Scoreboard was symbol of basketball at Wallace
The scoreboard shown at right was state of the art when it was originally created. The inscription on the plaque beneath the quarter designation reads: ‘Electric Scoreboard Built And Donated by Selmer Hjermstad To The Wallace High School November 1939’
Wallace basketball fans welcomed the new addition to the town’s gymnasium. It allowed the Bulldog faithful to follow a game’s progress by viewing the information clearly displayed on the homemade scoreboard.
As the years passed, and newer more modern scoreboards started to appear with regularity in the gyms of schools throughout South Dakota, the old scoreboard at Wallace remained as a reminder of a more basic era …. a time when the work of an industrious local craftsman could produce a product such as this scoreboard that an entire town could enjoy with pride.
The Bulldogs continued to use the scoreboard for 23 years until Wallace High School closed its doors in 1962. Wallace is about 25 miles northwest of Watertown. This South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame photo was taken recently at the town’s community center, where the scoreboard now adorns a wall along with other WHS memorabilia.
Comments (2)
Judy Gulbraa
| #
Thank you …. the family of Selmer Hjermstad really appreciates this article!!!!!
Reply
Terry Trippler
| #
I graduated from Canova (55 miles NW of Sioux Falls) High School in 1964. I was in the top 20 in my class – there were 22 total in the class – but I digress. My Dad, Knowles Trippler, was a basketball official for years – refereeing well up to and over 20 basketball games a season. When there was quite a distance, usually one of us kids would go with Dad to drive home. Some of the places, teams and games stuck in my memory and traveling to Wallace – just NW of Watertown. Funny the things you remember – I was a freshman at the time.
Reply