Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1916: Portales was preparing for its annual city picnic, with 2,000 people expected to attend that Saturday.
The Clovis Ladies’ Band was scheduled to kick things off with music at 10 a.m., followed by a few short speeches and then more music.
Sen. Isaac Barth, promoted as “one of the best speakers in eastern New Mexico” was planning to speak from 11 a.m. to noon.
Dinner at noon was free and featured barbecue, bread, pickles and coffee. The “business men of Portales” paid for the feast.
After eating, a free picture show was planned, followed by free skating, a free automobile ride and then two hours of sporting activities, including a fat man’s race.
The picnic was the lead story in the Aug. 24 Portales Herald-Times. The headline read, “Everybody gets good soaking at the picnic.”
None of the activities had to be canceled because of the weather, but “the dinner was about the most handicapped part” since there was no shelter on the picnic grounds.
The farmers and stockmen “seemed to enjoy getting wet,” the newspaper reported.
The paper described the event as “smooth,” with one exception: Jewel Caps, 12, was hit by a car driven by Sidney Pearce. “Jewel started to pass behind the car just as she was backing and was knocked down and ran over,” the Herald-Times reported. “Fortunately the boy was not seriously hurt and we hope will soon entirely recover from his injuries.”
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens. Contact:
