Slice of History - Horseshoe Hardware in Flight

In the early 1950s, games of Horseshoe were a daily lunchtime occurrence on Lab. Pictured above is a group of JPLers in September 1951 practicing their horseshoe tossing skills near the Wind Tunnel on the northeastern edge of Lab.

According to a 1951 issue of Lab-Oratory, “all employees [were] invited to join in the fun and pitch a fast game of horseshoes any noon lunch period.” Horseshoes was such a popular game that it became considered a ‘noon-hour hobby’ sponsored by the Employees Recreation Club, along with checkers, chess, bridge, pinochle, and canasta.

In fact, interest in the game grew so much that the Lab-Oratory article advised that the “Lab Horseshoe Pits” were to be moved to the motorcycle parking area east of the cafeteria and south of Building 83 to accommodate the number of employees who were eager to get in on the action. CL#25-2046

The content presented here should be viewed in the context of the time period. Our intent is to present the history of JPL in a factual manner that uses primary resources and historical context. We recognize that some information or images do not reflect the current values, policies, and mission of JPL.