100 Years Ago: Alton Kids Enjoy Sledding in the Streets

The Alton Playground and Recreation Commission announced in a December 24, 1925 Alton Evening Telegraph article that it had worked out a plan with the City of Alton to reserve four “good hills” for coasting when there was sufficient snow that winter.

Superintendent John E. McWherter of the Recreation Commission met with Mayor George T. Davis, City Counsellor J.F. McGinnis, and Chief of Police Gustave Rotsch to work out a plan. “It was agreed that in case of snow, Summit Street west of Prospect, Alby Street from Twelfth to Fifteenth, East Seventeenth Street, and Brown Street in Upper Alton would be roped off from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.” During these hours, no traffic of any kind was permitted, and guards would be posted to enforce these closures.

The plan was “designed to ensure safe places for coasting, and to permit all children to enjoy the sport of sledriding free from danger of traffic accidents.” Parents were asked to send their children to the supervised hills. The risk was real: multiple Altonians (children and adults) were hurt or killed in sledding accidents every year. Cars weren’t the only danger – several articles mentioned collisions between sleds – but keeping cars off the sledding streets undoubtedly saved lives.

Sledding wasn’t the only winter entertainment that the Alton Playground and Recreation Commission was planning for the end of 1925 and the cold months of 1926. Stunt programs, drama, music, games, basketball leagues, and even indoor baseball leagues (“if suitable gymnasium space is available”) were mentioned, as well as checkers and chess tournaments. The Commission also planned to set up artificial rinks around the city for ice skating as long as the weather stayed cold enough. There was something for just about everyone.

Special thanks to George Fuller for research help with this week’s article.

Sources

“Lay Plans for Winter Season of Recreation.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), September 15, 1925.

“Will Reserve Four Hills for Coasting Kids.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), December 24, 1925.

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