By Rakashi Chand, Reading Room Supervisor

On July 141881, Sheriff Pat Garett shot notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. Those of us from the generation who watched the movie “Young Guns” know the story well and immediately begin hearing the twangy guitar chords from Jon Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory playing in our heads. Many are familiar with the story and legends surrounding Billy the Kid as well as the debate as to whether he was a ruthless killer or a folk hero who stood up to corruption the only way he knew how. To add another level to the depth of his character, one of the few existing photos of Billy the Kid, is well, not very outlaw-like at all; In fact, it is a photo of Henry McCarty, his sweetheart, and his friends, (‘the Regulators’), all playing a game of croquet.  ⁱ 

“Hold the tea sandwiches! Croquet?”  

(Bon Jovi might have just dropped his guitar.) 

Indeed, Croquet!  

The rage sweeping the nation from 1860 to 1890 was croquet. It caught on like wildfire in the 1860s and anyone who could afford to buy the necessary equipment and possessed some form of a lawn, was found carrying a mallet whenever they could. Croquet was a game changer because it brought equality to outdoor games and sports. As well, women who had previously been resigned to parlor activities were able to play in open air with or against their male counterparts. ⁱⁱ 

Frederick Tudor was known to have staked out the first croquet lawn in 1859 at Nahant, MA. Nahant went on to house many more croquet lawns. A post-war generation of young people were able to break away from their parents’ norms and embraced croquet as the latest fashion. Journalists and novelists alike helped spread its popularity, and the game appeared in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868) as well as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s My Wife and I (1871), both cases using the game to symbolize courtship and competing ideals.  Outdoor exercise was a new way for men and women to interact and lead to further social recreation. By 1890 the zeal over croquet was replaced by tennis, bicycling and other lawn games, but croquet had thoroughly swept the nation. Winslow Homer beautifully documented the popularity of the game in his illustrations Harpers Magazine and in a series of oil paintings. The game spread with westward expansion and was played all the way from the East Coast to newly settled towns in California.   

At the Massachusetts Historical Society, you can find photos, engravings and print material that feature croquet. Simply type the word “croquet” as a keyword search in our online catalog, Abigail, and explore the related titles. Below are a few examples.

This summer try your hand at croquet, a true American pastime since 1860!

For more on croquet and so much more please explore our online catalog, Abigail, our collection guides and our Digital Collections.