First compiled and self-published in 2002 as a 102-page softcover book with a print-run of 200 copies, the Canadian Lacrosse Almanac was inspired by Jim Hendy [1905-1961] and his pioneering work The Hockey Guide which first hit the shelves in 1933 and remained in yearly production until 1951.
The almanac’s initial focus was primarily on the statistical history of British Columbia lacrosse leagues – namely, annual league standings along with post-season play. It was the first publication to research and examine the pre-1932 era in British Columbia, which until that time had never been documented at any statistical level.
Over time, further research uncovered new data and new material was made available to the author. Cost and production issues made the author switch from a print format to releasing it in a digital PDF format – made available for free – when he completed a second edition in 2005. Annual digital copies have been released every year since 2007.
With the current 2024 edition now at 1,043 pages (containing 91 additional pages of new content compared to the 2023 edition), the almanac has expanded over the years to cover not only the Canadian lacrosse scene, but also American NCAA collegiate, major and minor professional leagues, international competitions, the women’s game, and foreign domestic leagues where such information is available.
Thanks as always for your interest in lacrosse history and continued support.
Over the years, perhaps the most viewed and shared image on Old School Lacrosse is the photograph labelled as MONTREAL vs TORONTO, 1864. SAID TO BE THE FIRST INSTANTANEOUS SNAPSHOT EVER TAKEN.
This photograph print resides in the archival collection of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as item CLHOF X994.29. The hall has no documentation how and when this image ended up in its collection, although X994 would imply 1994 as the year it was first noted in any ascension records by curators or archivists, records which are now unfortunately lost.
Since publication of the original post in June 2016, some further details and information surrounding this image have surfaced that both debunk claims as well as confirm some factual knowledge about this very intriguing and unique photograph. Lots of questions have also arisen during that time as well – because if the claims are indeed true, then its nature and value goes beyond the history of the sport into the realm of photographic history itself.
Recent correspondence with colleagues in Australia (John Nolan) and Ontario (Dan Bowyer) regarding this photograph and its historic claim sparked this author to revisit this topic and re-approach the photograph anew from the start.
During the research into verifying the factual nature this image, four aspects need to be taken into account:
1) the photographic technology used in the era 2) the involvement of Archie Macnaughton with verifying the August 1864 claim 3) the location of the image 4) newspaper reporting on the match in question
PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY
Crucial to the phrase “first instantaneous snapshot” are the photographic processes used during the 19th Century and exposure times required by cameras to produce an image from moving subjects – in this case, lacrosse players at play.
Advancement in photographic technology was haphazard while imagery development costs and complexity limited access in the photographic medium to professionals until the arrival of George Eastman’s Kodak box camera patented in 1888. Suddenly photography was made available to the amateur masses.
Shutter speeds on models prior to the Kodak camera had reached 1/50 sec speed by 1870, fast enough for outdoor photography although still slow enough that moving objects, like people walking, or running in a lacrosse game, would appear blurred. That was a vast improvement from the start of the 1860s where exposure speed was anywhere from 20 to 60 seconds – which limited photography to still portraits. However, to show someone walking with no blur, a shutter speed of 1/250 sec is needed; to freeze a running object, such as a running lacrosse player, then a shutter speed of 1/500 sec would then be required.
There were some experimental cameras back in the 1870s that could shoot 1/1000 sec, but 1/50 sec was generally the most advanced available well into the 1920s – and what was available in 1864 would have been slow(er). Another factor that we cannot know, is what type of film speed (ISO) would have been used in the camera. Slower film would require less movement / longer exposure.
With this knowledge in mind, for such an action shot to be produced in 1864, either the photographer (who is unknown) had access to some rare, ground-breaking equipment or the image was taken later than the date claimed.
The most popular photographic methods used in the 1860s and 1870s prior to the Kodak camera were the tintype process – which has low light sensitivity and the exposure times can be anywhere from 3 to 8 seconds, if not longer for sharper image results – and the albumen silver process – which required exposure times of 5 to 15 minutes. Regardless which process was used, if this photograph were indeed from the 1860s, everyone would have needed to stand motionless as we see no movement blur whatsoever appear amongst the players’ images. Notice how most of the players’ sticks do not appear, too thin an item to be picked up at long distance with a short exposure. We do know the subject matter was indeed a lacrosse game due to the upright goal posts matching what were used back them, as well as one or two faint hints of a lacrosse stick appearing.
Keep in mind the typewritten text that was attached to the bottom of the photograph was obviously added later and not contemporary – as typewriters were not invented until 1867 and did not become commercially and readily available until 1873.
ARCHIE MACNAUGHTON
Archie Macnaughton [1861-1937] was an individual who at some point came into contact with the photograph to verify the nature of its image. He was born in Montréal and was one of the first nationally-acclaimed, ‘star’ lacrosse players to emerge in the 1880s, before relocating across the country to the Pacific Coast in 1891-1892 where he lived for the remainder of his life.
Having seen and handled the actual photographic print of this photo in the hall’s collection, this author found the paper stock much too modern for 1860-1900s photography – which was usually printed on heavy firm cardstock. Macnaughton’s print must have been reproduced somehow much later than the image’s original creation. Macnaughton died in 1937, so we do know the photograph print dates no later than his death, as it contains his handwriting and signature on the back of the print.
