Sports in the Early 1800s

Did you know …

by Sandra Merville Hart

It wasn’t all hard work for the early pioneers. Those living in the country enjoyed sporting activities just as we do today.

Shooting Matches were great fun for early settlers. Hoping to be the most accurate, they aimed rifles at targets. These normally took place around Christmas and New Years.

Horse races were always popular events. The races varied in length from a quarter mile or half mile on a straight path. One, two, and three mile races, called Fairs, took place on circular tracks. The races took place at harvest time. Large crowds attended to watch the best horses in the area compete in the three-to-four day event.

Sports were part of most public gatherings. Country folks enjoyed foot races, jumping, wrestling, and pitching quoits (horseshoes.)

Pioneers also enjoyed fishing. Passing a few hours on the riverbank also provided tasty suppers — if the fish took the bait!

 

Sources

“History of The Game of Quoits,” www.quoits.com 2015/06/15 http://www.quoits.info/history/history.html.

Welker, Martin. 1830’s Farm Life in Central Ohio, Clapper’s Print, 2005.