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Voting in the Canal Zone
Today is Election Day and a chance to look back at the history of voting in the Canal Zone. Printed in the November 1967 issue of the Panama Canal Review, the caption of this photograph reads: “Campaigning was spirited at the Culebra Post Office in 1912 during mock elections. Because U.S.-citizen residents of the Canal Zone could not vote in national elections at that time, mock elections were held a few weeks before elections in the United States as ‘manifestations of political desire for expression,’ according to the ‘Canal Record.’ The tickets usually bore nominations for national and municipal offices and at least one village included on its ticket a…
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Sports in the Zone
The PCMC holds a large number of photographs of sports played in the Canal Zone. What sports did you play in the Zone? What was unique about sports in the Canal Zone? Which sports were the most popular or most competitive? As always, please comment if you have any additional information about the photographs below.
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Canal Zone Shopping
It’s already October, which means holiday season shopping is creeping up again. What do you remember about shopping in the Canal Zone? What types of things did you buy in the commissaries and what was only available outside of the Zone? Did you take trips to Panama to shop? Did you order items from the United States? Where did you go for the most affordable items? The highest quality?
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Nature in the Zone
In our recent oral history interviews, many participants have noted the natural beauty of the Canal Zone and Panama, remarking on how special it was to grow up in a “tropical paradise.” What do you remember most about Panama’s natural landscape? Did you often travel in Panama to experience different scenery? What were your favorite natural sites or features of the environment? Frank Hill emphasizing the size of a tree, undated. Woman seated under a banana tree looking at a fawn, undated. Back of photograph reads, “Teresa (Hanson) Roseth (Rossetti?) – another excursion into the interior of Panama with friends. A very frequent occurrence, 1920s.”
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“Walking on Water” in the Panama Canal
Another day, another interesting item found in the Panama Canal Museum Collection! We came across these photos, as well as newspaper clippings, which revealed to us the story of Walter Robinson “walking on water.” Specialist Robinson spent his spare time working on his invention which allowed him to “walk” across the Bay of Panama. These “water shoes” were the first of their kind in that they were stable enough for the wearer to propel themselves across rough waters and to navigate around obstacles. Robinson patented the invention, which was made of plastic foam and fiberglass, and tested it at the Clayton Teen Club. From these tests, he determined that one…
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Oral Histories
If you are interested in listening to stories from the Canal Zone, as told by the people who lived there, you will want to check out the collection of fabulous oral histories we have in the Panama and the Canal Digital Library Collection. Click here to browse the collection of oral histories You just may find a recording from a friend or relative– and maybe hear a story you’ve never heard before!
