Figure 1.-- Staying cool in the summer was a challenge. There was not yet any home air conditioners, but there was ice all over the place. People did not have refrigerators, but they did have ice boxes. And this meant that ice had to be delivered daily to homes and businesses. This mean that could get a lick in or if lucky get a chunk of ice. Here we see see a common street scene in the 1910s. Notice the caps that most of the boys are wearing.

Sports began to come into their own, especially by the 1910s. And boys had a pashion to play them. Facilities like ball fields were not readily availabe in cities. Parks that existed did not have sports facilities and many discouraged active play. The most popular sport was baseball. And this stick ball energed as way of playing baseball in city streets. It was primarily played in the northeast, especially New York Cuty and Philadelphia. We are not sure when the sport develoed, but believed it was being played by the 1910s. School of course was a major activity. America had a fine public school system. Almost all kid attended school, but until the 1910s, many children ended school after only a few years of primary school, entering the work force. Compulsory attendance and child labor laws by the 1910s were becoming increasingly comprehensive. We at first see many of the activities that were popular in the 19th century. Boys continued to play marbels. Board games became inceasingly popular. Youth groups appeared early in the century and quickly became a popular activity. The American Boy Scouts were founded (1909) and in the 1910s rapidly became an important natiomal movement. Toys became increasingly sophisticated. New toys constantly appeared decade by decade. By the 1910s one of the most prized toys for boys were an electric train set. Chemistry sets were also popular. More boys were getting trikes and bikes. There were a range of seasonal activities. Children in the summer wanted to cool off. Country children could go swimming, that was more complicated in cities. Fire hydrants could be opened. Ice blocks could be licked. In the winter there was ice skating and sleding.

Sports

Sports began to come into their own, especially by the 1910s. And boys had a pashion to play them. And the sport that was most poopular was baseball. Baskeball anbd football were still mosdtly college spoorts. There were other sports, but it wa baseball that had captured the energy of American boys. And it was in the 1910s that Babe Ruth begab his storied career. The Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox were the dominating teams, respectively winning three and four World Series. The NBabewould change that when his contract was purchased by New york Tsnkees. Facilities like ball fields were not readily availabe in cities. There was no Little League at the time for boys. Parks that existed did not have sports facilities and many discouraged active play. And thus stick ball energed as way of playing baseball in city streets. It was primarily played in the northeast, especially New York Cuty and Philadelphia. We are not sure when the sport became popular with kids, but believed it was being played by the 1910s. Sports werealmost entuirely firr boys, although tennis might be played by girls--mostly the iuntry club set.

School

School of course was a major activity. America had a fine public school system. It was not only an educational effort, but helped to assimilate the huge number of Eurooean immigrants. Almost all kids attended school, but until the 1910s, many children ended school after only a few years of primary school. A major and rather sudden change in boys schoolwear occurred about 1908-10. We do not know why such a sudden change occurred. American boys who for several decades had been wearing straight-leg knee pants suddenly shifted to knickers. We begin to see this in 1908 and even more so 1909, and it was largely an established standard by 1910. This can clearly be seen in the photogrphic record. Knee pants were standard boys wear in the 1900s, but knickers were standard in the 10s. Most boys thus wore knickers to school in the 1910s. A few younger boys wore knee pants, but most boys wore knickers. Suits were still commonly worn to school, at least in urban areas. Norfolk knickers suits worn with flat caps were very popular--virtually iconic. Another major development in the 1910s was the the rise of the automobile. For decades school zone trafic signs would picture a boy wearing a flat cap and knickers. As this was occurring we also begin to see fewer older teenagers wearing shortened-length pants. We see some older boys wearing knee pants in the 1900. With the switch to knickers, we see fewer older teens. This varied from family to family. There was another major change at the same time that boys were switching from knee pants to knickers. Many boys in rural areas began wearing bib-front overalls. We also see this very clearly in the photographic record. These overalls were not new. Workers and farmers had begun wearing them in the mid-19th century. For some reason, it is only in the 1910s that for some unknown reason, boys in rural areas began wearing them to school. This was not just a few boys, but we see large numbers of boys in rural schools suddenly wearing them. We have no idea why overalls appeared so suddehntly in rural schools. Some boys wore overalls with suit jackets, we think because wearing suits to school was stll common in the 1910s. It was also common in rural areas to come to school barefoot. This was not unknown in city schools, but was much more common in small towns and rural schools.

