The Origins of Grove Rats, despite the negative stories created in the minds of haters, the real story is one of
pride.
By the Spring of 1937, it looked like the
country was finally recovering from the great depression. Production, profits, and wages had regained their 1929 levels. This is when the Grove grew into a town, and luckily this was
done when things were looking up. The American economy took a sharp downturn in mid-1937, lasting for
13 months through most of 1938 and it wasn't until W.W.II that employment began to recover.
1937...that was the year that changed the Grove, from being just a rural farm crossroads, into a small town. The original
Big World Store, the
High School and the original Grove Theater were built within a few months of each other. This became the center of the community.
The local youth took
pride in their community and just like a school adopts a mascot, they decided they would too. They fancied themselves a force to be reckoned with and adopted the moniker "Grove Rats", a strong, fearsome title.
The name stuck and was passed down through the generations. While subsequent generations tried to
lay claim to its' invention, it clearly predated their arrival on this
earth.
It has come to be a proud symbol for Pleasant Grove, in spite of attempts by haters to make it derogatory.
Standing Strong, Standing Proud, We are the Grove Rat!
Provided by: Samuell aka Sammy2Times
(
c) copyright Norma Davis
2012