Macnaughton would have been much too young to have observed and recalled any specific details of such a game in 1864 firsthand, nor any reason at that tender age to possess such a rare photograph of any sort. Therefore he must have received the image second-hand and been told verbally in passing the nature of the photograph image – and this is where human failures of memory-details can easily enter the picture (excuse the pun), because the original creator of the photograph, plus anyone else who may have possessed it prior to Macnaughton coming into contact with it at some point, could easily forget date details. Macnaughton was quite well known in lacrosse circles both in the East and in the West later in life, 1880s onwards, so he would have been a natural recipient or caretaker of such an item. But not in the 1860s or 1870s before he played the sport. If this image were produced in 1864, it would have taken some years if not decades to find its way into Archie Macnaughton’s hands.
We also do not know what the photograph’s fate would have been in the years between Macnaughton’s passing in 1937 and the establishment of the hall of fame in the 1960s. The photograph must have passed through at least three sets of hands (the photographer, Macnaughton, and the unknown person who donated the image to the hall of fame), if not many more, to find its way into the hall’s collection at some point prior to 1994. We do not even know if this photo print was ever owned by Macnaughton or simply shown to him for verification.
Of course, there is the possibility that the image claims could all be downright fake or embellishment. The sport’s early days are full of misreported and embellished events. Could this photograph have been taken, say in the 1870s, 1880s, or early 1890s, but then later passed off to Macnaughton (or passed off by Macnaughton) to be from August 1864? Possible, yes – but Macnaughton’s character over the years reads to be one highly respected and honourable enough to likely preclude any outright false or deceptive claims – although lapses in memory are very possible indeed. It is highly doubtful Macnaughton would deliberately make up any stories about the image, but he could have been told incorrect information when the photograph was shown or passed along to him, or himself making an inaccurate guess as to its nature. The most logical line of thinking is this image was shown to Macnaughton decades after its creation, with he still very much a living connection back to those early Montréal days of the sport, for his personal assessment regarding details about the image.
LOCATION
There was an ‘old-timer recollection’ article printed in the Montréal Gazette dated December 26, 1959 that mentioned how the Montréal Lacrosse Grounds were sold in 1887 (although reports of games played there persist a few years beyond), and lacrosse then relocated to the Westmount Athletic grounds where Montréal AAA played. This same article identifies the location of the Montréal Lacrosse Grounds in what is now downtown Montréal – between Montagues, Sherbrooke, St. Catherines, and Mackay Streets – a location that was also known locally back in the day as Phillips Field.
The modern Westmount Athletic Grounds are in fact bordered by a line of old row homes at one end of the playing field – which at first glance does seem to match somewhat, but not exactly, the buildings that appear in the photograph’s background. The first lacrosse game played at Westmount Grounds was in 1889, so that would discount the 1864 claim if Westmount were the actual location. The term ‘Montréal Lacrosse Grounds’ did get used in newspaper reporting for both the downtown Phillips Field site and then later for the Westmount Grounds, as the latter was the home field for the Montréal Amateur Athletic Association lacrosse team. The same team, which coincidently, Archie Macnaughton was a member between 1882 and 1891.
However, in the collection of the McCord Museum is a team photograph dated from the 1870s which was taken at Phillips Field, and the background detail appearing in this image, namely the row homes and fencing, matches up almost precisely with our photograph in question. Until the 1890s, Sherbrooke Street (one of the boundaries of the Montréal Lacrosse Grounds) would have been regarded as the edge of the city – and the area surrounding Phillips Field does fit well with such a rustic location. Between the two locations, this author believes the location of the photograph is Phillips Field, which became the Montréal Lacrosse Grounds, and would therefore book-end the imagery creation date no later than 1887-1890 range. With so many doubts and questions about authenticity, it is nice to see some facts that do seem to align accurately with some of the claim – namely, the location.
NEWSPAPER REPORTS
Back in this era of the sport, newspapers were focused first and foremost on local events and issues – and sporting events of practically all calibres received mention in the press. Thus, it is safe to assume that such an important, inter-city match-up between “Montreal vs Toronto” would be reported in the Montréal press. After the famous 1860 match played for the Prince of Wales, the next reported mention of any lacrosse games played in Montréal is not until 1867. It is safe to assume a game played in 1864 would have been reported by the press – but no such mention can be found.
George Beers is credited for codifying the first rules for lacrosse – either in 1860 in a now-lost publication called “The Game of Lacrosse”, written under his nom-de-plume ‘Goal-Keeper’, or in June 1867, which later became the basis of his book “Lacrosse: the National Game of Canada” published in 1869. In his latter, famous publication, Beers alludes how the sport dried up in Montréal between 1860 and 1867. One would think a match, if played in August 1864, would have been known and noted by Beers – and yet again, no such recollection is made by him.
One glaring contradiction the photograph contains is the typewritten text “MONTREAL vs TORONTO” versus Macnaughton’s notation “Montreal vs Shamrocks” on the back – the Shamrocks being another famous Montréal lacrosse club. Any such Montréal-Toronto inter-city game would have drawn the attention of the newspapers (as well as George Beers in his writing), but the earliest press about any clubs from Toronto is 1867 range. Meanwhile there were a number of Montréal-Shamrocks matches played from 1870 onwards – for example, the June 18, 1870 match “for the championship of Canada”. Macnaughton writes of “August 1864” – but so far, no mention of any lacrosse games of any sort in 1864 Montréal newspapers has turned up in searches.
It is possible, too, the image was staged for the camera – as there appears to be no audience whatsoever, apart from one shadowy figure along the right fence line, observing this match from the sidelines of the playing area. No spectators would be a rather odd occurrence for any arranged match, which would be expected to draw some sort of crowd. Was this simply a scrimmage or practice? The 1870 team photo in the McCord Stewart collection (item MP-0000.2897) also shows no observing crowd apart from three or four youth who also made their way into the photograph alongside the team. Some detail differences between the two photos rules out the images were taken on the same day or around the same time – namely clothing worn, as well as a bush or tree and some clutter along the fence line corner which appears in the 1864 photo but not the later 1870 team photo.
