This playground was located across the Erie track on Franklin Street in North Olean. It had been used as a dumping ground to whoever saw fit to throw cans and other forms of rubbish onto the site. In the 1920’s, the playground authorities looked it over, and decided to turn this ugly spot into an attractive playground for the children. Without losing any time the work was begun immediately and the site was cleared. Next came the erection of a few swings and a teeter-totter making the lot more attractive for playing. But still the playground officials were not satisfied with this improvement. Since the children came out in full force and were enjoying themselves, it was decided to add a sandbox filled with white sand, additional teeter-totters and slides for both the younger and older children were put up.
Able directors, for both the boys and girls were in charge of the activities. The grounds were open at night under careful supervision. All kinds of equipment, balls, bats, tennis equipment and basketball court made this playground a haven for the children. Special events were held weekly that highlighted their fun.
On August 29, 1924, the track meet held at the Franklin Street playground was a huge success. Following the meet a wiener roast was held on Hannigan’s Hill with over 235 in attendance.
Following are some of the winners of the events: 100-yard dash—Tony Belvees, Walter Butinski and John Loftus. 70-yard dash—Stanley Butinski, Albert Ukasinski, Frank Kuzak. High jump—Edward Kukulka, Walter Stanak and Walter Butinski.
Michael Liwa won the pie-eating contest.
The girls were not left out of the races. Agnes Sal won the 75 yd. dash with Veronica Pacer and Rose Kukulka following. Clara Piechota, Louise Gondek and Victoria Sal won the 50-yard dash.
Awards were won by Michael Liwa, Frank Kuzak, Leo Szadlowski, Joseph Padlo and Edward Suda., Agnes Sal, Viola Micek, Rose Kukulka, Victoria Sal and Pauline Kuzak.
Katherine Piechota was crowned the Freckle Queen and won first prize on August 2, 1927. Helen Kendzior won second prize with Helen Vinicik coming in third. The boys also held a freckle contest in which Steve Piechota was crowned Freckle King. Chester Kendzior ran him a close second and Edward Butinski won third place. Since freckles were scarce at the North End and so after the contest the boys realizing their value, now considered them “marks of beauty”
More than 350 spectators attended the second annual Mother’s night at the North End playground on August 24, 1928. The program consisted of four events the first being the basketball goal shooting which Mrs. John Zremski, Mrs. William Germack finished, won second and Mrs. Stanley Skala, third. Mrs. Jacob Liwa won the 50-yard dash with Mrs. Zremski and Mrs. John Luty coming in second and third place. In the third event, the baseball throw, Mrs. Liwa made a remarkable throw of nearly 200 feet; Mrs. Zremski took second and Mrs. Luty again finished third. The last item on the program was walking the beam that was won by Mrs. Zremski, Mrs. Liwa and Mrs. William Germack.
School No 7 Play Station
Public School No 7 was also a play center in 1927. It was here that on August 17, 1927 the children presented an exhibition of the training that they had received under the direction of the playground directors. A crowd of about 300 witnessed the exhibition at the North End School.
The boys stunts performed on the rings were, the back cut-off; both double and single handed cutoffs; reverse traveling on the rings and passing each other. The high bar tricks consisted of difficult work and the stars were W. Jonak, who did a front amount under the bar following it by ten, back knee circles. He also did a set through with a double back knee circle, with a long under swing dismount. Next honors went to another Jonak, who did a right back knee circle. He also accomplished a front knee circle with a long underswing dismount. Next W. Jonak was third again with a right knee mount under the bar with double front knee circle.
J. Padlo and S. Kendzior did the double knee dismount. Several of the other boys did the side circling of the bar, among them were J. Soder, L. Soder, J. Padlo and Kenzior. Many clever tricks were displayed on the mats, among which were head snaps, hand springs, cart-wheels, backward rolls, forward rolls, and diving. E. Soder and J. Soder performed the monkey roll wile the rocking chair was done by Kendzior and L. Soder. W. Jonak and Kendzior did the elephant walk. The big feature and surprising one was when the younger boys trimmed the older boys in a centipede race.
