CHAPTER 11
Recreation
OUTDOOR SKATING
Many of the
creek flats, when frozen over, provided the first skating areas.
Later, when the mill pond was no
longer used for piling of logs, an ice surface
would be cleared off for skating and for playing shinny. Skating on the pond provided many hours of enjoyment day
and night.
In 1923 under the direction of
Assistant Pastor Fr. Egan, a group was formed and through the generosity
of Chris Weiler, they were given permission to set up an outdoor
skating rink in the Palace Gardens property adjacent
to the flowing well. This well was channeled into hose lines and used for flooding. Sections of boards were set up
as side walls and a small plank
shelter served as change rooms. A few strings of lights were put up over the ice surface. This set-up was used
for a number of years.
Pictured here is a hockey team which won the
Bruce County championship in the 1930's.
Back
row: Rev. Jerome P. Meyer, Francis Benninger, Edgar Oberle,
William Schill,
Walter Heisz, Lorne Hundt.
Front row: Paul Heisz,
Leo Dentinger, Norman Beingessner,
Joseph Schill, Walter Schill.
Stick Boy and Mascot:
Joseph Schnurr
Hockey games were
held with teams from Mildmay, Walkerton, Teeswater and Hanover
competing. Each winter a skating carnival was held, with young and old
taking part. Best costumes would be awarded prizes. A lunch counter
provided hot dogs and lunches. Carnival night was the highlight of the winter season.
Following the
depression years, a group of sports-minded young men of the community
formed a Skating club.
Philip
Obermeyer, owner of the Palace Gardens, allowed a permanent outdoor rink to be erected on his
property near the creek in the centre of the village.
Electric lights were put up, lumber was used for side boards, and dressing rooms and a standing
area for spectators was built. This rink was used for skating, hockey, broomball and carnivals for a number of years.
The next rink was put up in the 1950's with
side boards at the site of the Formosa Community Hall.
Today the
citizens of Formosa are able to enjoy skating at the
new Recreation
Facility, built in 1978 by the Lions Club and the Community. A snow blower clears the ice when
necessary, modern equipment is used for flooding and there is music to add to the
enjoyment of the skaters.
BALL
One of the trophy winning teams is shown here.
Back row: Bob Gfroerer,
Allred Weiler, Philip Obermeyer, Jim Kuntz, Albin
Schmidt, Alphonse Zimmer.
Middle row: Ron Hill, Clayton Petteplace, Roy O'Hagan, Harold Litt,
Harold (Pepper) Voisin,
Fred Meyer.
Front row: Joe Weiler,
Jim McKinnon, Gerald Bohro, Gerard Flachs, Ed Poechman, Harold Zuber,
Arthur Weiler.
No doubt the youth
of this community always had ball games as a summer sport with playgrounds at the school and in cow pastures. Should you be able to recall the 1920's you ball fans
would remember that the field just
south of Andy Kuntz's barn was the site for regular Sunday afternoon hard ball games — known players at that
time being Philip Fiachs, Gerald, Oscar and Leo Oberle,
Norbert Dentinger and Nick Weiler.
When softball
was introduced some years later the field north of the cemetery was graded and levelled
and used as Formosa diamond. In 1950 after the erection of the Community Hall the
land now occupied as our sports complex was acquired and the very serviceable ballpark established.
CHURCH PICNICS
Church picnics
were held during the pastorate of Father Clement Brohman on the church grounds north of the
church and cemetery. All the people of the parish and many outsiders from other towns turned out to take their chances at the fish
pond, orange tree, and other booths; or to buy beautiful embroidered, crocheted, tatted and
knitted articles made by the ladies; to take chances on quilts etc., and to run in the different
races which were held
on the grounds.
Pictured below are floats from 1937
and 1938 parades.
A dance in
the stone school brought the day to an enjoyable conclusion. Father often
acted as policeman searching for drinks of wine and cider hidden in the
adjacent horse sheds.
These picnics were revived during Monsignor Lenhard's time. The event began at noon with
a calithumpian parade.
