The Shinn Tennis Court

Overland Monthly October 1892

At Shinn Park, there is a bit of grumpiness in the garden club about this hot non-productive expanse of asphalt that can't be gardened. What is this "patch of flat"? 

The Shinn Tennis Court

It was the Shinn family's tennis court. The Shinns had a tennis court in 1892 with a judge's chair. Did they have tournaments?

A "new" tennis court was installed in 1929. 

Who would have played tennis here? 

The first generation of tennis players

In 1892, grown children Milicent, Joe, and Charles were living on the family ranch with parents, Lucy and James. Charles' wife, Julia, and their daughter, Ruth, were here also. Joe was in charge of the ranch. Charles was inspector for the UC Experiment Station and was away frequently. Milicent was the editor of the Overland Monthly. 

Two-year-old Ruth was Milicent's first baby study subject and they were into the second year of baby observations. Milicent mentioned in her published notes that Ruth liked to climb up the judge's chair at the tennis court ~1892!

So far no notes in the archives have turned up about the courts. But then we haven't looked! We had no idea that it was here in 1892. We have since found references in the newspapers.

Mrs. Thane wrote about the court in 1893 - "at the club's beautiful tennis grounds in Mr. Shinn's place." Was there an informal tennis club based here?

The new 1929 tennis court appeared in the news many times.

An Incomplete History of Tennis in the San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond

In the Overland monthly in October 1892, James F.J. Archibald (?) wrote an article "Lawn Tennis in California." The OM was under Milicent's editorship at that time.
Some tidbits from the article:

• Unfortunately for the beauty of the game, it is impossible for the clubs of California to build turf courts on account of the long season in which no rain falls. Although the lawns of California are as pretty and as green as could e found anywhere in the country, the continual watering during the summer month, which is necessary to their growth, so softens the earth that it is impossible to use them for tennis. The dirt court has been used to a great extend throughout the Pacific Coast, but during the winter season, when instead of snow comes the rain, the dirt court softens and is unfit for use for several days after a shower. It is for this reason that the principal clubs have adopted the use of asphaltum courts. They are a trifle more expensive to lay, but are less expensive to take care of afterward.
• Clubs in the Bay Area in 1892: California Lawn Tennis Club (Western Addition SF), Oakland Tennis Club (Lakeside and East Oakland clubs), Alameda Tennis Club, Leland Stanford Jr. University, Madison Tennis Club, Oakland High School Club, University of California, 
• Pages 373-374 have a bit about the women in tennis.

Delightful Tennis

What was a tennis court like back in 1892? Read about Delightful Tennis in the SF Call 20 March 1892. Were the courts lawn or hard?

Fine Beat Cooke - 20 August 1893 - Henry Fine versus W.S. Cooke.
Note that there were coaching parties from Alameda, San Lorenzo, Niles, and Centerville. The contest ended with a party at the Haywards Hotel with dancing and music.

Sports at the University

More later about Phoebe Hearst, Milicent Shinn, and the ACA

From the 1892 Blue and Gold,
this advert for the Eclipse Racket.

From the "Official Lawn Tennis Bulletin" 
January 14, 1897
Will we find some photos of the Misses Shinn
in tennis costume?

How did Centerville-born tennis pro Helen Wills eventually become a world-renowned tennis player in the 1920s and 1930s? Certainly not by being confined by her clothing.