Figure 1.--Here we see five young boys playing in gutter water. Notice the elevated train structure in the background. This photograph was taken during a hot July day in 1913. Our guess is someone opened the hydfrant up the street a ways. Modern mothers would be horrified, not only because the children are playing in dirty water, but because duch young children were out on the streets by themselves. Three boys are wearing overalls we had thought were not all that common in cities. Notice how the other two boys have bloomer knickers that attache to a bodice. Source: Library of Congress.

Of course play acivities were subsantially affected by the environment in which children grew up. This could be radically different, especially bewtween rural and urban areas. There were advantages and disadvantages to the various envirionmnts. Rural children were surrounded by open places, trees, brooks, and streams and wildlife. There were opportunities to fish, hunt, and swim. The children might have encounters with wildlife and it was easy to keep pets, especially dogs. And of course there was plenty of fresh air. A downside was that they often lived some distance from playmates, although families were often large. As a result, sports were more difficult to organize. There were open spaces, but more difficult to form teans. Urban children might be lucky to see a tree. Some might live near a park. The paved streets and sidewalks offered play opportunities, but the steets could be dangerous. And there were always lots of other neighborhood kids to play with. Baseball was doggy, but stick ball appeared which was well suited for the urban environment. Basketball was a relativey new sport, but eventually became an urban staple.. Football was a problem given the hard paved strreets. The down side was the lack of greenery and fresh air. The field was relatively small and teanseasier to organize. This was inspiration for the summer camp movement. And of course there were many environments in between such as small towns and suburbs which provided the best oppoertunity for sports. If course this mostly affectred older boys. Younger boys mostly stayed close to home and played a variety of games vesides sports.

Rural Areas

Most Americans lived in rural areas thriughiout the 19th century, although the rural percentage sreadily declined, especially afer mid-century. of Rural children were surrounded by open places, trees, brooks, and streams and wildlife. There were opportunities to fish, hunt, and swim. The children might have encounters with wildlife and it was easy to keep pets, especially dogs. And of course there was plenty of fresh air. A downside was that they often lived some distance from playmates, although families were often large. As a result, sports were more difficult to organize. There were open spaces, but more difficult to form teams. Throughout the 19th centry, riralchildren dressed much like their city cousins, not as afasiinbly, butthe sane basic garments. This changed shiortly after the turn iof the 20th century when overalls became worn in rural areas. This was this was the case during the forst half of the 2th century, but disappeared after World war II (1945). This waas the case because school districts arond the country were closing small rural schhools abnd consolidating then into town schoolsby bussing. The ioveralls disappeared becuse the farm chikldren duid not want to look like hicks. While the overlls disappeared, denim jeans soon became an American standard.

Small Towns

And of course there were many environments in between rural and urban evironmenrs such as small towns which provided the best oppoertunity for sports. If course this mostly affectred older boys. Younger boys mostly stayed close to home and played a variety of games besides sports. In mny ways it was small towns that probvided the greatest range of play opportunities for boys. Open spaces and wildlife were nearby. And there were many other boys making sports a possibility. Many of these smll towns are in rural areas and are an important part of rural communities. The town boys meet rural boys, both that come into town or attend town schools. Some farms are located close to town. So are basically town boys. These small towns vary greatly. Some may be a few homes at a crossroad. Schools are often located here. Others may be substantial towns. Many of these towns were places farnm fanmkies can go ton buy suolies or sell their harvests, but others may have economies unrelated or only partly related to farming. The clothing worn by children in small towns were a mix of rural and city clothing, depending ion the sze iof he tiwn and thec reklatinship to surrounding rural areas.

Suburbs

Suburbs began to appear as trolly lines began to be built out from the cities, but Henry Ford's Model-T made for even greater growrg of the suburbs. Initially the surbbs were for families that ciuld ffird bnive house. With the Midel-T (1908) anf even more so the post-World War II Bay Boom, the syuburbs exploded, because houses appeared for modest income Americans. And aabnge of recreatiional programs were deveoped like Little League and lattter siccer programs. Parks appear with sports fields.

Cities

When America wascreated, the bast majority lived in rural areas. There werevonly a few cities abd they werecrealtivly small, The city population Steadily increased duruing the centyury, especially after mid-century when the Industrial Revolution began to transform the country. The urban population finally criossed the 50 percet level (1920s). Urban children might be lucky to see a tree. Some might live near a park. The paved streets and sidewalks offered play opportunities, but the steets could be dangerous. And there were always lots of other neighborhood kids to play with. Baseball was doggy, but stick ball appeared which was well suited for the urban environment. Basketball was a relativey new sport, but eventually became an urban staple.. Football was a problem given the hard paved strreets. The down side was the lack of greenery and fresh air. The field was relatively small and teams easier to organize. This was inspiration for the summer camp movement.

Created: 7:33 PM 11/6/2009
Last updated: 9:18 PM 11/2/2022