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| Title | Aerial view overlooking Aafedt baseball stadium, Williston, N.D. |
| Date of Original | 1980? |
| Creator | Shemorry, Bill, 1914-2004
|
| Creator Role | Photographer; |
| Description | Aerial view overlooking a baseball field, with a game in action, fans in the stands, and parking lot full of cars. |
| General Subject | Aerials
Sports & recreation
|
| Subject (LCTGM) | Baseball
Aerial views
Automobiles
Sports
Sports & recreation facilities
Stadiums
Sports spectators
|
| Organization Name | Ardean Aafedt Stadium (Williston, N.D.)
|
| Location | Williston (N.D.)
Williams County (N.D.)
|
| Decade | 1970-1979
1980-1989
|
| Item Number | 1-170-19 |
| Format of Original | Photographic prints
Color photographic prints
Color images
|
| Dimensions of Original | 10 x 15 cm. |
| Transcription | "Pocket Photo, Aug 1980" - Stamped on back of photograph. |
| Notes | Title created by staff. |
| Biography/History | William E. "Bill" Shemorry was a native of Williston, N.D. who began work in the newspaper industry as a newsboy selling the Williston Herald and the Williams County Farmers Press. In 1953, he started to publish the Williston Plains Reporter, which he operated for 25 years before selling to the Williston Herald. Shemorry then began to concentrate on his own writing and photography. In addition to writing many books on the history of Williams County, he also collected photographs of early North Dakota photographers. Shemorry was an active member of the Williston Fire Department, was Civil Defense Chief of Williams County for three years in the 1950's, and was a combat photographer in World War II. Shemorry's photograph of the discovery of oil in North Dakota on April 4, 1951 at the Clarence Iverson No. 1 is one of the most famous oil photographs ever taken, and was published in many national publications.
"The Beginning of Williston Baseball: In the spring of 1959 a group of interested citizens met with Ardean Aafedt, Williston's Recreation Council Director, to discuss plans for expanding the summer baseball program in Williston. It was generally agreed at these first meetings that a baseball program for boys eight through eighteen was needed and that outside funds would be necessary to finance such a program. Businesses and organizations were contacted as the first sponsors of the 1959 program. Some of these same individuals are still sponsoring the baseball program today. Sixteen teams and approximately 200 boys participated in the program in 1959. In 1960 the Williston Recreation Council appointed a Williston Boy's Baseball Committee to handle the tasks of conducting a boy's baseball program for Williston. Don Hotchkiss was appointed the first chairman of this committee. The Boy's Baseball Program continued to grow in 1960, 1961 and 1962 with more teams taking part each year. In 1963 the Boy's Baseball Committee added the American Legion Baseball program with the cooperation of KEYZ Radio to its repertoire of responsibilities. 1963 was also the first year that Williston entered into the National Babe Ruth Baseball program for boys 13 to 15 years of age and they highlighted their first year by winning the North Dakota State Babe Ruth Championship. The Boy's Baseball Program has grown from 16 teams and 200 boys in 1959 to 75 teams and over 900 boys and girls participating. Over 1, 000 games will be played in Williston each and every summer on Williston Park District's facilities. Many championships and honors have been donned on Williston's baseball teams over the years." |
| Bibliographic Reference | Williston Baseball history information found at: http://www.willistonparks.com/Home%20Page/Facilities/ardean_aafedt_stadium.htm |
| Repository Institution | State Historical Society of North Dakota
|
| Repository Collection | William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection 1
|
| Credit Line | State Historical Society of North Dakota, William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection (1-170-19) |
| Rights Management | Permission to reproduce this image must be requested from the State Historical Society of North Dakota. |
| Ordering Information | To order a reproduction, inquire about the collection, or provide information about an image, please email Emily E. Schultz at eschultz@nd.gov |
| Digital ID | ws117019 |
