Delano High School
28 miles west of Minneapolis on Highway #12
Years Represented: 1917-1919
Dan Conrad, Minneapolis, has researched the history of girls basketball teams in Cokato and Delano and provided the following information:
"At our program in Cokato on October 30th about your book, "Daughters of the Game," I met Marianne Lind, daughter of Florence Kaeppe, a player on the Delano girls basketball team in 1918-1919. She provided the following information.
"Florence Kaeppe played guard for the Delano girls basketball team in 1918 and 1919. Florence told her daughter that they won most of their games." Dan researched those years and reports, "Florence was being a bit modest. During this time span, from January 1918 to March 1919 they won all but one of their games, and by scores such as 12-0 over Cokato, 15-0 in a rematch with Cokato, Watertown, 29-1, Dassel, 22-1, Howard Lake, 7-0 and so forth. The only game they lost was at Hutchinson where, the newspaper said, 'The girls played one-half according to girls' rules, the other according to the modified rules to which the Delano girls are accustomed.' The article stated, 'Our guards found it hard to guard under the strict girls' rulings, and the first half ended with a score of 6 to 10 in favor of Hutchinson. The second half, however, the girls found themselves and reduced the score until it stood 10-12, though still in favor of Hutchinson.'
The coaches were Miss Palm and Mrs. Schmidt. Team captain was Angela Bartlett. There were 4 girls in the graduating class of 1918, 6 girls in the class of 1919.
As a senior Florence gave a speech at the boys and girls basketball banquet (the first ever) on 'the importance of guards.' Florence was in the class play, president of the glee club, wrote the 'school notes' for the Delano Eagle.
"Florence was in high school during a significant time in the country's history. It was January of 1919, World War I was over, the House of Representatives had passed the suffrage amendment by two-thirds and fallen only two votes short in the Senate, the National Women's Party (Alice Paul) had lit their Torchlight for Freedom and were holding vigil until suffrage was won. In rural Delano, Minnesota, Florence and other young women in the high school decided they would form a girls' club "for both the culture and recreation of girls," (Florence Kaeppe's words in the Delano Eagle). They called themselves "The Amazons." They held weekly meetings focusing on a specific topic and usually invited a guest speaker. One of those speakers was none other than Dr. Anna Norris, head of the Women's Physical Education Department of the University of Minnesota. In 1919 it was no minor thing to travel to Delano, and for the sole purpose of talking to a small group of girls calling themselves "The Amazons."
Note: Dan Conrad, Minneapolis, became interested in researching the history of the Cokato Girls Basketball team and published the history, "Why Did They Take That Game Away From Us?" now available through the local historical society. (see Overtime section for Cokato)
"At our program in Cokato on October 30th about your book, "Daughters of the Game," I met Marianne Lind, daughter of Florence Kaeppe, a player on the Delano girls basketball team in 1918-1919. She provided the following information.
"Florence Kaeppe played guard for the Delano girls basketball team in 1918 and 1919. Florence told her daughter that they won most of their games." Dan researched those years and reports, "Florence was being a bit modest. During this time span, from January 1918 to March 1919 they won all but one of their games, and by scores such as 12-0 over Cokato, 15-0 in a rematch with Cokato, Watertown, 29-1, Dassel, 22-1, Howard Lake, 7-0 and so forth. The only game they lost was at Hutchinson where, the newspaper said, 'The girls played one-half according to girls' rules, the other according to the modified rules to which the Delano girls are accustomed.' The article stated, 'Our guards found it hard to guard under the strict girls' rulings, and the first half ended with a score of 6 to 10 in favor of Hutchinson. The second half, however, the girls found themselves and reduced the score until it stood 10-12, though still in favor of Hutchinson.'
The coaches were Miss Palm and Mrs. Schmidt. Team captain was Angela Bartlett. There were 4 girls in the graduating class of 1918, 6 girls in the class of 1919.
As a senior Florence gave a speech at the boys and girls basketball banquet (the first ever) on 'the importance of guards.' Florence was in the class play, president of the glee club, wrote the 'school notes' for the Delano Eagle.
"Florence was in high school during a significant time in the country's history. It was January of 1919, World War I was over, the House of Representatives had passed the suffrage amendment by two-thirds and fallen only two votes short in the Senate, the National Women's Party (Alice Paul) had lit their Torchlight for Freedom and were holding vigil until suffrage was won. In rural Delano, Minnesota, Florence and other young women in the high school decided they would form a girls' club "for both the culture and recreation of girls," (Florence Kaeppe's words in the Delano Eagle). They called themselves "The Amazons." They held weekly meetings focusing on a specific topic and usually invited a guest speaker. One of those speakers was none other than Dr. Anna Norris, head of the Women's Physical Education Department of the University of Minnesota. In 1919 it was no minor thing to travel to Delano, and for the sole purpose of talking to a small group of girls calling themselves "The Amazons."
Note: Dan Conrad, Minneapolis, became interested in researching the history of the Cokato Girls Basketball team and published the history, "Why Did They Take That Game Away From Us?" now available through the local historical society. (see Overtime section for Cokato)