Recreational sports helped form ties in the community

I grew up in Gonzales in the 1940’s and early 1950’s. As I think about those years, I recall there were sporting activities for the young men of the community coming home from World War II, and to a lesser extent, the young women. I remember, for example, there was a men’s basketball league. They played in what is now the old gymnasium at the Junior High School. That was the only gymnasium in town when I was growing up. There was a team from the cotton mill playing in the league, looking for some fun, I suppose, after their shift at the mill.
I remember when the men’s softball league played its games in the northeast corner of the football field, now Apache Field. There were two small sets of bleachers and a concession stand located in that corner of the field. There were no outfield fences, so any ball hit over the head of the outfielder would roll a long way. Of course, this was long before air conditioning and television came to Gonzales, and the softball games would draw big crowds in the cool of the evening, catching the breezes in the north part of town. There were teams sponsored by Coca Cola, WOW (Woodman of the World), Gonzales Supply, and Dr Pepper. John Deere had a team, and so did Veterinary Depot. I would root for any team playing against Coca Cola. The Coke team always seemed to win.
Those games were a part of the community life of Gonzales. The young men having fun - the single men showing off for their girl friends, the young girls being there because the young men were. I remember the Ruddock brothers playing there; and the Hindman brothers. And the Baker brothers - Vic, Ernie, and Leo. I remember Jack Shock. He batted left handed. Few players did that. And, I always pulled against Coke.
I remember when Gonzales had a town football team, and would play teams from other nearby towns. I recall a football game played here in Gonzales against the town team from Luling. It was in 1946 or 1947. The boys were coming home from World War II at the time, and the game was played on Veterans Day. Billy Penrod from Gonzales was my hero. The teams borrowed equipment from their respective schools, and played in full pads. There were referees officiating the game. Billy Penrod’s number was 44, by the way. Can you picture all of this - young men out of school and home from the war playing tackle football in full pads; thankful to be alive, healthy, with all of their limbs.
I remember a young women’s softball team called the Checkerettes. My aunt, Ruthe Newberry, played on that team. She was good. Real good. She played short stop. The team was sponsored by Check -R- Board, which at that time occupied almost half of the block at their location on St. Paul Street in Gonzales. The young women on the team wore red shorts, and red and white checkered blouses. Patsy Hausman played on this team. So did Bill Mohlman’s wife. He worked for the highway department. She was the pitcher. There was a DuBose girl, and a Hinton. A lot of people came to watch them play. They were good. They played against women’s teams from other towns.
What comes through to me in all these boyhood sports memories, more than winning or losing, is the spirit of participation; the desire of the players and spectators alike to be involved in the activities of the community. And that really should not be a surprise, because participation and involvement are our heritage.
Our first citizens had a choice, you know, of whether to participate, whether to be involved. When the troops of the Republic of Mexico demanded our cannon in September of 1835, our fellow citizens chose to be involved, and that involvement and participation led to the start of the Texas Revolution.
In my mind’s eye I think of the young athletes of the 1940’s after the war being an extension of the young men and women or our community of the 1840’s - energetic, optimistic, glad to be at peace, and best of all, glad to be free.
And that is part of our history. The history of Gonzales. Gonzales, Texas is the Birthplace of Your Texas Freedom.