CONCLUSION
Previously this author felt the image dated from 1880-1895 range (possibly 1894, thinking 9 and 6 got mistaken in the retelling), however with further investigation and re-assessment of the four framing boundaries described above, 1870-1887 range now seems more plausible – although with the same serious doubts about its August 1864 origin claim.
With all written above considered, this author would like to think and believe it was from one of the 1870 matches between Montréal Club and Montréal Shamrocks, but in the absence of further facts to back up that date, it would be simply guesswork and wishful thinking. We will likely never know the true nature of this unique, incredibly fascinating lacrosse (and incredibly fascinating photographic) image.
If readers have any input or insight to lend on this topic, Old School Lacrosse would love to hear from you.
Ten years ago in 2012, the original print edition of Professional Field Lacrosse in British Columbia 1909-1924 was published.
Since that time, the Old School Lacrosse website came into being and an expanded, second edition – renamed to match the website title – was published two and a half years later.
To celebrate this 10th Anniversary milestone, an updated book PDF of Old School Lacrosse – Professional Lacrosse in British Columbia 1909-1924 has been uploaded and made public today – including all the player biographies and stories written to date. Enjoy!
Lacrosse historians Bruce MacDonald and Dave Stewart-Candy.As part of its series “Lacrosse Legends” and “Lacrosse Talks”, on June 11, 2019 the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation released its video webcast featuring two of the historians directly involved with the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Bruce MacDonald is the author of the book Salmonbellies vs. the World and was one of the lecture speakers at the 150th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration held in Montréal, Québec in June 2017 while Dave Stewart-Candy is the author of Old School Lacrosse – Pro Lacrosse in British Columbia 1909-1924 and the annual Canadian Lacrosse Almanac. Both gentlemen are official historians for the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum located in New Westminster, British Columbia.
The hour-long interview clip was filmed at the hall of fame museum site in February 2019 and can be found at the YouTube link located here.
Between January 29 and February 28, 2018, the Canadian cable and satellite television channel Super Channel will be broadcasting the new documentary Lacrosse: A Nation’s Game. Click on the name link for more information on the broadcast schedule and how to view this documentary and click here to view the trailer.
“Featuring interviews with faithkeepers, stick makers, coaches, and historians, and full of beautiful archive photos and video, Lacrosse: A Nation’s Game details the rich history of lacrosse in Canada from its Indigenous origins to the 150th anniversary celebration of the sport in 2017.”
One of the historians interviewed during the production is the author of Old School Lacrosse – as director of acquisitions and archives, he provided access to the museum site, photographs, and behind the scenes at the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in New Westminster, British Columbia.
An interview excerpt from the documentary Lacrosse: A Nation’s Game can be viewed here.
“Lacrosse: A Nation’s Game” – by Nüman Films (2018)
ARCHIBALD EDWARD (ARCHIE) MACNAUGHTON
(July 26, 1864 – June 23, 1937) Montréal Amateur Athletic Association (1882-1891)
Victoria Lacrosse Club (1892-1893)
Victoria Capitals (1894)
Victoria Triangles (1895)
Archie Macnaughton (his surname has appeared spelt variously as McNaughton, MacNaughton, and Macnaughton) is an interesting figure in the very early days of the sport in Canada. While he never played in the professional ranks, he was one of lacrosse’s early star players in Montréal – as well as a pioneering figure in the establishment of the game on the Pacific Coast and the rise of the Victoria senior teams in the mid-1890s.
He was born to Archibald and Catherine Macnaughton in Lachine, Québec. His Scottish ancestry may possibly be linked to an old family in Glenlyon, Scotland as there is mention made of an Archibald McNaughton (possibly his father) in the church records at Scotch Presbyterian Church in Montréal, who was born in Callendar, Scotland but grew up near Saint-Eustache in suburban Montréal. However, “Archibald McNaughton” does appear as a name occurring sporadically in early Montréal and could quite easily refer to multiple, unrelated people with the same name.
Archie Macnaughton helped Montréal win a junior championship in 1881 and then turned senior the following year. He was widely regarded as one of the best home fielders (attack midfielders in modern language) and one of the fastest sprinters to play the game in his day, with phenomenal speed. He possessed a deadly and dangerous shot, usually taken on a dead run and the ball’s velocity was reported to be stronger in force than that of a baseball player fielding the ball home.
Macnaughton wearing the famous ‘Winged Wheelers’ sweater for Montréal AAA in August 1886.
He was the fourth-best goal scorer in the 1886 National Lacrosse Union season with 7 goals in 10 games for the Montréal Amateur Athletic Association. The following season however he was held scoreless in 7 games played. In 1888, Montréal AAA dropped out of the NLU and the league barely staggered to the finish. When Montréal AAA returned to the NLU in 1889, they lost Macnaughton to a twisted ankle in the pre-season. On his return to play, after missing two matches, he still managed to make up for goals to finish second in league scoring with 8 goals in 6 matches.
His final season with Montréal Amateur Athletic Association saw him playing the role of Atlas, shouldering the team’s goal-scoring in the wake of the retirements of Tom Paton and W. Hodgson, the two other leading players with the ‘Winged Wheelers’. He once again finished in second-place for goals with 8 scored in 8 games. Montréal AAA would once again drop out of the National Lacrosse Union in 1891.
