100 years ago in Spokane: At picnic, electric company employees highlight safety logo in KKK costumes

From our archives, 100 years ago

It took 44 special streetcars, packed to the gills, to transport all of the revelers to Washington Water Power’s annual picnic in Natatorium Park.

The streetcars sported huge banners as they paraded in a loop through downtown before heading out to Natatorium Park.

It helped that Washington Water Power owned the streetcars. It also helped that it owned Natatorium Park.

The all-day picnic for employees and their families included the usual three-legged races and potato sack races. Yet it also had some unusual, to say the least, sights.

“Several of the company mottoes were exemplified by employees in grotesque costumes,” said the story. “Three young men in Ku Klux Klan garb spelled out ‘Stop! Look! Listen!’ as they turned their backs on the grandstand.”

That was the safety motto for streetcar crossings. However, no explanation was given for the KKK costumes.

The women’s athletic contests were particularly noteworthy. A certain Mrs. Fussey stood at home plate and heaved a baseball 202 feet. That was 57 feet farther than any other contestant. Many of the others didn’t get it past the pitcher’s mound.

The women’s nail-driving contest “drew a big field of entries.” The “Amazonian carpenters” had to drive five 3-inch nails into a 5-inch plank. Mrs. Charles Klein won the event easily, “despite her gray hairs.”

The 50-Yard Fat Man’s Race was won J.R. Stough, time undisclosed.