Category Archives: Recreation and Leisure

Small town recreation and leisure activities in the context of the general economic and social climate of the 40s and 50s.

Finding solitude in a corn field 1951

Posted on May 4, 2018 by rodger

Cornfields dotted much of the Southern Illinois landscape in the 1950s.  During the growing season adjacent fields created the appearance of a small scale tropical forest. I had travelled the route East along Illinois HWY 143 and Route 66 through … Continue reading →

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Sports we loved but never saw on TV

Posted on May 5, 2018 by rodger

Children’s sports common in the Alton, Illinois area were unknown in many parts of the country. Games invented there spread to other parts of the country. The game players or their parents constructed the required equipment in the basement workshop … Continue reading →

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Compulsive swimming behavior is part of the culture part 1

Posted on June 21, 2018 by rodger

Swimming was a recreational activity but was also an escape from the heat. We swam in almost every mud puddle that was at least 6 feet deep. People engaged in compulsive swimming as a common adaptation. The culture for the … Continue reading →

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