A Community Necessity

September 24, 1924, Menasha Record

The early twentieth century found itself under the influence of social reformers who promoted what became known as the "playground movement."   This was a means to better the lives of young people (and later, adults) by having planned public spaces in cities and towns.  Along with this would be organized activities, sports teams, leagues, classes, and the like which would, it was thought, promote morality, physical health and educational success.  The playground movement originally took hold in larger, more urban cities in the late 1890's- Boston, Chicago, etc. to give tenement children a chance to blossom, so to speak, in green spaces and take them out of the streets and alleyways they'd frequent with no other options available. As seen here, it eventually wound itself down to smaller cities and towns by the 1920's.  Without this movement, city recreation departments were essentially nothing or just did not exist.