BOX
SOCIALS
A favorite social event in the 1910's and 1920’s and a means of raising
money used to be the box social. Each girl prepared a tasty lunch of sandwiches, cake and fruit,
packed into a box decorated by her with coloured
paper, ribbons and bows. Her name would be on a slip
of paper inside the box,
The boxes were all placed on a table or stage and after an evening of dancing, the boxes were
auctioned off among the young men, who often bid more than they could really afford, so
that they could eat lunch with their companion for the evening.
At any of the dances or house-parties there would be no orchestra. The players consisted of
local people playing violin, accordion, mouth organ, guitar, and occasionally a piano or an
organ. Dances usually lasted till
dawn.
In the years before cars were used in the winter-time, the trip home from winter parties was
made by cutter and trusty horse, or with a group in a sleigh pulled by a team,
with buffalo robes to keep the passengers warm.
WEDDINGS
Weddings in olden days were big social events, as they are now, but there
were no halls to rent or catering services, so weddings were held in the home and would
include all relatives and complete neighbourhoods. Tuesday was the favorite
day for weddings. since there was a six-day work week, and Monday could be used for final
preparation for the two big meals which would be served. Neighbours
helped each other in all such occasions. It was not until a five-day work week
was in effect that Saturday weddings became popular.
Weeks of planning and preparing of food and
refreshment was necessary. In
many cases the house was too small to
accommodate the invited guests and a barn floor would be pressed into
service for the dance floor.
From about 1910 to 1950 different groups would build sections of floor which could be assembled
outside or in a cleared-out drive shed for spring, summer or
fall weddings. Musicians sat on a table in one corner. A few planks were used
to erect a bar and seats of boards lined the walls, sometimes covered with
quilts or horse blankets.
A favourite spot for an afternoon was at Harry's shop. The
group shown in this
picture indicates the deep interest of the players and spectators alike.
Players— Val Rettinger, Harry Fedy, Mick Fischer, Chas. Wilhelm
Gang in front of Shop
- on lookers Frank Meyer
and Clarence Bohnert.
Dan Weiss, ?, Chas Wilhelm, Harry Fedy, Mick Fischer, Val Rettinger,
Frank Meyer
Regulars who
attended for many years were Alex Kropp, Serphine and Albin Schmidt, Anthony Weber,
Charles Steffler, Peter Borho,
Dan Weiss.
Sometimes a second table was pressed into service.
During
Prohibition days 1916 to 1934 card games were often played in the former hotel bar rooms_ Pool
tables and ice cream parlours brought a little revenue to these hotels.
A
Familiar Scene — the crowd gathered at an Auction Sale. This sale was at the home of Mrs. George Benninger.
Sale Bill from 1873 Note: English and German
1961 FORMOSA CENTENNIAL
A four day
celebration to be remembered was held June 30, July 1, 2, 3, 1961 commemorating the first one hundred
years of continuous postal service to our
community. The entire village was gaily decorated with streamers, flags, and bunting, while each
home had the welcome mat spread out to
a host of relatives and friends. Highlighting the four days of festivities was the July 1st calithumpian parade which drew a crowd conservatively
estimated at over eight thousand people. The mile long
event containing over sixty floats of
every kind and description, interspersed with musical bands and outriders was the biggest and the best ever held here. Open house at the school brought
together hundreds of former pupils,
teachers, friends and visitors.
Truly a tremendous celebration long to be
remembered by the young and old of that
time.
FOWL SUPPERS AT FORMOSA
Picnic suppers
were held annually during the pastorate of Rev. C.W. Brohman, during the 1920's with a few
hundred people from the parish participating, Following the building of our Memorial Community Hall in
1949, Formosa again for some fifteen consecutive years held an annual fall fowl
supper. Between 1200 and 1400 persons would attend and partake of a fine meal
with all the trimmings. The meal was followed by a show and dance by the CKNX
Barn Dance Gang.
