On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.
To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1916
There will be partly cloudy skies over the city today with the chance of showers later in the evening. The high will reach 76° with the low tonight near 53°. Mayor Smith announced today that the South Street Bridge, which sagged over 8 feet yesterday, will be replaced within a year. The Mayor said a modern bascule drawbridge will replace the present structure. The sag in the Bridge will be repaired immediately so that movement across the Schuylkill will continue until the new bridge is completed.
At Woodside Park today the little ones not only enjoyed the amusements but also a toy hunt. Each child on entering the park was given a coupon bearing a number. Three hundred toys had been hidden in the park and each one bore a number matched to one of the coupons. So the hunt was on in between the rides, ice cream and other attractions. There were dolls, baseballs, bats, toy horses, clowns and other stuffed animals to be found. Every boy and girl found a toy and had a wonderful time in the Park.
And out on the Belmont Plateau 7000 public school students, boys and girls, participated in Field Day exercises. The exercises are held under the direction of the Department of Physical Training of the Board of Education. Along with athletic events there was marching, drilling and dancing. All of which was thoroughly enjoyed by a large crowd of spectators.
Today is the last day to enjoy Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. The show will close tonight after its 8:00pm performance. Sixteen Indians that perform in the show took some time to visit Independence Hall this morning. The Red Men, some of whom were clad in their western war dress, are shown below posing under the painting of William Penn signing the peace treaty with the aborigines of that time at Penn Treaty Park in 1683. The Braves were shown the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and also shown the Liberty Bell. Each man touched the Bell reverently. Chief Long Soldier, who fought at the Little Big Horn, asked why the Bell didn’t ring. Chief Iron Cloud explained to him that it was broken. To which Chief Long Soldier suggested that it should be fixed.
In baseball yesterday at National League Park, Grover Cleveland won his 8th game of the season and also threw a shutout as the Phillies beat Brooklyn 1 to 0. The win also put the Phillies in 1st place. Today the Phillies will play a doubleheader against the Robins. The first pitch is at 1:30pm. The Athletics lost a tough one to the Senators yesterday, 2 to 1. Elmer Myers who had won 6 in a row just did not get any help from the Mackmen’s bats. This afternoon the A’s will face Washington in a doubleheader at Griffith Stadium.
GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.