New high jump record set at 1918 Fort Edward Labor Day celebration

Maury Thompson
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

About 7,000 people attended the 1918 Fort Edward Labor Day field day event at which Edward L. Emes, “the Olympic champion of New York City,” set a new world high-jump record, beating his own previous record set March 8, 1914 at the Second Field Artillery armory in New York City.

The bar was set at 4-foot 8 inches to start, and raised in two-inch intervals after each successful jump, concluding with Emes clearing the 5-foot 8-inch mark by about 1/8 inch, The Post-Star reported 0n Sept. 3, 1918.

The feat was among activities of the field day at the Washington County Fair Grounds to benefit St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church.

The day began at 9 a.m. with a “monster parade” of four divisions that ended at the fair grounds.

Frank A. Holahan of New York City was keynote speaker.

The Rev. J.L. Morrisey and state Assembly candidates also spoke.

Leonard Stall performed a vocal solo “Just Break the News to Mother,” and John Gunther of Fort Edward performed “a pleasing saxophone solo.”

Jimmy Dugan of Plattsburgh and Young Marto of Glens Falls competed in a six-round amateur boxing match. Frank D. Moynihan was referee.

Another six-round boxing match was between Cyclone Morris of Fort Edward and Buck Ovitt of Troy, and the 9-year-old “Wheeler Twins,” sons of Mr. and Mrs. George Wheeler of Fort Edward, gave a boxing exhibition.

“After the bout a collection was taken up for the (Wheeler) youngsters which netted a neat sum,” The Post-Star reported.

Leo Dunn of Fort Edward won the boy’s half-mile bicycle race. Albert Mondoux of Glens Falls came in second, and Lawrence Watkins of Fort Edward came in third.

Jimmy Duval of Fort Edward won every foot race, including the 100-yard matched race in which he competed against Frank Moynihan.

“Duval crossed the mark fully four yards ahead of his opponent,” The Post-Star reported.

Employees of Union Bag repeated as champions in the tug of war against employees of International Paper Co. in Fort Edward.

Elsewhere in the region, Henry Morgenthal, former ambassador to Turkey, spoke Sunday afternoon at the annual Lake George combined churches Labor Day service at Sheppard Memorial Park. More than 500 people attended, The Post-Star reported in a separate Sept. 3, 1918 article.

Post-Star reports referenced in this post can be found at the New York State Historic Newspapers website, a project of public libraries.

Maury Thompson is a freelance historian of politics, labor organizing and media in New York’s North Country. He lives in Glens Falls, N.Y.