Historic Hood River
“First Girls’ Basketball Team”
2-14-2019
Notes
The caption says:
About 1905. The first girls basketball team in the Hood River schools. From right to left: Lela Kelsay, Florence Hanna, Bessie Evans, ?, Leila Herschner, ?, Pearl Bradley.
Charlott
Leila Kelsay was the daughter of Alexander and Eliza (Jones) Kelsay.
Leila Herschner was the daughter of John and Martha Herschner. She later married Charles Lemmon.
Pearl Bradley was actually Nettie Pearl Bradly. Her parents wereJ. Norman and M. Geneva Bradly..
L.E.
I bet there were some great athletes back in those days that never really had the opportunity to show their talent.
Arlen Sheldrake
My mother Lois Emily Sheirbon Sheldrake was always proud of the fact that she played basketball for Odell High School…..never was sure why girls athletics went away for some years before being "forced" back.
Jeffrey W Bryant
Image 98 provides an example of outfits worn by the women’s basketball teams.
L.E.
Someone had a nice white board fence along their property.
Ellen
Moved to my home state of Iowa 2 months ago and just the other day came across a bit of HR/Portland history in a local thrift shop….the biography of Ruth Hanna Barnett, " The Abortionist: A Woman Against the Law". According to the book, she was born in HR in 1895. Her biographer wrote that she was flamboyant and compassionate. Apparently she made millions and spent some time in jail but she claimed never to have lost a patient in the 40 years she provided the service. I had heard about her when I was leading architectural tours in Portland as her office was in a building that was on my Classical Terra Cotta tour. The book, published in 1994, looks pretty well researched and written and puts some historical perspective on the issue. It also has some interesting family photos and news clips.
Arlen Sheldrake
as others have already noted, looking closely at the detail of these pictures is something that I need to work on….just now in looking again at the picture I noticed the feet on the ball….whoever staged this picture really knew what they were doing.
Jeffrey W Bryant
Florence Hanna was an older sister of Ruth Hanna Barnett. Florence married Elmer Clay Brock.
Ruth Hanna was born in 1892:
The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., November 26, 1892, page 3
"Born"
In Hood River, Tuesday, Nov. 22nd, to Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Hanna, a daughter.
L.E.
Florence Hanna as a little girl on the steps of her father’s store.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=676
Ellen, I think this photo is in the book you mentioned.
Nancy Trotic
My grandmother Vera Lafferty was captain of the team about 10 years later, in 1915. Funny that she never mentioned it to me!
Ellen
L.E. that photo is not in the book but there is one of the Hanna store with a big group standing in front including some boys and girls.
Margaret Porth
My grandfather, Charles Shute, graduated from Hood River High School in 1905.