He moved to the Pacific Coast in 1892 and joined the Victoria Lacrosse Club. He played in 3 matches that year, held scoreless in his first two appearances and then scoring 3 goals in his third outing for Victoria. He also refereed two senior league games that same season.
Archie Macnaughton married Miss Jean Esther Marie Bishop, a resident of Montréal who was born in Covingston, Kentucky, in a ceremony held at First Presbyterian Church in Vancouver on August 11, 1892. The newlyweds left Vancouver that same day and took up residence in Victoria. Prior to his relocation on the coast, he had commenced his business career in Montréal in 1878.
Archie Macnaughton with Montréal in 1889.
In 1893, as a member of the Victoria club, he helped lead the Capital City crew in victory over his former team, the Montréal Amateur Athletic Association, 6-0 during their tour of the Eastern clubs. The team’s return to their home town that October was met by the city band and a midnight reception which followed at the Driard Hotel. During the senior league season that year, he played in 6 matches and scored 3 goals.
Archie Macnaughton had his best campaign for Victoria in 1894, when he scored 11 goals in 10 matches – finishing off the regular season by scoring 5 of Victoria Capitals’ 6 goals in their rout over Vancouver Lacrosse Club on September 29, 1894. He then bagged another 2 goals in the Capitals’ playoff match played at Brockton Point the following month versus New Westminster. That playoff meeting ended in dispute as Victoria was leading the championship game 3 goals to 2 when the game was called due to darkness. Claiming the championship, the Victoria Capitals then withdrew from the British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association on November 2, 1894 in protest of referee indecision in the playoff game and due to New Westminster arriving at Brockton Point an hour and a half late which resulted in the late start.
AE Macnaughton’s signature, showing how he spelt his surname
Macnaughton made only a single appearance for the Victoria Triangles in the 1895 season, which saw him scrape through Victoria’s fifth goal in a 6-2 rout over Vancouver to close out the final game of the season. In 1896, he moved to Vancouver where he continued his brokerage business.
Lacrosse was not the only athletic pastime which he excelled at. He played ice hockey for Montréal Amateur Athletic Association of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada from 1887 to 1892, appearing in 19 games and scoring 21 goals. Macnaughton was the leading goal scorer in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1890. He was noted as the ‘all-round snowshoe champion of Canada’ for 1886-1890 as well as holding eight middle-weight amateur boxing championships of Canada.
Vancouver Province, 1920.
Macnaughton was a member of the Montréal Garrison Artillery which participated in the suppression of the North-West Rebellion in 1885. The Montréal Gazette called him one of three “crack snowshoers” who were welcomed home by club members after the rebellion ended.
In 1888 he had to testify in a libel lawsuit which involved accusations of lacrosse players match-fixing a game.
In the first week of April 1894, he was part of a British Columbia ‘Mainland’ team that traveled to San Francisco, California to participate in exhibition matches versus a British Columbia ‘Island’ team as well as a San Francisco team a few days later. These were the first lacrosse games played in that city and attracted considerable attention from the locals.
Archie Macnaughton managed the New Westminster Salmonbellies in 1900 and he took his team back east on tour. The following year he managed the Vancouver YMCA lacrosse team and he was later the manager of the Vancouver Lacrosse Club in 1908 and 1910.
Macnaughton passed away suddenly on June 23, 1937 whilst driving home from his work at the Harbour Board office. The location of his burial is unknown.
(PHOTO SOURCES: provided by Eric Zweig; CLHOF X994.1 excerpt; CLHOF X994.15 excerpt; CLHOF X994.29 excerpt; Vancouver Province October 16, 1920)
This photograph, in the collection of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, was apparently taken of a lacrosse game in action, played in Montréal, Québec in August 1864 – and as you can read, the caption claims it was the “first instantaneous snapshot ever taken”.
For an updated re-assessment of this photograph, please go to this article.
It is unknown whether the description implies it was the first-ever snapshot in photographic history – or just the first-ever photograph of a lacrosse game. On the back of the photo is the signature of AE Macnaughton (d.1937), who seems to be describing and verifying the nature of the print and its date. The author of Old School Lacrosse has frequently come across Archie Macnaughton’s name in his research from the 1890s to 1920s, a well-known individual involved in the game – first as a player in the 1890s for the Victoria Lacrosse Club and then later as manager of the Vancouver Lacrosse Club, as well as a referee and an association executive.
It is suspected the print copy in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame collection is a re-print that dates from before the 1930s and certainly not an original print from the 1860s.
However, based on what little the author knows of photography history, there are some serious doubts whether this photo actually does date from 1864.
The clearness and lack of blur of the players in motion in the image is unusual for photography of the era. The earliest snapshot cameras did not come along until 1888 with the introduction of the Kodak No.1 camera. The next latest occurrence of actions shots of lacrosse matches does not happen until the first five or so years of the 1900s.
Therefore, Old School Lacrosse suspects the photograph’s origins are likely three decades later, say 1880-1890s range. Perhaps 1864 is a typographical or lapse of memory error for 1894?
As strange as it may seem to modern audiences of both popular music and the game of lacrosse, almost as soon as lacrosse took hold over the young Dominion of Canada in the late 1860s, composers were inspired to write music whose melodies were deemed reflective of the qualities exemplified by its game play.
Clearly the best known music composition would be the song La Crosse, Our National Game, words by James Hughes and the music arranged by Toronto teacher and choirmaster Henry Francis Sefton [ca.1808-1892] in the mid-1870s. Various dates of publication have been given for the piece, with 1872 being the most common.
While the song would predate the birth the game in British Columbia by a decade or more, when the game did gain traction on the Pacific Coast, this song too made the journey west as well and was not unknown to lacrosse fans here. In the 1890s, one of the local newspapers published its lyrics in the form of a poem.
