that a flying saucer was hovering over the South Bend-Mishawaka area Thursday night. Robert L. Smith, who lives just east of the St. Joseph-Elkhart County line, near Osceola, said he and his wife and two children, standing in a field near their home to observe the planet Mars, traced a bright object across the sky for a minute before it disappeared to the southwest about 10:10 o’clock.” — The South Bend Tribune
Sept. 9, 1966: “The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners today gave architects the go-ahead for preparation of final blueprints for the planned county-city government complex.” — The South Bend Tribune
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Headlines in History 1915: Youths of city gather on Oliver playground