The girls topped the day off with an exhibition baseball game. The lineup for the Red team was Anna Kuzak, Celia Butinski, Pauline Kuzak, Florence Padlo, Helen Harenda, Helen Kendzior, Mary Karpin while the line up for the White team was Helen Bryski, Helen Mojak, Lillian Padlo, Victoria Wepasnick, Helen Lazar, Mary Karpin and Rose Tracy. The Reds won over the Whites by a score of 22 to 16.
The girls stunts on the traveling rings were as follows: Passing on the rings by Pauline Kuzak and Florence Padlo; shoulder dislocaton by Mary Suda; side shoulder dislocation by Florence Padlo; traveling rings twenty-one times across by Florence Padlo and traveling rings twenty-two times by Louise Suda.
In July of 1930, Anna M. DiCerbo of the School No 7 play center wrote a composition in Italian describing the play center. It was also translated into English and read as follows:
“We are glad to have a play center at School Seven. There are about 90 children that attend it daily. It is open every morning at 10:15 till 12:15 and every afternoon from 3:30 till 5:15 except Sundays and holidays. Our play center is for small boys and girls and it is safe from all danger. Our play center teacher teaches us how to play games. In our play center we have slippery slides and swings where the smaller children enjoy themselves. We can go and play at our play center whether it rains or shines because it is located in the School Seven’s gym. The bigger children play games like basketball and baseball and dodge ball and take part in races, where we have lots of fun. I think “Our Play Center” is the best play center in Olean because Miss Shepard makes everyone happy.”
BOARDMAN PARK
The site of the present Boardman Park, in North Olean was once an eyesore consisting of a pond and an unkempt section along N. Union Street. Since the dikes in Olean were being built in 1916, it was decided to fill in the pond and turn this land into a park. Mrs. Marcia Bradner donated the island and Spindler Bros. donated 680 680-footntage, extending from the street line to the center of the pond. The park was named in memory of Mrs. Bradner’s grandfather, one of the pioneers of this section.
The abatement contractors began the task of filling in the tannery pond north of the streetcar powerhouse with 50,000 yards of dirt. This ancient eyesore was be filled in up to the level of the island between the pond and the creek. Before the fill was begun, the land between the pond and Union Street was graded down to curb level. The accumulation of rubbish was worked into the bottom of the pond, and buried under eight feet of dirt. It took about twenty-five days working double sift to complete the fill. When the grading was accomplished on Park Improvement Day in September of 1918, over two thousand spectators participated in the event and expressed their approval of filling up the ancient eyesore. Thus a park of nearly seven acres was in progress.
The landscape architectural work was done by the state College of Forestry, Syracuse University. (A concrete floored pavilion to be used for public gatherings was also in the planning stage. Leading to this would be broad, graceful entrance walks as well as a promenade along the top of the dike, something that never materialized.) In April of 1920, plans were made to plant 106 trees of various varieties in Boardman Park. The children of Olean, who had to defray the cost by contributing five dollars, did the tree planting; therefore most of the children were from the uptown section of Olean. School No 7 took part in the planting of seven trees.
For many years the Boardman Park was just that, a park, there were many bushes along the sidewalk and throughout the area. The boys especially hung out there and swam in the Olean Creek. One day in June of 1941, Louis Augostini Jr. age 7, narrowly escaped being drowned in the Olean Creek near the Boardman Park. Three older boys, LeRoy Witter, Frank Linderman and Edward Ingenito, rescued him. After finding the lad, they pulled him from the water and carried him to the creek bank where Ingenito gave him artificial respiration until the fireman of Fire Company No 1 arrived and revived him using the respirator.
During the late 1950’s the North End football team practiced at one end of the park under their coach Motor Anastasia. Today it is a playground that the youngsters make good use of along with a basketball court that is popular with the fellows.
North Olean Playgrounds
