Here is a photo which is in with all the other family photos, but I don’t know anything about it. Somebody cared a lot about it, though, because the names of the boys are written at the bottom. It’s titled “Champions of Michigan.” On the right side, it says Lansing 0 Kazoo 30. Maybe a game between Lansing and Kalamazoo determined the Michigan champions. But on the left side of the photo it looks like it says Kazoo 21 Ishpeming 27. Say it ain’t so.
I tried to research games to see which year this was, but the Michigan High School Football website only goes back to 1950.
Does anybody have any ideas on how to find more information about the photo? If this photo belonged to Joseph Peter DeKorn, who was born in 1881, it’s possible that the photo is from the late 1890s.
Get a load of the coach’s facial expression! He’s at the back on our left.
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Here is the breaking news update.
I went to bed last night with this post set to publish early this morning. When I woke up this morning, I suddenly thought of my “training” from Jose at Enhanced News Archive: check the newspapers! And since I recently found Genealogy Bank to be such a wonderful resource, I checked in there. Guess what? There are articles which show that I was wrong about the 1890s–it was 1901–and unfortunately correct that Ishpeming won. What a fabulous article that details the game (I hope it’s not too hard to read since I had to copy it in 4 parts):
Intriguing photo with all the different expressions on the players’ faces (and coach?) Does Michigan have a High School Athletic Hall of Fame or Honor or something? If they do, they would have info on champions. Also, either school library should have a yearbook history? Just ideas…great picture.
Sheila, check the post again! I just did an update :). Those are all great ideas; however, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t checked out the newspapers and since Genealogy Bank is such a great resource I thought I would try them and, yup, I found it!
Great post–and it brings back memories sport rivalry’s between towns in the area of Pennsylvania where I grew up. Many year later, my father still talks about the time one team was “run out of town” by the fans of the home team.
Hah, I love it. That is great! Sheryl, check out the post again. I have updated info!!
This all makes me curious about the boys’ first names. Young Misters Bennett and Woodhams, specifically. Bennett may be the father-in-law of one of my nonegenarians, and Woodhams may be the locally famous pilot and flying teacher, Irving Woodhams.
Yes, the coach looks positively demonic.
Ooh, can you ask your student? Is there a site to look up about the Woodhams family, I wonder? Haha, re the coach. Yup, if Gilbert wasn’t sitting in this photo non-knocked out, I would say it looked like the pic was taken after the loss, if you take into account the coach’s face!
I am also wondering about the ages of the athletes. They look like they could be older than high school, but then I always think people in photos from this time period look older than generations afterward.
It’s not Irv. He was born in 1898. Possibly his dad, who had a farm in K’zoo. But maybe there were a lot of Woodhamses in K’zoo.
http://www.eaa.org/apps/obituaries/MemorialWall2.aspx?ID=1003
I will try to find out from my student re: Mr. Bennett.
What about his uncle?
What a great photo. Love the different expressions!
Thanks, Linda! I know haha!
Did you notice that the year was written on the ball? My grandfather’s high school basketball team has the same thing, and I have seen other pictures like it.
I. did. not. notice. Grr. If I had it would have saved a lot of trouble, wouldn’t it! Good observation!!! I see it now, big as anything. Big as their faces. Gee whiz.
I enjoyed the update and the way you sought out additional sources. It’s so hard to date old pictures and events. I love the use of adjectives and other wonderful descriptive language in the newspaper clipping.
If only I had noticed what Deborah did–that the ball has the year on it! haha. I know–I love the way they described the game, too. Those old newspaper articles are a hoot!
I love your blog, you find so many interesting things!
Ah thanks, Jackie! I’ve been blessed with lots of great photos and now that I found a source for old newspaper articles in my town, I’m in hog heaven ;).
I noticed that the football held by the man in the center says 1901. Glad you found it at GenealogyBank. You might also want to check for an article in the Kalamazoo Telegraph (online at the KPL) to see if they have a different take or additional details.
Sonja, I did not notice that the on football. Genealogy Lady pointed it out in her comment, too. You two have sharp eyes! I did not know that the KPL had Kalamazoo Telegraph articles online!!! I will check it out–thank you!!!
Sorry to post twice, but you may want to take down the GenealogyBank article (and just post a summary instead) because you don’t want to get into trouble with the copyright police (unless you asked their permission).
Sonja, the Kalamazoo Gazette articles I find through Genealogy Bank are public domain. I believe any of the articles before 1923 are free for me to use.