Devils in the Depression - Notes and thoughts from Natalie Dahlen Soderholm ('33), George Klinke ('33) and Rose Sindelar ('35)

Natalie Dahlen Soderholm

 

  • Girl Intramural sports - Include volleyball, soccer, basketball, field hockey, archery, tennis - played against other classes (juniors, sophs, etc)

  • Green(?!) intramural athletic uniform

  • School faced Washington Street

  • DC trip was post-graduation - May 16-24 (by train via Pittsburgh)

  • Classes-typing, shorthand, US History, Ancient History

  • Everyone walked to school

  • During the Depression, many clothes were "second hand"

  • Social cliques existed

  • Class of 117, four lost in WWII

  • Sporting events cost 25 cents

  • Social hour after bball games - included other team and fans at the gym

  • Class Play - "Nothing but the Truth"

  • Sometimes would skate (ice or roller) to school
  • Football games played at 10th and Madison starting in 1932

Rose Sindelar

  • The football field was where it is now, and we walked to it from everyplace in town for games.
  • The practice field was actually on Washington or Garfield and the girls played field hockey there too
  • We had cheer leaders and the Downers game was bigger than La Grange, as I remember it

George Klinke

  • The first school newspaper, the HTHS Tatler, was tied to the Hinsdale Doings
  • Everyone liked their teachers
  • Depression started Freshman year
  • Transportation
    • No school bus
    • Some took the Burlington Northern train from Clarendon Hills to school
    • Illinois Route 83 was a two-lane highway
  • Classes 
    • English
    • Math (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus)
    • Science
    • Foreign Language - Latin and French (No Spanish or English!)
    • Bookkeeping
    • Typing (and once, the world's fastest typist visited the class!)
    • Shorthand
    • Cooking/sewing
    • Woodwork
    • Music - Band and Chorus. Ida Mae Sanders could get the boys to join!
    • Lunch hour really was that...an hour! George would hustle back home for lunch
  • Sports
    • Basketball - Friday night
    • Lightweight and Heavyweight Football - Saturday during day (at Robbins prior to 1932)
    • Track
    • George did not play much football because he had no medical insurance
  • George was President of Class, but there was little/no campaigning. Duties included coordinating activities with other classes and raising money for DC Trip
  • School coordinated DC Trip
  • Superintendent was A.F. Cook


Copyright � 2000-2021 HCHS Foundation.  All rights reserved.