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A high school marching band walks in lines past a wood-clad saloon. The band members wear blue and white uniforms with white hats and feather plumes. In the center of the photo is a bass drum player, followed by trumpet players. Sitting along the sidewalk are town members watching a the band pass.
A band marches down the street during a parade in Douglas, Wyoming. (Photo by Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

Coming Home with the Library

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As fall rolls in, schools around the United States enter homecoming season. Homecomings include setting up events to invite alumni back to visit, hosting parades, playing football games, and attending dances in celebration of both a new year and continued traditions. These events mark a time for people to remember their hometowns and past experiences, and to revel in what has changed.

Searching for homecomings in the Library of Congress’ collections made me curious about what the experience of those returning to their homes could be. Do they recognize their towns when they return? What modifications have been made since they were last home?

To start my research, I looked through the Library’s collections to find newspaper articles about local homecoming celebrations. That search led me to this newspaper article from The Frontier in O’Neill City, Nebraska. The October 5, 1961 article highlights the parade floats and Homecoming court that were honored by O’Neill High School. Students Merna Butterfield and Jerry Kilcoin were crowned King and Queen of the school.

Newspaper page with a series of images of decorated cars, football players, three women in prom dresses and a young woman in marching band uniform with boots, a hat, and a baton.
Image from The Frontier in O’Neill City, Nebraska, October 5, 1961 (Chronicling America)

Some of the floats highlighted in the article are reminiscent of those that you might see today in a homecoming parade, including a giant football with the phrase “have ball will score.” Others featured technology that is a bit dated for teens today, including a giant rotary phone with the phrase “Dial OHS for Victory.” My personal favorite (and the first-place float overall) had two live goats riding at the front eating hay, with the words “Udder Defeat” below them. Apparently, the opponents for the homecoming game were the Atkinson “Balers,” so the hay-eating goats were making a jab at O’Neill High School’s opponents for the game.

As I looked at these pictures from 1961, I thought about the alumni who attended this game. What had O’Neill City, Nebraska looked like when they graduated high school? Another search of the Library of Congress’ collections led me to this picture of O’Neill City, Nebraska in 1914.

Black and white image of a town from an elevated angle. On the left of the image is a large brick building surrounded by grass and trees. A dirt road runs towards the back of the image and has several horse-drawn carriages on both the road and standing on the side by the sidewalk.
Birds eye view of O’Neill, Nebraska from 1914. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

This might have been what former students of O’Neill High School saw on their way to class each day. I wonder what was still there in 1961 when these homecoming celebrations took place. Which of these buildings were still in use? How many more had been built in the 47 years from when that picture was taken to when the newspaper article was written? I also wonder what O’Neill City, Nebraska looks like now. Would current students at the high school recognize anything in the photo from 1914?

My original search also brought me to another, similar article, in The Poplar Standard from Poplar, Montana on October 4, 1957.

Newspaper clip of three images in black and white. The first image is of a decorated car. The second image is of a decorated truck with several teens standing on it. The last image is of a young woman in a dress sitting in a convertible.
Clip from The Poplar Standard from October 4, 1957, highlighting homecoming floats and queen candidates. (Chronicling America)

This article highlights that town’s homecoming traditions, including its parade floats. Reading it inspired me to search for more Library of Congress collections related to Poplar, Montana. In doing so, I found a series of fire insurance maps made by the Sanborn Map Company in 1914 and 1920. In just six years you can see the different buildings that had been built in Poplar, the businesses that have expanded and grown, and even a few that have moved or closed. Take a look at these two maps below. What do you notice that has stayed the same? What is different? What do you think attendees to the 1957 homecoming parade in Poplar, Montana might have thought when they visited the town and compared it to what they remembered of the city from former decades?

One other article from Chronicling America that I found in my homecoming research highlighted the Homecoming Queens and Attendants at Booker T. Washington, a high school in Miami, Florida. This article from November 8, 1952, featured photos of the Homecoming Queen, Miss Erma Lee Wilson and her two Attendants, Miss Irene Burns and Miss Laura Swavy. Miss Swavy would go on to be crowned queen the following year. In 1952, the Queen and her Attendants’ roles included participating in the parade before the football game. During that game, the Booker T. Washington High School Tornadoes were set to play the Tuskegee Institute’s fighting Baby Tigers, who came from Alabama for the game.

Newspaper article featuring photos of three African American teenagers. The photos are head shots, showing the girls facing the camera and smiling.
Article in the Miami Times from November 8, 1952 highlighting the Booker T. Washington homecoming Queen and attendants.

As I thought about the experiences that these three women had at that homecoming game, I wondered what Miami looked like in the past and what they may have seen. Take a look at the photos below to see some images of Miami over time. Compare the changes in the city over the last 100 years.

River view from the banks. On the shore are palm trees and a path. In the water is a sail boat with the sails stowed away.
On the Miami River, Miami, Florida between 1900 and 1910. ( Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

For older adults who went to that 1952 football game, they may remember parts of Miami looking something similar to the photo above, taken between 1900 and 1910.

Black and white photo of a street with a tall, white building on the left. on the right are parked vintage cars and stores with signs that say "Times Square Cafeteria" and "Grayhound." Women in dresses walk along the sidewalk.
Photo showing one of Miami’s streets around 1939. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

This picture of Miami is from 1939, when high school students in 1952 were children. Some Miami residents at that time might remember parts of Miami looking more like the photo above. However, due to segregation, students from Booker T. Washington High School may have never had access to these shops and stores.

Water in front of a city skyline featuring large skyscrapers in silver, black and white, and a red boat at a dock. In the sky are some clouds.
Miami Florida in more recent years. (Photograph by Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

The photo above was taken more recently, sometime between 1980 and 2010, and shows a much larger Miami with skyscrapers and new building developments. Consider how this city has changed over the years from a less developed beach-side town to the large city it is today. What things are still the same from 1952 and what is different? What do you think the students of Booker T. Washington High School thought of the changes that occurred in their hometown?

Think about all of the updates or modifications that can happen to a city or town in just a few short years. Now consider the changes that have happened where you live. Try searching the Library of Congress’ collections for your hometown, or a place that you are familiar with. Can you find any photos, videos, prints or newspaper articles that show your hometown? Consider taking those images and visiting these places when you are next in your hometown. What is the same? What has changed?

Draw an image of what you think your hometown will look like in the future. Talk with your friends and family members and discuss what you think will become of your hometown in the next few years. Ask your friends and family members what they remember of your hometown from the past and talk about what is and isn’t still in your hometown.

Additional Resources:

Homecomings aren’t always just about schools. They could be hosted to celebrate someone’s return after a long journey, such as a world tour, or to welcome soldiers home from deployments for military service. Below are some additional resources to learn about other types of homecomings and celebrations that have taken place.

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