July 2004 The Megaphone Page 8
Shortly after the publication of June's Megaphone, I received the following reply from Chuck Hood '42. It helped clear up a couple of questions.
Hi, Marvin!
The Princess Theatre was where Falvey's Clothing store once was. Across the alley (north) was the Sweet Shop, then Central Hardware, and next to the Hardware was the Main Theatre. The first building south of the princess was Ray McDaniel's Dry Goods Store (later Inland Marine). The two buildings are presently up for auction shortly and as the sign in the window states, "Buy One, Get One Free," as that was the offer made by the bank when it was sold to the American Legion not too long ago. Ike Briscoe was the owner and manager of the theatre.
Hope this helps you in some way.
My Best to You,
Chuck Hood '42
Grade School Mascots
Recent discussions on the Den mail list raised the question about the mascots for grade schools over the years in the Elwood area. Before long we had most of them identified.
The list as we now have it includes the Osborn Orioles, Central Panthers, Edgewood Indians, Linwood Wildcats, Oakland Eagles, Washington Warriors, St. Joseph Trojans, Red Corner Rockets, Duck Creek & Boone Blue Devils, Lancaster Tigers, New Lancaster Indians, Curtisville Wildcats, Windfall Dragons, Walnut Grove Wolves . . . and the Hobbs Lions.
To date we have no mascot or team name identified for South Elwood School. If you know any of these to be incorrect . . . or know of other schools in the area not mentioned here, please contact us at pantherden-owner@smartgroups.com .
Dare we bring up the subject of school colors . . . ???
Tell Me You Knew It . . . All Along
by Marvin Crim
Speaking of school mascots, I was completely surprised last year at Denstock IV when I purchased a copy of Elwood High School's newspaper from 1924, THE FORGE.
During the 1923 school year, the March 7, 1924, edition of THE FORGE (Vol. I. No. 5.) referred to Elwood's high school teams as the . . . Fighting Redskins!!! "ELWOOD'S FIGHTING REDSKINS" reads the large caption. Another reference in the accompanying article read, "Our Redskins Crowned Season's Glories at Tourney." I have the paper in my possession. I was startled. I felt certain then, that one of the Crescents would surely contain references to the . . . "Fighting Redskins." But for the next couple of visits to the Indiana Room looking through several Crescents thoroughly, I could find nothing about the unusual team nickname.
It was this bit of information that I was still chasing around in the Indiana Room the day before Denstock V. I found nothing in school references. But lo and behold, the next morning Nancy Sumner rushed up to me at the Den Breakfast and handed me several sheets of paper that she'd copied from the Elwood Call Leader.
Are you sitting down?
Page 1: From the Elwood Call Leader of November 7, 1924:
BLUE DEVILS GO TO MUNCIE NEXT
Elwood Hi Gridders Will Invade Lair of Undefeated Bearcats
Blue Devils? Oh, yes!!! The article goes on to say, "The Blue Devil football warriors will be sent through a stiff signal practice this evening as the final preparation for their battle with the Bearcats on the Muncie gridiron tomorrow afternoon." There is no doubt. The Elwood mascot and team name was . . . (gulp) . . . Blue Devils.
Page 2: From the Elwood Call Leader of November 3, 1925:
"The high school gridders and the public in general are anxiously awaiting the invasion of the Muncie Bearcats Saturday. It will be the final game of the season for the red and blue, which is hopeful of turning a victory."
Apparently all reference to a mascot was dropped and the team was consistently referred to as the "red and blue." Later in the same article, after switching to the game of basketball, it read, "A big surprise is in store for Elwood fans and they want to turn out in large numbers for the opening tilt or else they are going to be disappointed. Don't ask questions, but be there and you will find out."
Page 3: From the Elwood Call Leader of November 14, 1925:
"Panthers Down Windfall, 26 - 19..." The article attached to the headline also read, "The red and blue athletic teams have been without a suitable name for some time and recently a contest was conducted among the high school students for the purpose of securing a desirable name. Many suggestions were submitted, but no announcement was made of the judges decision.
Last evening the large throng of fans were astonished to see the red and blue race out on the floor in new uniforms with the name 'Panthers' in large block letters on the back of their sweat jerseys."
There you have it. Once the Fighting Redskins, then just the red and blue, the teams were later the Elwood Panthers . . . but only after a brief stint as . . . the Elwood Blue Devils. Tell me you knew it all along.
*Special thanks goes to Nancy
Sumner, EHS/FHS ‘66
Submitted by . . .
Marvin Crim '57
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