YMCA gymnasium in 1906.

 

Here is a picture to brighten your day!

This shot is of the YMCA gymnasium in downtown Crawfordsville, circa 1906. Note the baskets still gathered at the bottom. The floor had many a potential star, including one of the greatest coaches ever to come out of Indiana – Piggy Lambert of Purdue. It was Piggy who coached John Wooden who was later known as the the “Wizard of Westwood.”

Much has been made of the early adoption of the game by the folks in Crawfordsville. For a closer and more detailed look at the facts, I would recommend a paper by S. Chandley Lighty. Here is a link:

https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/22910

Lighty presents a clear, well-reasoned  argument. I  highly recommend reading it.

All best,

Beth Swift

Archivist

Wabash College

Crawfordsville