CHAPTER 3
             Lacrosse -- Oshawa's Game Since 1872

By Geo. N. Campbell

  The City of Oshawa can currently or within recent memory,
boast of participation in every type of sport familiar to
Canadians but it is of special significance that in lacrosse,
Canada's National Game, Oshawa has its oldest history of any
sports activity.

  A review of Oshawa's sports history for the past century 
reveals that while there were "friendly games in lacrosse as
wll as baseball and hockey (as these games were played then)
the very first team to bear the name "Oshawa" and represent
the community in organized competition, against other centres,
was the Oshawa lacrosse team of 1872 - which played against 
Port Hope, Bowmanville, Millbrook, etc., communities which in
those days were just as large as Oshawa. Richard Troy, one of
the great goalkeepers of the 18th century, was the Oshawa star,
in those years... 95 years ago.

REVIVED AT TURN
  Following the enthusiasm of the 1870-1885 period, there was a
lull but lacrosse popularity surged again at the turn of the 
century and a "Town League" was organized, with four teams
operating, Williams Piano, Ontario Malleable Iron,. McLaughlin
Carriage and the "Town" team.,

  With the population of those days, every citizen of the town,
in that age bracket, either played the game, or he worked with
someone who did, or lived next-door to one of the players.

  The OMI team of 1904 recalls the names of Bobby Essery, Bert
Large, George Gibson, George Papeman, Bob Knox, "Mickey" McGuire,
Billy Hickey, Norman Michael, Eddie Curtin, Ernie Parsons, Charlie
Sarrae, "Cham" Cameron, John Griffin, Harry Brown, "Red" Callaghan
and Eugene Day.,

  The "Oshawa" team was similar to an All-Star team selected from 
the four teams in the Town League.

  Back in 1906, when they were playing in "Prospect Park," which 
is now known to Oshawa residents as "Parkwood" home of the city's
No. 1 sportsman, Col. R. S., McLaughlin. there were such stars as
D.J. "Joe" Swanson, George "Dumpy" Dormer, W.D. Harding, Art and
"Red" Miners, Jim Doyle, George McCullough, "Dick Thomas and John 
Staples.

"NEWSY" LALONDE HERE 
  Back in 1907, the Oshawa Shamrocks was one of Ontario's greatest
Junior teams of the era. They eliminated three districts in the 
playoff competition but were later declared ineligable, because of
two over-age players.

  One of the great stars of that team was the famous "Newsy" Lalonde,
rated by many as Canada's all-time greats in both lacrosse and hockey.
He was later to star in the National Hockey League and even as late as
1932, was playing lacrosse when the professional "box" game, was 
intorduced. He headed the Montreal Canadians of that era.

  Othes with the Oshawa Shamrocks were Don Hawks, Walter Carter, "Farmer"
Kemp, Reg Thomas, Ralph Robinson, Jimmy Roussell, along with Jimmy Guenett
McCullough and others.

  Other names recalled from lacrosse lineupsof those days are "Doc" White,
Art Way, Jim Kervin, Bev Glover, Tom Sands, a great Indian star, "Cooney"
Shields, "Barney" Quinn, Bob Stewart, Eddie Baker, Donald Hall father of
His Honor, Judge Alex Hall who in later years, played with Oshawa's great
1930 team.

  "Barney" Quinn held the world's record for throwing a ball, while Shields
and Hall, along with Sands, Staples and Art Raymen, were all standouts along
with Lem Hamlin, Cy Pitcher and Dave Brown, a standout goalie, known in later 
years as one of the city's choir soloists and in business, a jeweller.

  Oshawa's famed 1903 team included Eddie Happy, great Montreal Nationals
goalie; Don Cameron, from Cornwall, greatest "point" player of his day; two
Ottawa stars, Nelson Kimpton and Ed Blythe and a trio of lacrosse stars, known
across the country for their prowess - Hagan, Fagan and Degan.

WORLD'S CHAMPIONS
  In Town League play, such names as Hal and Trevor 
urton, Bill Coad, "Yank" Morriss, Theo Fishleigh and HarryFrohme, are still remembered by the city's older residents, along with a couple of "imports"
from Port Hope, "Diddie" Rowden and "Jumb" Fryor.

ANOTHER ERA
  Then following the era of good and great Intermediate teams, after World War I
was over, Joe Swanson, Eddie Curtin and Eddie Donald were three of the group 
who got the game going again.

  Highlight of that era was the Oshawa team that lost out in a thrilling final to
St.Mary's, by two goals, in 1921. In those days, championship finals had changed
to a home-and-home series, total goes deciding the issue.

  In earlier years, the first team to establish a three-goal lead was declared
the winners of the game - no matter how quick or hock long it took.

  The St.Mary's team was coached by George Munroe, who a few years later was to 
coach Oshawa GM team to a Mann Cup championship.

  The Oshawa coach was Art Warick and Dr. F. L. Henry was the president with 
Morley Jacobi the secretary-treasurer. William A. Coad was the OLA representative
and the team manager was F. A. Nixon.

  Oshawa won Group No.1 that year - which meant all of Eastern Ontario and played off woth St.Mary's for the provincial title. Members of the team included W. "Dad"
Clapper and son "Dit" was the stick boy; Danny McDonald, Art Sarles, Alex Graham, Frank "Buck" Oliver, Orville Gantan, Norm Irwin, Ernie Lovegrove (centre), Joe
Jockque (goal) "Beech" Beecham (captain), George McKinnon, Karl Irwin and O.Cook.

FIRST SENIOR CHAMPS
  Oshawa had other good Intermediate teams in later years, one of which played off
with Buffalo "Kodiaks".

