Adrian Gym

Eastern Oregon reader Angie sends along these photos of the Adrian high school gym. It’s a tiny gym and in the photos she sent, the gym appears to be packed for the girls game. I can only imagine the Adrian gym being a terrific home court advantage. The floor is short, take a look at how close the three-point line is to half court and there is little room outside the lines.

According to Angie the Adrian girls basketball team has hosted playoff games at the school. It was the first question I had, if Adrian could even host a playoff game. I can only imagine the sheer intensity in that little gym with a trip to Baker on the line. If Adrian ever went on a 8-0 run, I can just hear the absolute defeaning roar that the Adrian supporters would put forth.

For more information and to see the photos, click on the "Read More" Link.

Angie writes, “These photos are misleading, because the wide angle lens makes this gym look larger than it is! It's barely regulation size; because of the lack of space between the outside lines and the walls/bleachers, the white line about 18 inches from the out-of-bounds line is known as a "restraining line," which basketball historians will remember.





The restraining line is still in the rulebook, though few officials know how it is used. On out-of-bounds plays, the "restraining line extended" becomes the out of bounds line. This means the player throwing the ball in-bounds must stand behind the restraining line, and use it as the out of bounds line (including in the corners where the line isn't drawn) and offensive and defensive players aren't allowed to touch the ball while they're out of bounds (between the restraining line and the regular out of bounds line).”

The restraining line Angie is talking about is the thin white line just past the black out-of-bounds line in this photo:



She goes on to say that the Adrian gym was built in the 1940’s and has been in use since then. She says bond elections for new gyms have failed by very close margins. A more recent bond election, which included a new high school, failed by a larger margin. The bond for a new elementary school passed, however, so the elementary staff moved into the new school before this school year.



According to the city of Adrian website, “when a branch of the Oregon Short Line Railroad was built into this part of the country, there was a post office called Riverview on the east side of Snake River, and railroad officials did not desire to have a station of the same name on the west side. Reuben McCreary, who platted the town site of Riverview on the west side, suggested that if that name was unsatisfactory the name Adrian be used, which was adopted by the railroad on February 13, 1913. This was to commemorate his birthplace, Adrian, Hancock County, Illinois. Riverview post office, with its descriptive name, was established on the east side of the river on August 22, 1911, with John E. Holley postmaster. About 1913, the office was moved west across the river to the vicinity of Adrian station, and the name of the office was changed to Adrian on November 10, 1919. Earlier editions of this book ascribe the name James Adrian, a local sheep man, but Adrian did not arrive in the area until 1916."

Adrian is located about 22 miles southeast of Vale and roughly 25 miles southwest of Ontario along the Oregon/Idaho border. The principal industry is farming and Adrian farmers grow corn, onions, potatoes, hay and wheat.



Thanks to Angie for sending the photos along. Her photos, name and quotes were used with her permission.