Wilhelm: Local sports, recreation date back to 19th century
Recreational facilities are important to the success and lifestyles of a community. Large or small, communities take pride in their ball fields, skating rinks, parks and other places for exercise.
Well, back in the early 19th century, Lower Sandusky — later Fremont — had some of that pride.
Lucy Keeler, historian and daughter of local newspaper man and community leader Isaac Keeler, wrote in her in her well-known paper, “Main Street,” about the early days of community recreation locally. Main Street was the name of what is now Park Avenue and Miss Keeler wrote about the hill off that key community street.
“Opposite the Peace house was what in modern parlance (1924) would be called the Community Hill and where all sorts of sports held sway. There was no building on it and its contour has greatly changed.
“Here was the favorite coasting place with natural and artificial bumps. The big boys used to go down to Moore’s carriage shop and steal a bobsled which, filled to the brim with young people, made the course of the hill. At the base was a big ice pond, whither skaters came by the hundreds.
“In summer this was the ball ground, the Croghan Nine being the most famous team in local annals.”
Miss Keeler wrote that when Rutherford Hayes came to Fremont to live with his uncle Sardis Birchard, he was surprised that “baseball was unknown.” “Then, a little later, it broke out all over town and the original Croghan Nine was formed. They wore suits with long trousers. At one time, the village had seven ball clubs. Birchard Hayes (son of Rutherford) always played second base” and won praise for his abilities at that position. “Birchard Hayes told me that his father never saw him play, but was always delighted when he heard in Columbus that his eldest son was playing up here.”
The hill was busy for other forms of entertainment. “In the meadow at the foot of the Pease hill, circuses used to pitch their tents. I recall one which announced a roofless tent. The canny villagers took early and free seats on the Pease steps and terraces and saw it all.”
A little farther south was the Pease farm along the river which was “the hunting ground for quail, rabbits, squirrels, black birds and what not.”
The name of Main Street, by the way, was officially changed to Park Avenue in 1896 on a petition from a majority of the property owners. Through the years it had also been unofficially called Brush Street and Church Street because of the number of churches on the street.
Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Local sports, recreation date back to 19th Century
