|
|
|
| Artifact Of The Month - May 2006 |
|
|
|
|
The artifact of the month is a navy blue and white
wool swim suit worn by Healdsburg resident Joseph “Lee” Hoy
(1893-1992), circa 1920s. It was donated to the Healdsburg Museum by
Lee’s daughter, Marian (Hoy) Jones in 2003. The swim suit, typical
of the era, is the “popular, practical and comfortable” one-piece
California style. The swim trunks are joined to the shirt at the
waistline. This style was produced in both inexpensive cotton and
the pricier heavy-weight worsted yarn during the late 1910s and
early 1920s. In 1917, the American Association of Park
Superintendents published “Bathing Suit Regulations in the American
City” in which they stated that nothing below the armpits could be
shown on the chest. They also stated that men’s suits needed a skirt
or skirt effect, worn outside the trunks. It was not until the 1940s
that it became fully acceptable for American men, such as Lee Hoy,
to show their chests in public swimming places |
 |
|
Blue & White Swimsuit |
|
The Hoy family enjoyed swimming in
the Russian River during the summer. One of their
favorite places to swim was at Camp Rose, a Russian
River resort east of downtown Healdsburg which was a
popular summer swimming destination for both locals
and out-of-towners. Camp Rose was created in 1905 by
attorney J.W. Rose who, in 1905, built a road from
Healdsburg to his undeveloped property on Fitch
Mountain. He then set up tents, built a boarding
house and established a summer camp which he called
Camp Rose. By 1912, Camp Rose Inn was a permanent
fixture and included a store, tents, and a dance
platform. The property changed hands over the years
was subdivided so that privately-owned cottages were
built; however it continued to be enjoyed as a
popular summer resort and swimming spot for many
decades to follow. |
 |
|
Russian River Near Camp Rose |
 |
|
Camp Rose - Main Building |
|
A native
of Iowa, Lee Hoy was living in Clear Lake, South
Dakota, in 1923 tending one of his father’s farms
when his brother Fred wrote and asked him to come to
Healdsburg and take his place at the Hoy dairy
because he wanted to study for the ministry. In 1919
Lee’s father, George Hoy, had purchased a 420 acre
farm south of Healdsburg where he established two of
his sons - Russell and Fred Hoy. The brothers went
into the dairy business in 1921 producing and
distributing milk in Healdsburg. The Hoy dairy was
known as Sanitary
Dairy. |
 |
|
Hoy Ranch - 1923 |
|
Lee came
to Healdsburg and spent 6 months working at the dairy and decided he
liked the work and returned for his wife and family in South Dakota
and brought them to Healdsburg. Lee’s father died that year and his
other brother Russell went to the Imperial Valley to look after
property there. At this point Lee Hoy (with hired help) took on full
operation of the dairy. In 1927 the Hoy property was sold to B.R.
Crawford of El Centro, California. The new owner did not move to
Healdsburg, but instead left the dairy in charge of Lee Hoy. While
Lee had sold his cows to Charles LaFranchi, he continued to buy milk
from LaFranchi which he processed at the ranch. In 1928 he moved his
family to Healdsburg, and in 1930 built a dairy building on College
Street where he bought, processed, and distributed milk until 1945
(after buying out five competitors). |
|
|
|
Lee Hoy with Truck From Hoy's
Sanitary Dairy |
|
After
selling the dairy operation, in1947 Lee Hoy went into the real
estate business. He opened Healdsburg Realty which he operated for
30 years (until he was 84) and finally sold at the end of 1977 to
Karl and Nancy Seppi. Lee was active on the Healdsburg Chamber of
Commerce, and chaired the committee that worked to make the Hwy. 101
freeway. He also served on the committee that pre-dated the
Healdsburg Planning Commission. Lee Hoy died in 1992 at the age of
98. With his wife Grace he had four children - George, Lois, Philip
and Marian. He married Blanche Haney in 1977, following the death of
his first wife. |
|
Sources:
Blum, Stella, Ed. Everyday
Fashions of the Twenties As Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs.
Dover Publications, New York, 1981.
Djordjevich, Marie. “Fitch
Mountain: Healdsburg’s Russian River Playground.” Russian River
Recorder, Spring 1997.
Hbg. Trib. 18 Dec. 1919, 1 Feb.
1923, 17 Oct. 1927, 8 April 1992
History of Men’s Swimwear:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/%7Eroseying/ids110/MENHIS.HTM
http://www.gallimauphry.com/april_2005.html
Notes
from J. Lee Hoy. 14 August 1979
|
|
The above was researched and
written by Whitney Hopkins
For more information about the
Museum's collection of historical artifacts,
contact the Museum |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