La Crosse, Our National Game was dedicated to Lord Dufferin, the Governor General of Canada, with its typical Victorian-era ‘huzzah’ lyrics inspired no doubt by the extolling of Dr. William G. Beers, the ‘Father of Modern Lacrosse’ in Canada. Himself an adroit voice for the young Dominion of Canada, the song mirrors Beers in proclaiming the various merits of ‘the national game’ played up at the expense of the British and American sporting pursuits which would have also been on the minds of many Canadians in the 1870s and later years of the 19th century. With ice hockey years away from being organised, lacrosse was viewed as the one athletic pastime unique to Canada and the new nation established in 1867, in contrast to imported sports such as cricket and rugby from the Old Country or baseball from America.
Canadian opera soprano and comedian Mary Lou Fallis recorded a modern rendition of the song for her 1997 album Primadona on a Moose, a collection of early Canadian songs. The album and related show tour was inspired by old song recordings unearthed by her and McGill University researchers in the mid-1970s.
There are at least five other known pieces of music composed in Canada for “lacrosse” audiences:
– La Crosse Galop or The Lacrosse Gallop composed by J. Holt and “dedicated to the La Crosse Clubs of Canada”. Inspired by the sudden popularity of the sport in Toronto, this dance piece was composed in 1867 or 1868 and was the first song written with lacrosse in mind. A galop is a lively dance forerunner of the polka in 2/4 time; often it would be performed as the final dance of an evening.
– La Crosse Waltz, composed by W. Rowland and dedicated to Dr. William G. Beers, was first performed on May 20, 1876 at the Theatre Royal in Montréal.
– The piano piece Lacrosse Jersey (for Piano), written in 1892 by Nellie Smith and dedicated to the Toronto Lacrosse Club.
– Lacrosse Polka (For Piano), written in 1892 by L. Fred Clarry [1862-1954] of Millbrook, Ontario. The author of Old School Lacrosse, who is a clarinet and oboe player, has made this arrangement of the song for solo wind instrument.
– La Crosse Waltzes, written by St. George B. Crozier [1814-1892] of Belleville, Ontario.
None of these five compositions had lyrics written, so it is unknown what exactly inspired their composition – apart from perhaps the need for appropriate music and performance pieces on hand at lacrosse club social functions in an era when the dancehall would be the primary venue.
(MUSIC & PHOTO SOURCES: Library and Archives Canada)
In February 2012, after ten years of research, the author of Old School Lacrosse self-published his pioneering work Professional Field Lacrosse in British Columbia 1909-1924 which thoroughly detailed the statistical aspect of the pro game from the days when lacrosse – and not hockey – captivated the attention and won the hearts and minds of sports fans in the Lower Mainland.
An in-depth statistical history of professional-level lacrosse played in Vancouver and New Westminster between 1909 and 1924, it goes back to the original newspaper reports and game summaries for its sources. The original 184-page book contained complete box scores assembled and cross-referenced for accuracy, featuring each and every match played, listing starting rosters, goal-scoring summaries, detailed player career statistics listing every match, and historical photographs from the hey-day of lacrosse on the West Coast.
The first edition was limited to a print run of 25 copies, while updated digital versions were made available as free PDFs to provide the reader of Old School Lacrosse with all the game statistics behind the photographs found on the site.
A second, revised printed edition was completed in November 2014 with 50 copies printed. For the second edition, the book was renamed Old School Lacrosse – Professional Lacrosse in British Columbia 1909-1924 to keep it consistent with this associated Old School Lacrosse website. It was expanded to 229 pages incorporating the original statistical material along with the player biographies and articles from Old School Lacrosse – as well as more photographs.
Copies of the second print edition are currently available for $10.00 CDN each +$10.00 CDN shipping and handling via Canada Post parcel service to anywhere in British Columbia. All other Canadian addresses are +$12.00 CDN for shipping. American orders are $30.00 CDN which includes shipping to anywhere in the continental United States of America. Payment for all shipped orders to be made via PayPal or prior arrangement.
To order, contact the author at davidjsc@gmail.com
There were never any official all-star teams named during the early pro lacrosse era on the Pacific Coast, although occasionally newspapers would concoct various all-star team lists for their curious readers.
The fact that there were only two clubs – New Westminster and Vancouver – to select players from, probably made choosing all-star teams a somewhat pointless and trivial activity – especially in those seasons when play was abandoned or one club, usually New Westminster Salmonbellies, dominated over the other and competition on the field was not even close.
1909 VANCOUVER NEWS-ADVERTISER TEAM
George Rennie; 120 games played and 18 goals in 10 pro seasons between 1909 and 1920.
On October 22, 1909, the Vancouver News-Advertiser published its suggestions for an all-star team for the recently-completed 1909 season:
GOAL: Dave Gibbons (Vancouver)
POINT: none named
COVERPOINT: Lionel ‘Toots’ Clarkson (Vancouver)
FIRST DEFENSE: Jimmy Gifford (New Westminster)
SECOND DEFENSE: George Rennie (New Westminster)
THIRD DEFENSE: George Matheson (Vancouver)
CENTRE: Tom Rennie (New Westminster)
THIRD HOME: Bill Turnbull (New Westminster)
SECOND HOME: Cliff ‘Doughy’ Spring (New Westminster)
FIRST HOME: Ernie Murray (Vancouver)
OUTSIDE HOME: Len Turnbull (New Westminster)
INSIDE HOME: Édouard ‘Newsy’ Lalonde (Vancouver)
SPARE (DEFENSE): Waldo Matheson (Vancouver)
SPARE (OFFENSE): Gordon ‘Grumpy’ Spring (New Westminster)
No point player was named – most likely an oversight omission. Charlie Galbraith (New Westminster) or Johnny Howard (Vancouver) would have been the logical choices that season for that particular position.
