Posts about Sports
McHistory: Bloomington’s Unsung Baseball Great
Listen to the audio on WGLT�...
I beg to differ … Waterloo v. Bloomers, July 6, 1938
From 1901 to 1939, Bloomington was home to the Bloomers of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. Here’s Len Backer, Waterloo Red Hawks skip...
Illini Coach Ray Eliot, 1942 Young Men’s Club luncheon
On February 10, 1942, new University of Illinois head football coach Ray Eliot (that’s Eliot with one “L”) addressed the Young Men’s Cl...
Titans Thump Redbirds February 1953
On February 11, 1953, Illinois Wesleyan beat visiting Illinois State Normal 98-66 at the old Memorial Hall gymnasium (now IWU’s Hansen ...
‘Brick’ Young, March 1936 Pantagraph Sports Editor and Official
Normal resident Doug Rosenbaum served in the officiating crew as field judge for last weekend’s Super Bowl LI. Doug also worked Super ...
Rockets, mid-1940s Twin-City Recreation Center
The Rockets were an informal team connected to the Twin-City Recreation Center, 318 S. Main St., Bloomington. They played games Friday ...
Twin Cities Bowler Peggy Schultz February 1942
This photograph comes from the Museum’s expansive Pantagraph Negatives Collection. Unfortunately, we know only who’s featured here, Peg...
McLean County Basketball Tournament Championship Game, Jan. 24, 1959
Gene Durham (22) of Saybrook-Arrowsmith High attempts a layup during the 1959 county tournament championship game. Attempting to thwart...
"Gridley High, January 1953 County Hoops Champs"
Here’s Gridley High School Coach Clarence “Merk” Kyger readying his varsity squad for the 1953 McLean County Basketball Tournament, whi...
Holiday Hoops Pontiac, Dec. 30, 1948
The Pontiac Holiday Tournament is the nation’s oldest such Christmastime classic, dating as it does way back to 1926. Seen here are Uni...
Beich Bowlers, 1942
Not much is known about this photograph, including the reference to “Merry-Go-Round.” We do know that at least four of the five women s...
Cooksville Ball Club 1908
Back in the early 20th century baseball was not only the National Pastime but the National Obsession. At this time even tiny communitie...
Put Up Your Dukes Small Fry Boxers, March 1958
Billy Kletz (left) and Jim Heafer get ready for the upcoming Small Fry Boxing Championship at the Western Avenue Community Center. Keep...
Bloomington Bloomers Fans Field, 1913
For the better part of four decades Bloomington fielded a team in the well-regarded Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. In 1913, the Bloomers...
En Garde! Fencing Comes to Wesleyan April 1941
In the spring of 1941, fencing became the newest sport on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus. Seen here are Prof. R.M. Chase givin...
Fans Field, South Bloomington Aerial, 1938
This photo recalls the Bloomers, Bloomington’s professional minor league team that played in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League from 1901...
Play Ball! Cooksville, 1909
McLean County’s smaller communities, including the Village of Cooksville, once fielded competitive baseball clubs that welcomed all com...
BHS Athletic Field Undated Aerial
This undated view of Bloomington High School’s Athletic Field is looking southeast. “A” signifies Bloomington Country Club; “B” Elmwood...
McLean County Basketball Tournament Championship Game, January 21, 1966 Octavia 68, Lexington 48
For many years the biggest sporting event on the local calendar was the McLean County Basketball Tournament, which began way back in 19...
Winter Wonderland Miller Park Ice Skating, 1958
Ice skating was once popular at Miller Park on Bloomington’s west side. Fifty-seven years ago, mid-December 1958, three young women (le...
Fall Means College Football ISNU ‘Teachers,’ 1907
Back in 1907, the Illinois State Normal University Teachers (the nickname would be changed to “Red Birds” in 1923 and then “Redbirds” a...
Photo of the Week, 82: 'Starr' Attraction at Normal Chamber Banquet, 1969
Famed Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr was the keynote speaker at the March 26, 1969 Normal Chamber of Commerce banquet. There ...
Photo of the Week, 69: Ready, Set, Go!
Bloomington High School baseball team, 1947The district champions charge off the bench for a warm-up session prior to a Saturday, May 2...
Photo of the Week, 64: Redbirds Crowned National Champs in 1969
Get Your Replica Cap Today! Illinois State University's baseball team captured the NCAA College Division (now Division II) nation...
Normal Sanitary Dairy baseball uniform donated to Museum
The Museum recently received a Normal Sanitary Dairy baseball uniform worn during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The dairy not only sp...
Photo of the Week, 49: Church League Hoops, ca. 1916
This photograph, circa 1916, shows the church league basketball team
from Grace Methodist Episcopal (now Grace United Methodist) Church...
Photo of the Week, 41: We’re Number One!
Museum to Sell Replica Redbird Cap from 1969 Championship Season On June 6, 1969, Illinois State University's baseball team capt...
Photo of the Week, 32: Are you ready for some football?
Pictured here is the 1915 University High School football team. The “U Men" (the school nickname “Pioneers" was still a long...
Photo of the Week, 26: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
Olympic Speedster Jesse Owens Visits Bloomington Famed Olympian Jesse Owens visited Bloomington on June 27, 1938, less than two years a...
Photo of the Week, 24: Seven ball in the corner pocket . . .
Students at the Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School (ISSCS) play pool at Horner Hall, circa 1955-1956. ISS...
Photo of the Week, 15: Play Ball!
Seen here is the Junior American League baseball team sponsored by J. Stern Furniture Co,. sometime in the late 1940s. The group is st...
Photo of the Week, 12: Fore!
Incorporated in 1919, Maplewood Country Club stretched southeast of Linden St. and Jersey Ave. in Normal. The former residence of A.H. ...
Photo of the Week, 1: Bowling Association Tournament
In late January 1963, Bloomington-Normal hosted the 34th annual Illinois Women's Bowling Association (IWBA) state tournament. This...