First Hoop Photo...Ever?

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This pic of the 1911 Peterborough High basketball team is believed to be one of the earliest basketball team photos ever published in Conval Nation.

Although area high schools had been playing for at least seven years, this week in 1913 saw one of the first reports of games in the local newspaper. Photos in early newspapers were rare, and text dominated the four-page Peterborough Transcript on February 13, 1913. The paper, however, did document the weather that week:

“Ten below zero Monday morning, and winter ever since. The slight, soft snow of Tuesday helped out the sleighing some, although it is thin over the hills. Ice has formed rapidly during the past few days, and it is being harvested in all directions at present, and is being hauled on sleds.”


Wow! 


As for one of the first-ever local “basket ball” news items, the Transcript reported:


“There will be two games at the town hall, Friday evening, Feb. 17, when the Wilton High and the Peterborough High will meet for the first time this season. Each of these teams have lost but one game this winter, and this game will be an interesting one. The second game will be between the Boy Pioneers and grammar school team. Gentlemen, 25 cents; ladies and children, 15 cents.


The Peterborough High team went to Antrim last Friday evening and won a hard fought game from the Antrim High by a score of 35-34. This was first game the Antrim team has been beaten on their own floor for the seven years they have been playing basket ball. There were a number of our people who went to Antrim and witnessed the game.”


In 1911, the team photo featured just six players, coached by Robert Paquet. Shown are (front, from left): Charles Garneau, Henry Nyland, Harold Bishop and Paul Liscord. Back: William Weeks, Coach Paquet and Victor Miller.


When asked why only six players, one of the players replied: “Because there were no more boys!”

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