We go into a large, open room that covers the
entire end of the building. I might be wrong, but to the best of my knowledge,
it was not used very much in the 1950’s. If I remember correctly, it did
have some basketball goals but I don’t remember seeing anyone playing basketball
there and I never did. I think that the gym was used much more in the 1920’s
and 1930’s than it was in the 1950’s. It always gave me the impression that
it and the little bit of equipment in it, like the few “Indian Clubs” were
from another time.
I don’t recall ever going into it but 2 or 3 times. Usually,
the doors to it were locked. For some reason, we had a couple of Boy Scout
meetings there in 1953 or 1954. I do remember one of these meetings very
well. We had gotten some real boxing gloves from somewhere and we were
going to have some real boxing matches. I was boxing my good friend, Jesse
Brindle. Jesse swung at me with a serious roundhouse right. Very cleverly,
I thought, I ducked the swing. However, I did not count on the fact that
Jesse was going to make a full 360 degree circle with his arm extended.
I rose up from my clever ducking maneuver just in time to have Jesse’s outstretched
arm, with boxing glove, hit me squarely on the chin. I can indeed verify
that you can be knocked cross-eyed. I was still trying to recover from that
blow 2 hours later. I think Jesse was as surprised by the result as I was.
I believe that the photo shown below was taken in the gym
in 1919.
