Origins of Hockey - A Cornucopia from the 16th~19th Centuries in the US & Canada

[James Laverance]

Playing Shinney in the Streets of Philadelphia from 1836.

Public Ledger
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
22 Nov 1836, Tue • Page 3

 

[James Laverance]

Playing Hockey on Skates on Boston's Frog Pond in 1845.

Charleston Courier
Tuesday, Jan 07, 1845
Charleston, SC
Page:2

 

[James Laverance]

Organized Ice-Hockey in Hot Springs, Salt Lake City from 1865.

Semi-Weekly Telegraph
Monday, Nov 27, 1865
Salt Lake City, UT
Page:3

 

[James Laverance]

Shinney in Cleveland from 1855.

Cleveland Leader
Friday, Dec 21, 1855
Cleveland, OH
Page: 1

 

[tarheelhockey]

James, just want to say I appreciate how much research you have poured into this thread. I doubt there's another archive quite like this online.

 

[James Laverance]

James, just want to say I appreciate how much research you have poured into this thread. I doubt there's another archive quite like this online.

Not a problem.
Thanks for reading my articles.
Cheers

 

[Theokritos]

James, just want to say I appreciate how much research you have poured into this thread. I doubt there's another archive quite like this online.

Seconded.

One question on the following paper:

Organized Ice-Hockey in Hot Springs, Salt Lake City from 1865.
View attachment 249107
Semi-Weekly Telegraph
Monday, Nov 27, 1865
Salt Lake City, UT
Page:3

Where exactly is there organized ice-hockey mentioned? And, really, where does it even say hockey was actually played in Salt Lake City? The author is looking forward to a winter yet to come and he's suggesting a skating pond should be built, but those are future prospects he's envisioning. Of course, his claim that "the community is now ready for a skating pond" suggests skating on the frozen river had not been uncommon in the prior years, but as for hockey, he's merely keeps envisioning what activities a "skating pond" could host:

The Scotchman would meet and "curl", the Englishman would be after "hockey", American genius would discover something cute to interest and benefit etc.​

What this passage shows is that the author knew hockey (on ice) was something played by English people, but it does not show hockey was already played in Salt Lake City as of 1865.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Seconded.

One question on the following paper:



Where exactly is there organized ice-hockey mentioned? And, really, where does it even say hockey was actually played in Salt Lake City? The author is looking forward to a winter yet to come and he's suggesting a skating pond should be built, but those are future prospects he's envisioning. Of course, his claim that "the community is now ready for a skating pond" suggests skating on the frozen river had not been uncommon in the prior years, but as for hockey, he's merely keeps envisioning what activities a "skating pond" could host:

The Scotchman would meet and "curl", the Englishman would be after "hockey", American genius would discover something cute to interest and benefit etc.​

What this passage shows is that the author knew hockey (on ice) was something played by English people, but it does not show hockey was already played in Salt Lake City as of 1865.

Organized always preceeds actual playing. People never showed up at a frozen pond expecting equipment to happen to just be there.

Elements of organization present include size of the dedicated area, charging for access by age. Plus the author shows the knowledge required to build the foundation for an actual inland rink beyond the common, hope a body of water freezes near the shoreline.

Whether a specific city played hockey in 1865 does not matter. What matters is that conditions required to safely play inland hockey were known by 1865 at the latest in NA.Has this knowledge surfaced elsewhere? Previously?

 

[Theokritos]

Organized always preceeds actual playing. People never showed up at a frozen pond expecting equipment to happen to just be there.

If that's the threshold for "organized", then the expression "organized hockey" becomes useless, because every time someone takes his skates and stick to a frozen pond it constitutes "organized hockey". Needless to say, that's not how most people use the term "organized hockey".

Whether a specific city played hockey in 1865 does not matter. What matters is that conditions required to safely play inland hockey were known by 1865 at the latest in NA.Has this knowledge surfaced elsewhere? Previously?

If someone claims there was "organized hockey in Salt Lake City" in 1865 and the source he cites doesn't support his claim, then of course it matters. Not that it precludes there could be other interesting aspects.

 

[Canadiens1958]

If that's the threshold for "organized", then the expression "organized hockey" becomes useless, because every time someone takes his skates and stick to a frozen pond it constitutes "organized hockey". Needless to say, that's not how most people use the term "organized hockey".



If someone claims there was "organized hockey in Salt Lake City" in 1865 and the source he cites doesn't support his claim, then of course it matters. Not that it precludes there could be other interesting aspects.