  In 1928, lacrosse received a major boost in Oshawa when General Motors took over
the club sponsorship.They brought in some outstanding Juniors, such as "Chuck" Barron, "Chuck" Davidson, "Tilly" Stokes," Buster" Whitton, Ernie Shepley, "Smokey"
Fox and these along with a group of Oshawa boys, who had started the previous summer, formed a great Junior team.

  But in the same season, tyhose mentioned above, along with a hoste of other imports, won the Ontario Senior Championship - in their first try. Among the newcomers to Oshawa were"Big Bob' Stevenson, "Toots" White, Mel Whyte, "Mac" McGrath, Ted Reeve, Kelly DeGray, "Red" Spencer, "Smitty" Smithson, Jack and Pete
Walsh and goalie "patty" Shannon.

  Harry Lott coached the Juniors and George Munroe coached the Seniors. Matt Leydon was team manager and Frank LeRoywas the club president. Bert Constable, Jack Carson, and Jack Rupert were other executivesand two of the trainers were "Jock"  
Anderson and Sammy Johnson.

  Oshawa Intermediate team went to the finals that season also. Some of the Juniors played on all three teams. Intermediates included Howard Luke, "Casey" Luke, Bill Luke, Art Black, Steve Stephens, Fred Kunkel, Quirrie, "Danny" Daniels, "China" Cardinal Brown, Pete Garrison, "Red" Cardinal, "Shine" Bovin, Brown, and oh yes - trainer "Butch" Higgins.

MANN CUP CHAMPIONS
  The next year, the General Motors moved in with both feet. Only Ted Reeve left the club- to continue his fine column in The Tely and play his lacrosse for Brampton.

  Oshawa added top strength at key spots in the persons of Bill Coulter, Walker Wilson, "Doddy" Doddemeade, "Cunnie" Golden and Oshawa's own Nory Hubbell, who quickly developed into a great defenceman, with the guidance of Coulter, Smithson, Spencer, etc.

  V. B. McTavish headed the club as president and other executives other than those already mentioned, included Fred Branton, Fred Davis, Art Cooke, H. W. Nicholl, R. P. McKenzie, F. McLaughlin, Oscar Baird and vice-president Fred Hobbs.

  The team won the Ontario Senior title again and then marched to their Mann Cup triumph and Dominion championship, beating Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and finally
New Westminster right in New Westminster - a feat believed utterly impossibleby the
avid supports of the world-famous "Salmonbellies."  Oshawa General Motors won the final game 9-5 and the second game 2-1.

  In June, the following year, 1930, Oshawa defeated the United States, at Maple Leaf Stadium in Toronto, to win the International or World's Championship.

  The U.S. team was an All-Star representation from their very strong College teams andfeatured no fewer than eight players who were also track stars and could run the 100 yards in 10 second - mighty fast, even today.

  United States won the first game 7-5, rallying for three goals in the fourth period, to turn the trick and literally stun a small crowd 2,000 spectators. Their
terrible speed was their fort and they had lots of room to use it, on the spacious ball diamond.

  That game was played on a Friday and the second game on the Saturday was different. The Oshawa team donned their heavy pads and reverted to their own heavy checking tactics and thwarted the Americans' running game and speed with their own 
long and accurate passing attack. Not even their sprinters could keep up with the long pass and Oshawa won the game 6-3and the round 11-10, to bring the World's title back to Canada. Five thousand watched that second game.

THAT WAS CLIMAX
  The Oshawa team never again that season seemed to have quite the zip necessary to match their great rivals from Brampton and in the playoffs The Excelsiors eliminated Oshawa - both games ending in a tie and in both cases, Brampton won in overtime. Here at home, the winning goal was scored after the full-time-whistle, on a free throw that had been awarded, a second before the regulation time ended.

  The Oshawa team broke up in 1931, many of them joining a new Toronto team, Native Sons. Others stayed on their jobs at General Motors while Oshawa fielded a team in the senior league, we did not have a big year.

PRO LACROSSE
  They took the game indoors, at a professional levelin 1931 and "Boc lacrosse" was born.

  In 1936 Oshawaenterred a team in Senior 'A' league and played their home games in Oshawa Arena.

  In 1939, a group of players and other enthusiasts built their own outdoor box, in the Motor City Stadium, using lumber that was obtained when the old curling and skating rink, located on the south side of King Street West, along the West bank of Oshawa Creek, was finally demolished.   

  Box lacrosse enjoyed good years of fun and competition, but no championships arrived, although Oshawa was in the finals several times. The team moved back inside Hambly's "Hockey Home" in the late 40's.

  Brooklin was one of Oshawa' keen rivals in moat of those years, along with Peterborough, Scarborough, Weston, etc. This was Senior 'B' rating.

  From 1934 on, Oshawa's teams were comprised mainly of homebrews, chaps who had learned their lacrosse in the "field" game - when a Juvenile league was formed to develop for the General Motors Junior and Senior teams.

  Back in 1928, and in later years, such Juvenile teams as Tod's "Big Dandy's"; Weston Bakery, Shamrocks, Tecumsehs, Burke Street "Bullochs" and other team names we fail to recall, provided the talent that represented Oshawa from 1931 on.

  Various minor lacrosse programs were tried at different times but when Oshawa Arena burned down in 1953 - that ended lacrosse in Oshawa. Those still playing , lined up with Brooklin.

  That gap of local activity lasted until Oshawa Green Gaels came into being in 1963, under the leadership of Jim Bishop and played in the pro circuit, which won the Minto Cup, Canadian Junior Championship, in their first year of operation. 

  They have won it every season since - and that brings us up to date, in the most successful era that Oshawa has ever enjoyed, in Canada's National game.

  Oshawa's history in lacrosse is long, longest of any sport, and today, as back in 1872, this city is once again, , one of Canada's hotbeds of lacrosse. Long may that continue!