By and large, a sound list of names with 10 future hall-of-famers although one must still nevertheless question how much homer favouritism was put into the selections by the News-Advertiser when seeing names such as Clarkson and Gibbons making the grade.
‘Toots’ Clarkson only played in 4 matches in his named position that season (Tommy Gifford of New Westminster would have been the wiser choice here) while Gibbons was peppered with more goals than his Salmonbellies opposite ‘Sandy’ Gray and only won 3 of Vancouver’s 10 games.
That said, with no visual references such as film, the news reporters of the day are certainly the closest source to the action for the modern fan. Statistics do not always paint an accurate picture, certainly in regards to defensive players, so perhaps the reporter or reporters who made up the list saw superior aspects of Clarkson’s and Gibbons’ play that has now since been lost to us, the modern reader, from our distant vantage point over a hundred years later.
Dave Gibbons was the Vancouver goaltender for 7 pro seasons between 1909 and 1921.
This is especially true with Dave Gibbons. The Vancouver goalkeeper seems to have been regarded highly enough that he eventually saw himself inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1965 – however his playing numbers during the professional era just do not seem to back up that acclaim and greatness compared to other contemporary goalkeepers of his day. How he managed to beat out ‘Sandy’ Gray in the News-Advertiser’s list that season is anyone’s guess. Gibbons could very well have been similar to Cory Hess: his best years occurred before the professional game took off – so a sentimental choice. Or perhaps a case of a great goalie in front of a not-so-great team?
1937 ‘NEWSY’ LALONDE TEAM & 1964 INTERVIEW
An interesting all-star team was published by the Calgary Herald in their September 11, 1937 edition. It was chosen by none other than the legend himself, Édouard ‘Newsy’ Lalonde, listing off his all-time greats: (Players who played lacrosse on the Coast have been marked with an *asterisk)
GOAL: Cory Hess*
POINT: Joe Cattaranich
COVERPOINT: Jim Kavanaugh
FIRST DEFENSE: Mickey Ion*
SECOND DEFENSE: Harry Pickering*
THIRD DEFENSE: Cliff “Doughy” Spring*
CENTRE: Gene “Daredevil” Gauthier
FIRST HOME : Henry Scott
SECOND HOME: Billy Fitzgerald*
THIRD HOME: Albert Dade
OUTSIDE HOME: Henry Hoobin
INSIDE HOME: Gordon “Grumpy” Spring*
Leaning heavy towards Ontario players, ‘Newsy’ Lalonde’s all-star team nevertheless gives great insight as Newsy played both in the West and the East and he himself could be openly critical of teammates who didn’t pull their weight. In other words: there are no slouches here. Looking at these names, this is definitely a pre-Great War team as well as a pre-Coast pro team, as many of these players were plying their trade in the decade prior to professionalism on the Pacific Coast.
As a footnote to this list, pointman Joe Cattaranich would be one of the pioneers who proposed moving the game indoors in 1930 and devised box lacrosse.
During a July 4, 1964 interview with The Montreal Star newspaper, ‘Newsy’ Lalonde listed off Fred ‘Cyclone’ Taylor and Tom Phillips as “fine lacrosse players” and Archie Macnaughton, William ‘Spike’ Hennessy, Weldy Clark, ‘Grumpy’ Spring, Alex Turnbull, Len Turnbull, the Gifford Brothers Tommy and Jimmy, and Fred ‘Mickey’ Ion as other players he rated being “at the top” of the game.
His 1964 list includes some rather interesting and intriguing names: Archie Macnaughton played with Montréal Amateur Athletic Association before coming west in the 1890s and had retired as a player long before ‘Newsy’ started playing senior ball. In fact, Lalonde would have been too young to have ever seen Macnaughton play and so must have based his choice of Macnaughton on what he had heard growing up or talking with those who had knowledge of Archie Macnaughton, as he was justifiably regarded as one of lacrosse’s earliest star players. This perhaps proves Lalonde’s own historical knowledge of the sport.
In reading Weldy Clark’s name, one has to wonder if Lalonde’s memory was fading a notch, mistaking Weldy Clark a half-century later for the great ‘Bun’ Clark – as Weldy’s playing career was short and unremarkable. By including Jim Gifford’s name, Lalonde shows – perhaps grudgingly – his respect towards a fine lacrosse player in an otherwise heated and nasty personal rivalry between the two men that in Gifford’s case still hadn’t passed at the time of the interview. ‘Mickey’ Ion was a tough lacrosse player in his day but ‘Newsy’ was probably much more familiar with Ion from his time as a referee in the National Hockey League.
JOE LALLY’S ‘FIFTY YEARS OF THE BEST’ IN 1944
The famous referee, Mann Cup trustee, Canadian Lacrosse Association founder, and stick manufacturer from Cornwall, Joseph ‘Joe’ Lally, named his all-time Canadian team in a 1944 list he called ‘Fifty years of the best’. Of the twelve players selected by Lally, five of them were Westerners or had played in the West as imports:
‘Bun’ Clark (Toronto Tecumsehs)
Tommy Gifford (New Westminster)
Gordon ‘Grumpy’ Spring (New Westminster)
Édouard ‘Newsy’ Lalonde (Montréal Nationals & Vancouver Lacrosse Club)
Billy Fitzgerald (St. Catharines Athletics)
The remaining players picked were Albert Lewis, Jim Kavanaugh, Hugh Carson, Roddy Finlayson, Charlie Querrie, John Powers, and Henry Hoobin.
