Date in History: 1879 – 1957
Oscar Simonson brought a state championship home to Fort Atkinson.
Born in Iowa in 1879, he moved to Fort Atkinson with his wife Anna in 1923. He worked for the James Manufacturing Co. for 33 years, living at 1105 West Sherman Ave.
A lifelong checker enthusiast, Oscar was a member of a 20-man U.S. checker team that defeated Great Britain in a correspondence match. In 1926, Oscar jumped his way into the State Checker Championship Match where he faced W. T. Hoard of Racine. Behind early on, Oscar rallied to defeat Hoard and win the match becoming Fort Atkinson’s first ever State Checker Champion.
Oscar continued to compete after winning the 1926 title but he was never able to bring home another state championship. He died in 1957 at age 78.