The ladies of the
community would supply some 250 delicious pies and a host of other pastries required. Turkeys up to 60 would be predressed on the previous day. At one time they were
cooked in bake ovens on the day of the feast. A crew of men would be required to prepare the vegetables consisting of
potatoes, rutabaga, cabbage, carrots and what have you. Another group would set
up outside fires and under the direction of the ladies in charge would cook the vegetables in
huge copper kettles and utensils, several bushels at one time. A great yearly outing for several dozen willing
volunteers. In this manner many thousands of dollars were raised to help
retire the indebtedness of our Community Centre as well as to provide
funds for a number of major parish undertakings.
FORMOSA RECREATIONAL
FACILITY
Throughout
many years the people of Formosa took part in many forms of recreation. Bowling,
outdoor hockey, skating, dancing, tennis, and ball satisfied the needs of those with
spare time. The lack of more modern-day recreational facility became a concern of the people within the community. In the fall of 1975
several people casually talked of building a cement pad to offer better skating
and hockey for our youth. Thus, the seed was planted for what eventually became the Formosa Recreational Facility.
A
self-appointed volunteer committee spearheaded by Joseph Heisz
and Carl Zettel, with committee members, Ron Hundt, Ed. Brick, John Waechter and Jos. Keip
set out to study the location and costs of a pad and building to provide improved ice skating.
Having looked at every conceivable facility big and small it was decided to call a public meeting,
to present
different types of projects, costs, locations. Prior to the well-attended meeting a Lions Club had been
formed and chartered as of May 1977. This Club unanimously voted to accept the responsibility of
raising the necessary
funds, constructing the facility and the operation of same, provided that it was approved by a large
majority of the Formosa and surrounding area residents. In June 1977 at a well-attended public meeting those present were
presented with the location, the projected costs, availability of grants, the raising of
funds. Without objection the meeting agreed to following proposal.
A recreational facility called the
Formosa Recreational Facility would be constructed between the Community Centre
and ball diamond. The Facility would include a trap rock marble finish pad 84' x 170' to be
used principally
for outdoor summer and winter activities. A lighting and sound system would complement the outdoor
pad. A building 30' x 80' would be added to accommodate change rooms, washrooms,
snack bar and storage space. Other recreation offered would be badminton, volleyball, tennis, shuffleboard, outdoor dancing,
natural ice skating and hockey. Plans also included the erection of a fence to fully
enclose the ball playing area. The cost of the project was estimated at
$113,000.00. One half of the money to come from the Wintario
and Community Recreational Grants, with the balance to come from the canvass of all
people in and about the Formosa area, as well as fund raising projects of the Lions Club. The Building committee of the Lions
Club met regularly during the balance of 1977 to finalize the details of
construction and financing of this large project.
Early in 1978 a general appeal for funds was launched. Lions members knocked on all doors
garnering approximately $40,000.00 from local citizens. The Catholic Women’s League and
Formosa Community Club generously supported the project. Business firms from our
local area including some from Barrie. Toronto and Kitchener also responded well. Contracts for the
special marble pad and the cement block building were given out. All other work
was accomplished with local volunteer labour amounting to over 3000 man hours. A total of $66,000.00 was required from the bank prior to
receiving our first grants. After much sweat and toil in December 1978 the
project was nearly completed, with a natural ice pad, hockey and skating once more a reality.
In 1979 the Lions purchased $5500. of rental roller skates for summer recreation and
the sport was well patronized. This good response again demonstrated the willingness of the people of Formosa to
pull together. The final debt of the Lions Club was $15,000.00 and is to be
paid over the next two years.
At the Grand Opening in
June 1979 the following events were successfully staged, professional tug of war,
log sawing contest, slow pitch ball tournament, ribbon cutting ceremony and dance.
Formosa Lions Club received a trophy from Lion International for their special efforts in promoting this facility.
Most people in and around Formosa became involved with this large undertaking and hopefully
will enjoy for themselves and visitors this facility in our unique community.
Community Hall and
Recreation Facility