Work

Mah=jor changes occurred un the wirk palxe during the 1910s. Many children until the 1910s worked. And some still did, but by the 1910s, child labor laws passed by the stares and Federal Governmnent were beginning to have an impact. Compulsory school attendance and child labor laws by the 1910s were becoming increasingly comprehensive. All olf this mean there were more chilkdren in school and fewer in the work palce. The major exemtion was agricultural labor.

Games

We at first see many of the activities that were popular in the 19th century. Boys continued to play marbels. Board games became inceasingly popular.

Summer Camps

The summer camp movement for city kids continue to grow. This was mostyly private affairs, but thge YMCA founded many low-cost camps. The Boy Scout movement resulted in the creration of many new camps. The Girl Scours were valso active.

Youth Groups

Youth groups appeared early in the century and quickly became a popular activity. The American Boy Scouts were founded (1909) and in the 1910s rapidly became an important natiomal movement. Cubbing did not begin, however, until later. But we see karge numbers of =boys involved in Scouting.

Toys

Toys became increasingly sophisticated. New toys constantly appeared decade by decade. By the 1910s one of the most prized toys for boys were an electric train set. Chemistry sets were also popular. More boys were getting trikes and bikes.

Conveyences

The 1910s marked a critical point in modern economic history. In the 1900s decade, American and European were not all that different. Land transport at the turn of the 20 century was primarily trains for long distance travel and horse for shirt distances. Automobiles existed, but they were primarily play things for the rich and well-to-do. America had the largest industrial base in the world, but was not greatly larger than the other major industrial powers like Britain and Germany. And even though American workers earned more than European workers, American manufacturers were out competing European countries, These higher wages was the greatest factor driving European emigration to America. It was at this time that Henry Ford introduced the Model-T Ford. It was very basic car, but could be purchased by workers and farmers. It introduced an industrial boom that propelled American industry to unprecedented levels. And the United States not only hugely surpassed major European industrial nations, but began to approach the industrial production of all of Europe. This development would have a powerful impact on the history of the 20th century. But it also affected life styles. European workers could not afford cars. Workers if they had some success might bicycle to work. American workers drove to work. Children were also affected. More than any other country American children had conveyances like bikes and trikes. There were a variety of these conveyances, including Irish mails, scooters and during winter sleds. Here there were gender differences. Based on the phtographic record, boys were more likely to have them than girls, but more American girls enjoyed them than girls in any other country. We are not sure about the gender disparity, but we suspect that it was because boys were more interested in them.

Outings

We see family outings in parks duriung the 1910s. Thise parks with zoos were especially popular with children. Coastal cities offered beaches. This included Great Lakes cities as well as cities with small lakes and rivers. But it was the coastal cities with ocean front beaches like Coney Island in New York that were the most popular. Some cities had boat trips to nearby islands. Summer vacations were just beginning to become an American tradition, still mostly limuited to the Middle Class. But a major change was beginning to percolate through Americam society -- the automobile. Henry Ford had perfected a low-cost automobile within the price range of the average working man--the Model-T (1909). Thge automobile was no longer the play thing of the richh. There were endless consequences. And this only occured in America. Workers in Europe could only buy bikes. The automobile helped open up the suburbs, but it also freed American families from the narrow confines of public transit. Picnics and other outings into the countryside were now possible. This was all just beginning, but by the end of the decade a substantial number of American families had cars--mostly Model-Ts. And all kinds of week-end outings were now possible. The roads were not in place yet for long trips, but they were coming.

Seasonal Activities

There were a range of seasonal activities. Children in the summer wanted to cool off. HBere we see kids enjoing the ice that was used to keep food chilled in hime ice boxes. Country children could go swimming, that was more complicated in cities. Fire hydrants could be opened. Ice blocks could be licked. In the winter there was ice skating and sleding.

Created: 3:41 PM 10/19/2018
Last updated: 7:12 PM 11/22/2023