Historic Hood River
Anyone Have a Bat?
8-18-2016
Notes
These boys are enjoying a game of baseball at a picnic on the last day of school. They are students in Ruth Shafer’s class at Odell School, 1921. The bat looks improvised.
The History Museum of Hood River County
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Charlott
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this is one of the best photos we have ever seen. Shows just how little farm boys lived in that time frame. I would think that that so called bat would be a challange to swing. Great array of attire………
Ralph
Looks like the little rascals!
brian murray
could that bat be a spoke for a heavy teamsters wagon?
Stever
Agree ! What a hit !! This pic belongs in a few classy sport bars at least !!!
Arthur
Glad you enjoy this one. Ruth Shafer had an eye for capturing good pictures of little kids. You’ll see some more later. I think her affection for her students really comes through in her photography.
L.E.
Even before I read the other comments, I opened this up and thought, "Oh, I love this one!"
My dad told the story about when he was a kid he would rush home from school, to hook the horse up to the sled, drive out into the field and cut corn stalks to feed to the cows later in the evening when they came in to be milked. After the corn stalks were cut and loaded, my dad would run the horse back to the barn, because he was in a big hurry to peddle his bicycle back to the school yard where the neighborhood kids were playing baseball. Then he would come back home to milk the cows.
But one day his dad got home from work early and thought he would help my dad. He harnessed the horse up, went out to cut corn and when he turned around to head back to the barn, the horse took off, dumping grandpa and busting up the sled.
When my dad got home from school, he got a beating and that was the end of his playing baseball.