A Picture Worth 1,000 Words – Again, a number of photos from the early 1900s have been incorrectly tied to the early Packers, not only in books but also archival collections. There’s no better example of that than the above photo, which has been misidentified as an action shot of an early Packers game. In fact, Mears Online Auctions advertised it in 2011 as a 1921 photo and “the earliest action image of Lambeau known” and sold it for more than $4,500, only to have to refund the money. Actually, this was a photo of a high school football game between Marinette and Watertown, played in Green Bay in 1917 and promoted by Calhoun shortly after he joined the Press-Gazette staff as a state high school football championship. Proof of the photo’s origin can be found on page 100 of “Snapshots,” Green Bay West’s 1918 yearbook.
Biggest Game – What else but the Packers’ first game? The record books tell us it was played Sept. 14, 1919, against the Menominee (Mich.) North End Athletic Club. However, the Menominee Herald-Leader said the team was from its twin city, Marinette, Wis., and was named Leannah’s Colts. The Marinette Eagle-Star identified it as a team from the city’s second ward.
Unsung Hero – Frank Lester Peck, president of the Indian Packing Co., provided the seed money to start the team in 1919. A native of Pittsfield, Mass., Peck’s stay in Green Bay was short, but he was active in the community and outspoken about what Green Bay needed to do to spawn economic growth.
Center of Controversy – The Packers’ only loss was to Beloit, 6-0, and it might have been the most controversial game in their history until the “Fail Mary” game 93 years later. “Champions Are Robbed of Victory by Referee Zabel in Rough Battle; Three Touchdowns Taken Away,” screamed a subhead in the next day’s Press-Gazette.
Only in Green Bay – Smaller than six other cities in Wisconsin in 1919, including Superior and Oshkosh, Green Bay joins Milwaukee as the only other state city in the big leagues of today.
Sadly, but True – Victor Lambeau, Curly’s paternal grandfather who had arrived in Green Bay from Belgium in 1873, shot his wife in the jaw 18 years later at a Green Bay street corner, and then shot himself in the head. He died; his wife survived.
Would You Believe? – The biggest home crowd that Lambeau played in front of in 1919 was a baseball game. In early August, he played left field for the Green Bay All-Stars and went 3-for-4 in a loss to a U.S. Navy team. The crowd was estimated at 2,000.
Rescued from Oblivion – Bill Ryan, teacher and football coach at Green Bay West, was the first coach of the Packers in 1919.
A Life of Mystery – Walter Calhoun. Was he 36 or 23 when he married Emmeline Henshaw Whitney, George Calhoun’s mother? Was his work as a civil engineer the reason he seemed to spend much of his life separated from his wife and only son?
A Quote to Remember – “When I first went to a Packer game there were no stands. They used to have a rope to keep people off the field. But there used to be a lot of belligerent and enthusiastic fans, and they’d end up tackling the damn opposition. This was very crude football.” Kenneth Kaye, 8-year-old fan in 1919 who grew up not far from Hagemeister Park.
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