The Endurance Dance of Black Diamond
A grueling contest at a local dance hall saw two partners waltz for over an hour and a half without a single break.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A dancing party was given at Diamond last Friday evening in honor of Mr. Philo Micheley, who leaves this week to make his home in Seattle. An unusually exciting and interesting contest dance took place during the evening between the following couples: Mr. Philo Micheley and Miss Lydia Jones, Mr. Pfenley McDonald and Miss Mary Thomas, Mr. John Robinson and Miss Annie Hooper. The contest was won by the first named couple who accomplished exactly one hour and seventeen minutes without stopping.
“The contest was won by the first named couple who accomplished exactly one hour and seventeen minutes without stopping.”
This scene from 1889 reflects the intensity of social life in coal mining towns like Black Diamond, where recreation was often pushed to competitive extremes. Today, Black Diamond has transitioned from a rugged industrial outpost into a rapidly suburbanizing community, yet the spirit of local community gathering persists.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.