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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

As we end another year, I thought I would take a look back at what was happening 75 years ago in the Tribune on Dec. 28, 1948.

The top headline on page one was “Cold War to Cost U.S. Three Billion Dollars.”

Further down the page was the headline “Albert Lea Man Uses Old Idea For New Industry.” Hjalmar Haaland, who resided on St. Thomas Avenue in Albert Lea, had the idea of wooden skates that could be strapped to the foot. The skate would enable the wearer to slide over the snow and do most of the tricks that could be done on ice skates. Haagland, who had been creating many things since being a boy in Norway, also had an idea to carve an 18-foot Viking Ship to sail on Albert Lea Lake.

Turning the pages, you saw Shea’s Ice Cream Store on Clark Street was advertising Bell Center Ice Cream with pints being 30 cents and quarts being 60 cents.

Playing at the Rivoli Theatre was “You Were Meant For Me,” and at the Broadway Theatre they were showing “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid.”

When you got to the sports page, you saw ads from Herman’s Tap Room that was owned by Herman Tennyson. Gordon Electric was promoting to give them a call for better radio service. Speltz Grain-Coal Co. advertised that prices will be higher in the spring and machinery will still be short, so you should buy now and be ready for spring. Bell Telephone’s large ad was promoting “How To Do It,” suggesting using muffin tins for baking potatoes which would keep them from rolling over and would prevent burned fingers.

The main headline on the sports page was “USC-ND Tie Raises Cal’s Rose Bowl Victory Hopes.”

The Tribune had a sports column called “Touch ‘Em All” by Bud Burns. He wrote the Albert Lea Tigers basketball team was going to be playing Lake Mills the following night. The “B” team under coaches Lou Olson and M.A. Thompson was also slated to play Lake Mills.

He also wrote of an upcoming men’s league basketball battle between the City Service team and KATE Radio. The game was part of a doubleheader that was being played at the high school gym that started at 7:15 p.m. At 8:15 p.m. the Wichmann-Weum Electricians were playing Johnny Leaman’s Surplus Outlet.

The teams were battling to be in the first division of men’s hoops in town.

The local youth hockey season had started with the Uptown sextet defeating the Westside team 8-6. A fast-skating right winger named Christensen scored three goals in the win.

The Big Nine Conference basketball scoring leaders were announced, which saw the Albert Lea Tigers having three players in the top ten in scoring.

Through two games, Bobby Dolan was one of three players who led the league with 28 points. Albert Lea’s Dick Nelson had scored 24 points and Doug Nelson had netted 22.

I hope you have enjoyed taking a look back at local sports history from the past 75 and 100 years the past two weeks. Let’s hope we have many more sports memories made in the next year. I wish all our readers a happy new year.