Modern bias is showing.

Less than a year after the American Civil War, 1865 sporting activities for youngsters were random. No playgrounds dedicated to games and sports that did not impede commercial and daily activities existed. Parks were genteel areas with cultivated gardens, imitated nature - artificial ponds, hills,etc. You did have schoolyards but only for the use of registered students during the school year. BTW schools did not have dedicated indoor gyms with rare exceptions.

The skating rink proposal is approximately two generations ahead of the first private or municipal playgrounds for youngsters and adults. For its time it was revolutionary and quite organized.

Major difference in your characterization of a frozen pond and a dedicated rink built in winter inland on terra firma. One is subject to the whims of nature(temperature) and requires the equivalent of lifeguards and security. Scheduling beyond daily is not possible. The suggested, properly engineered and supported(organized) rink, offers a safe environment with certainty that the activities will take place making schedules for activities possible.

 

[Theokritos]

Major difference in your characterization of a frozen pond and a dedicated rink...

That was YOUR characterization I was merely echoing:

Organized always preceeds actual playing. People never showed up at a frozen pond expecting equipment to happen to just be there.

 

[Canadiens1958]

That was YOUR characterization I was merely echoing:

Major difference in your characterization of a frozen pond and a dedicated rink built in winter inland on terra firma. One is subject to the whims of nature(temperature) and requires the equivalent of lifeguards and security. Scheduling beyond daily is not possible. The suggested, properly engineered and supported(organized) rink, offers a safe environment with certainty that the activities will take place making schedules for activities possible.

Please quote entirely not selectively. The difference is clearly explained.

 

[James Laverance]

Shinny on Ice written in 1843 from Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Inquirer
Friday, Jan 13, 1843
Philadelphia, PA
Page: 2

 

[James Laverance]

Shinny in the streets of Alexandra, Va in 1809.

Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political
Wednesday, Aug 16, 1809
Alexandria, VA
Page: 2

 

[James Laverance]

Written in 1768.

Essex Gazette
Tuesday, Dec 13, 1768
Salem, MA
Page: 81

 

[James Laverance]

Playing Bandy on Skates from Baltimore in 1839.

Daily National Intelligencer
Monday, Apr 22, 1839
Washington (DC), DC
Page: 3

 

[James Laverance]

Native ball play at Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, Michigan from 1763.

Boston News-Letter
Thursday, Aug 25, 1763
Boston, MA
Page: 1

 

[James Laverance]

Shinny in Omaha, Nebraska from 1877.

Herald
Friday, May 11, 1877
New York, NY
Page: 6

 

[James Laverance]

A history of Shinny in California.

Sentinel
Saturday, Jul 17, 1880
Trenton, NJ
Page: 3

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Native ball play at Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, Michigan from 1763.
View attachment 250163Boston News-Letter
Thursday, Aug 25, 1763
Boston, MA
Page: 1

Holy shit.

When they say "massacre" they weren't speaking figuratively.

From Wikipedia:

The Ojibwe in the region resented British policies as harsh. On June 2, 1763, as part of the larger movement known as Pontiac's Rebellion, a group of Ojibwe staged a game of baaga'adowe (a forerunner of modern lacrosse) outside the fort as a ruse to gain entrance. After entering the fort, they killed most of the British inhabitants. They held the fort for a year before the British regained control, promising to offer more and better gifts to the native inhabitants of the area.

 

[James Laverance]

Creek playing shinny in 1829.

Spectator
Tuesday, Sep 01, 1829
New York, NY
Page: 4

 

[James Laverance]

Organized Shinny in Indianapolis from 1879.

Indianapolis Sentinel
Wednesday, Oct 01, 1879
Indianapolis, IN
Page: 3

 

[James Laverance]

Organized Shinney at Princeton.

Newark Daily Advertiser
Monday, Dec 04, 1854
Newark, NJ
Page: 2

 

[Canadiens1958]

Rather interesting. Teams were denominated(by faith) similar to the public school system

 

[James Laverance]

Early Hockey in Toronto on Christmas Day, 1862.

"When the ice is good there is always a crowd upon the Don River but a problem had arisen with young rowdies who annoy any persons, who by their respectable appearance may excite their malice by tripping them up, scoffing and jeering. Upon remonstrance being made, they will fall upon the party and beat him unmercifully with their shinty sticks.”

The Toronto Globe Dec 27, 1862.