• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Hood River County History Museum

The History Museum of Hood River County

Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life

  • Donate
  • Become A Member
  • Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Museum Shop
    • Contact Us
  • Experience
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    • Events
    • Hidden History
    • Ice Cream Social
  • Discover
    • Historic Hood River Photo Blog
    • Research
    • Tours
    • Walking Tours
    • School Resources
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Collections Donations
  • Calendar
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home Historic Hood River Mischief?

Historic Hood River

Continue Reading

« Legion Climb, 1927
Leroy Winston Childs »

Mischief?

5-27-2021
Mischief?

Continue Reading

‹
›

Notes

I’m not quite sure what to make of this image, but there’s a lot to look at. The blackboard is dated May 31, 1899 and “Class of ’99” so perhaps this was the final day of school. The lesson is interupted with a tic-tac-toe game and it’s been tagged in a few places.

There is a peculiar poem as part of the lesson: “There’s always a river to cross, there’s always a woman to boss, there’s always some work to do, that keeps me in a stew.”

One of the boys is Ralph Laraway. He was born in 1881, so I’m guessing this is either a high school graduation picture or perhaps he’s enrolled at a university. We’re not sure who the other boy is.

Category: default
Tags: 1890s, classroom, Iowa, Laraway, Laraway Ralph, school

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Roger Sheldrake

    27th May 2021 @ 09:57 AM

    Must have been one of the taller kids that wound the clock every few days.

  2. andyb

    27th May 2021 @ 10:30 AM

    Are those juggling pins behind the boys?

  3. kmb

    27th May 2021 @ 05:32 PM

    Interesting picture, must have been a math class with the algebra equations on the blackboard. I was also wondering about the juggling pins and the clock high on the wall. I had no idea the practice of “tagging” with graffiti goes back over 120 years. I wonder if these two pigeon-toed boys belonged to a local “gang”.

  4. L.E.

    27th May 2021 @ 05:44 PM

    The June 1900 census says Ralph is living in Glenwood, Iowa and in school.
    Since there is some similarity in looks I wonder if the other boy is Ralph's older brother Seth. He is 3 years older than Ralph.
    Comparing a photo on Ancestry.com, I would say the boy on the left is Ralph but it is hard to tell.

    I also wonder what the bowling pin looking things are on the desk behind the boys.

  5. JEC

    27th May 2021 @ 08:11 PM

    The “bowling pins” were known as “Indian Clubs”
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_club

  6. L.E.

    27th May 2021 @ 10:47 PM

    Thanks JEC. And they are available on Amazon.

  7. L.E.

    4th December 2021 @ 03:41 PM

    According to the 1913 maps, Ralph Laraway owned land in White Salmon area.

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Comments

  • Mr. SpamBot on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • dee on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • dee on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • dee on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • Dee on Next Stop, Winans
  • nels on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • ArthurB on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • Harold on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • Rico on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper
  • Jeff Bryant on E. R. Bradley Print Shop and Newspaper

Explore more

Donate Become A Member Volunteer

Footer

The History Museum of Hood River County

300 E Port Marina Dr
PO BOX 781
Hood River, OR 97031

541-386-6772

Keep In Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · The History Museum of Hood River County · Log in

About

  • Mission & History
  • Staff
  • Board

Support

  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Volunteer

Sign Up For Our Newsletter