1949 TURNBULL-GIFFORD ALL-STARS
In his November 2, 1949 British Columbian newspaper column entitled “The Old-Timer Says…”, sports-writer Vic E Andrew talked about a discussion he had with former greats Len Turnbull and Hugh Gifford regarding all-stars teams for New Westminster and Vancouver. Observing that baseball had Cooperstown and ice hockey would soon have its own hall-of-fame based in Kingston, Ontario (today known as the International Hockey Hall of Fame), Andrew put forth the question “What about lacrosse?”. In response, these were the teams they came up with: (Players associated primarily with the years prior to the professional era are marked with an *asterisk)
NEW WESTMINSTER ALL-STARS
GOAL: Alban ‘Bun’ Clark
POINT: Johnny Howard
COVERPOINT: Tom Gifford
FIRST DEFENCE: Dave ‘Buck’ Marshall
SECOND DEFENCE: Hugh Gifford
THIRD DEFENCE: Harold ‘Haddie’ Stoddart
CENTREMAN: James ‘Pat’ Feeney
FIRST HOME: Alex ‘Dad’ Turnbull
SECOND HOME: Jack Bryson*
THIRD HOME: Bill Turnbull
OUTSIDE HOME: Len Turnbull
INSIDE HOME: Cliff ‘Doughy’ Spring
ALTERNATES: Barlow Galbraith*, Stan Peele*, Jim Gifford, Gordon ‘Grumpy’ Sprung, and Bob Cheyne*
VANCOUVER ALL-STARS GOAL: Dave Gibbons POINT: Harry Griffiths COVERPOINT: Harry Pickering FIRST DEFENCE: Harry ‘Fat’ Painter SECOND DEFENCE: George Matheson THIRD DEFENCE: Everett McLaren CENTREMAN: Bob Cameron FIRST HOME: Angus ‘Angie’ MacDonald SECOND HOME: Ralph Ravey* THIRD HOME: Nick Carter OUTSIDE HOME: John ‘Dot’ Crookall INSIDE HOME: Édouard ‘Newsy’ Lalonde ALTERNATES: Billy West and ‘Dot’ Phelan
The two teams are quite interesting as they do originate from first-hand sources – two players, Len Turnball and Hugh Gifford, who actually played with and played against – or were very familiar with – all of their careers. It seems the three decades of time which passed may have affected some of the selections. For example, home midfielder Cliff Spring somehow took his brother Gordon’s spot at inside home, while on the Vancouver team the complete absence of Angus ‘Bones’ Allen on the midfield and the inclusion of coverpoint defenceman Bob Cameron, who played just one season on the Coast, as the centreman seems just downright strange.
1950 CANADIAN PRESS GREATEST PLAYER VOTE
Henry Hoobin, the Montréal Shamrocks legend and one of the game’s greatest forwards.
In 1950, a group of Canadian Press journalists voted on the greatest lacrosse player of the first half of the 20th Century.
The list they came up with is less an all-star team and more like a potential wishlist for a future hall-of-fame. In fact, the American authors Alexander Weyand and Milton Roberts outright refer to these selections as being voted for “a Lacrosse Hall of Fame” in their 1965 book “The Lacrosse Story”, the first complete history researched and written about the sport.
Three players with Pacific Coast playing experience received votes: (Players who played lacrosse on the Coast have been marked with an *asterisk)
All the players that received votes were born in Eastern Canada – although as we all know, Lalonde did spend almost half his career in Vancouver while ‘Dad’ Turnbull relocated permanently to British Columbia and was so loved and respected by the Coast fans that he can be considered one of our own sons.
Joe Lally’s claim to fame was less as a player and more as a club official and organisational figure – so his lone vote was likely sentimental or political – while Lance Isaacs, who died from a heart-attack during a game in 1937, was notably both the only box lacrosse player and only aboriginal player to receive a vote.
2002 PAUL WHITESIDE ‘ALL-NATIONAL’ TEAM
In Donald M. Fisher’s book Lacrosse: A History of the Game, the author gives five lists of all-time great lacrosse players in the book’s appendix section. In a work heavily devoted to the United States collegiate game, only one of the lists overlaps the same time period of the Pacific Coast pro game, or the “All-National Game Era” of 1880-1920 as it is referred by Ontario lacrosse historian Paul Whiteside.
Unfortunately, the list drawn up by Whiteside for Fisher’s book is centered around Eastern players and only one “Westerner”, ‘Newsy’ Lalonde, makes an appearance on it. This is understandable as at the time of Fisher’s publication (2002), there was scant factual information about the game played on the Pacific Coast. As well, Whiteside’s area of expertise is researching and documenting the Eastern game – a true pioneer in his own right in preserving the early days of the game in that part of the country. Due to geographical distance, he would have had little to no access to western sources for historical data at the time when he compiled his all-star team.
2014 OLD SCHOOL LACROSSE PACIFIC COAST PRO ALL-STAR TEAMS
Len Turnbull, the Salmonbellies’ most prolific goal-scorer after the Spring Brothers.
So, for what it is academically worth, Old School Lacrosse has now sat down, looked over the statistics and the history of the era, and come up with two all-star teams to cover the pre- and post-Great War divide in the pro game on the Pacific Coast.
