Penns Grove historical society to feature year-long exhibit on community’s strong football legacy; exhibit opens Sept. 13

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Karen Dingley leaned over the display case and looked over the parcel that was folded neatly on the counter. Delicately, she peeled back each fold, careful not to disturb the item or the tissue paper that was protecting it. Finally, all the folds were opened and the tissue paper separated revealing maybe not the oldest item in the collection but the one that might be the crown jewel of the whole show – a 1938 game-worn jersey of the semi-pro football Penns Grove Eagles.

“I think most people, if they’re under a certain age, didn’t even know there was a semi-pro team in Penns Grove,” Dingley said.

That’s all about to change.

Football has been big in Penns Grove for a long time. Weekends in the fall were filled with the sounds of the game and championship dreams. It may have fallen on some lean times in recent years, but the passion for the game has always been strong and the history is a rich one.

The Historical Society of Penns Grove, Carneys Point and Oldmans is putting the community’s football legacy on display with a year-long free exhibit called “Gridiron Glory.” It premiers Sept. 13 during the museum’s Open House at 48 West Main Street in Penns Grove.

“Penns Grove is a big football town, it always has been,” board member Mary Beth McDermott said. “We thought people would really enjoy it.”

The exhibit will feature items that date back to the 1920s and follow the community’s football history through its youth, high school and semi-pro teams. There are helmets from the early Penns Grove and St. James high school teams. There are commemorative footballs from the first four St. James’ Parochial C championship teams and a huge mural detailing all of the former school’s gridiron accomplishments. There are jackets from the youth and high school teams and the aforementioned Eagles’ jersey as well as an assortment of photos, trophies and other memorabilia from every era and every level.

During a recent visit to the museum, a group of volunteers was busy putting together pieces for the exhibit. Janet Bowe was developing a list of coaches for all the local football teams.

The oldest item in the exhibit appears to be a 1928 program from a game between the Penns Grove A.A. and the Haddon All Stars. The local team appeared to be coached by former New Jersey state senator and one-time acting governor John M. Summerill Jr.

The society has curated exhibits on athletics before, but this will be the first featured in the main room that in a previous life served as the lobby for the First Savings & Loan Association. The display will stay up until July, while the exhibits in the smaller rooms are changed out regularly.

“I did know football is very big in this community, but I didn’t know how far back it went,” said Dingley, the historical society’s treasurer and chairman of the museum committee. “I didn’t know how many people basically went on to do major things in football outside of this area, not so much major-league football but college football and stuff like that or became coaches in different areas. Football and baseball, I think they’re the two major things in our area. We’ll probably do an exhibition on (baseball) at some point, too.”

The historical society is staffed completely by volunteers and is supported through donations and various fundraisers. All of the items on display have been either donated or are on loan. The museum is open on Sundays from 1-3 p.m., but off-hours tours can be arranged by calling 856-299-1556 in advance. The same number can be used for inquiries about donating items for the football exhibit.

The society will have the special Saturday opening Sept. 19. That’s the day after the Penns Grove High School Homecoming game where the school will recognize the 1963-64 state championship team that was recently voted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The museum hopes to encourage members of that team to visit that day to share stories and memories and perhaps add some memorabilia to the exhibit.

“We’re just trying to show the community where our towns have been in the past,” Dingley said. “Right now they’re starting the midgets back up – they been out for a few years – so I think we’re trying to … let the younger people know if you look at the town and you don’t think anything important ever happened here or there wasn’t stuff for kids and young adults, there actually was. By showing some of the people who played in sports, OK, you may not go on and play for the New England Patriots or the Dallas Cowboys, but if you’re a really good football player it can help you get into college and stuff like that.

“I think in all of our exhibits that’s kind of what we are trying to do, whether it’s football or anything else, let people know the history of the town, different things they may not realize; they may have heard a story about one portion or another. I don’t know how many of the kids in high school today know how big football was and how good the teams were.”

Top photo: Historical society board members Karen Dingley (L) and Mary Beth McDermott (R) and volunteer Nancy Counsellor discuss the group’s upcoming Gridiron Glory exhibit that premiers Sept. 13.