Using the First World War as a division point in the Coast game, to create two all-stars teams, conveniently mirrors the two-year break by organised lacrosse in British Columbia which occurred in 1916-1917. As well, it also conveniently accounts for the changes in team compositions (player reduction from 12 runners to 10 starting in 1919) and the reduction in field-size in 1915.
There were some truly great legends that briefly played as imports on Coast teams (thinking here those brought west by Con Jones and his money) but their peak of greatness happened elsewhere or they had little impact beyond a season or so while playing out west – which is why someone like Billy Fitzgerald (one of the greatest Eastern players) or Cory Hess were left off these teams. Likewise with Salmonbellies legends such as Alex ‘Dad’ Turnbull or Tommy Gifford whose glory days with New Westminster were firmly in the years prior to professionalism.
OLD SCHOOL LACROSSE 1909-1915 PACIFIC COAST PRO ALL-STARS
GOAL: Alban ‘Bun’ Clark (Vancouver/New Westminster)
POINT: Johnny Howard (Vancouver/New Westminster)
COVERPOINT: Dave ‘Buck’ Marshall (New Westminster)
DEFENSE (3): George Rennie (New Westminster); Jimmy Gifford (New Westminster); George Matheson (Vancouver) – honourable mentions: Tom Rennie (New Westminster), Hugh Gifford (New Westminster), and Harry Pickering (Vancouver)
CENTREMAN: Cliff ‘Doughy’ Spring (New Westminster)
MIDFIELD/HOME (3): Angus ‘Bones’ Allen (Vancouver); Bill Turnbull (New Westminster); James ‘Pat’ Feeney (New Westminster)
OUTSIDE HOME: Len Turnbull (New Westminster)
INSIDE HOME: Gordon ‘Grumpy’ Spring (New Westminster) – honourable mention: ‘Newsy’ Lalonde (Vancouver)
OLD SCHOOL LACROSSE 1918-1924 PACIFIC COAST PRO ALL-STARS
GOAL: Bernie Feedham (New Westminster)
POINT: Dave ‘Buck’ Marshall (New Westminster) – honourable mention: Harry ‘Fat’ Painter (Vancouver)
COVERPOINT: Willis Patchell (Mew Westminster)
DEFENSE (2): Hugh Gifford (New Westminster); Laurie Nelson (New Westminster) – honourable mentions: Eustace Gillanders (Vancouver) and Bay Carter (Vancouver)
CENTREMAN: Harold ‘Haddie’ Stoddart (New Westminster) – honourable mention: Everett McLaren (Vancouver)
MIDFIELD/HOME (2); Angus ‘Angie’ McDonald (Vancouver); George Feeney (New Westminster) – honourable mention: Cliff ‘Doughy’ Spring (New Westminster)
OUTSIDE HOME: Jack Gifford (New Westminster)
INSIDE HOME: John ‘Dot’ Crookall (Vancouver)
Looking over and comparing these two teams, what is most interesting is the differences in talent between some positions. For example the defensive line: the 1909-1915 team is chock full of quality, future hall-of-famers to choose from while in the post-Great War era, even with the reduction by one defenseman, this is probably the weakest position for making selections. Apart from Hugh Gifford, an excellent player whose career spanned across both of these teams, the second defensive spot has no clear-cut player to claim it. Nelson, Gillanders, and Bay Carter were all competent players but can be regarded a few notches below in talent compared to everyone else on these two teams; Nelson gets the nod here simply due to bagging a few more goals and having better team success.
In goal, Bernie Feedham was statistically by far the best of the post-war goaltenders – which says something about the other goalies of those years when a transplanted outfield player can step in and excel in that position and in the process lead his team to championships.
Not counting honourable mentions, there are 11 hall-of-famers on the 1909-1915 team but just 6 on the 1918-1924 team – and one of those, ‘Buck’ Marshall, also pulls duty on the 1909-1915 team.
In almost all positions, it is fairly safe to say the 1909-15 players would overshadow their 1918-24 counterparts. Only in the point and coverpoint positions would there be an even battle for supremacy. Both of ‘Buck’ Marshall’s line-mates on these two teams, Howard and Patchell, were players famed for one very important playing ability: knowing how to shut down ‘Newsy’ Lalonde.
Bill Turnbull, one of the best pro midfielders from 1906 to 1915.
This imbalance does not detract from the personal accomplishments of such greats as Jack Gifford, ‘Dot’ Crookall, or ‘Angie’ McDonald – as all were obviously capable, star players who would have found their marks in the earlier era. But the depth of talent of the post-Great War period does seem to be thinner going through the ranks when in comparison to the pre-war glory years.
Looking back at Newsy Lalonde’s all-star team from 1937, even though his career spanned into the post-Great War era, everyone he chose for it starred before the war. Whether there was an actual weakening of talent post-war is unknown. It could just be a matter of perspective mirroring the weakening of the sport’s attention on the minds of the post-war fans, in that the accomplishments of those who played during the pre-war years are simply inflated from receiving greater fan and press recognition. For the players who followed and made their name after the Great War, with the game dying in the early to mid-1920s there was probably less interest in their heroics as well as less fans to remember their names.
One final note: while ‘Grumpy’ Spring is listed here ahead of ‘Newsy’ Lalonde as the best inside home of 1909-1915, this author believes that ‘Newsy’ Lalonde was, overall and nationwide, the greatest field lacrosse player of the pre-box lacrosse era. ‘Grumpy’ edges out ‘Newsy’ here due to playing his entire career on the Pacific Coast and finishing his career as the greatest pro goal scorer on the Coast. Lalonde’s greatness over Spring on a national scale is buttressed by his solid eastern career first with Cornwall and then later with the Montréal Nationals.
Old School Lacrosse 
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