The history of sports runs deep in Monroe County, complete with high school rivalries, long-standing traditions and athletes who have played at the professional level.

On Saturday, the culmination of many months of volunteer labor was revealed to the public for the first time as the Smithsonian’s “Hometown Teams” traveling exhibit and local companion piece “From Fields to Dreams” celebrated a grand opening at the Monroe County History Museum in Waterloo.

The exhibit is being displayed through Sept. 7 as part of the Museum on Main Street program, a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Illinois Humanities Council.

“Small towns scattered along the prairie are the heart and soul of Illinois, and each has a history worthy of sharing,” said Mallory Laurel, IHC coordinator for the tour. “This exhibit will give them the chance to share this history and tell a greater story about the region.” “Hometown Teams” covers the history of sports from a global perspective, while “From Fields to Dreams” displays trophies, uniforms, photos, equipment and other artifacts spanning generations right here in Monroe County.

Along the east wall of the museum, attendees can view several old baseball and softball uniforms dating from the 1940s to present day. A collection of lockers representing the four Monroe County high schools — Columbia, Gibault, Valmeyer and Waterloo — is also on display with TVs flashing team photos and images of past sports greats.

Monroe County History Museum President Norma Reheis admitted she is not a sportsperson, but the arrival of this exhibit really opened her eyes to the important role team sports has played and continues to play locally. “Let me tell you, I have learned a lot,” Re-

heis said during remarks at the opening ceremony on Saturday. “I didn’t know that we had girls basketball teams in the early 1900s.”

Vicki Koerber, who served as co-chairperson with Rich Binder on the “Hometown Teams” planning committee, encourages the entire county to see what this exhibit is all about. “As you go in and visit, we hope that you will take not only some reminiscing, memories, but also evoke emotions, as a lot of these artifacts date back over a hundred years,” Koerber said. “Thank you to the people that got into their closets and attics and dug up some of the things you are going to see. We truly are rich in sports history.”

In conjunction with the exhibit’s grand opening, vintage baseball came to Waterloo for the first time as the Belleville Stags and St. Louis Perfectos played at Gibault in front of an estimated 200 people.

The vintage baseballers showed the audience how the game was played in the 1860s, to the delight of many. “(We) had an awesome time,” Josh Walker posted on Facebook of his fan experience following the vintage game. “We thought it was really neat to learn and see how far baseball has come over the years.” And the vintage baseball players were equally ecstatic about playing in Waterloo.

“Playing to commemorate the ‘Hometown Teams’ and ‘From Field to Dreams’ museum exhibits ensured we were playing for an audience in tune with the preservation and promotion of history,” said Belleville Stags player Paul “Rooster” Mentzer.
“The combination of history-minded citizens, plus the committee’s strong preparation efforts, equalled up to July 26 being the all-time best event I’ve played in as a Belleville Stag. Huzzah!”

Other upcoming events to take place as part of the exhibit include the panel discussion “Women and Sports Before and
After Title IX” at the Waterloo VFW on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.; the “Back to the Future” panel discussion at the Waterloo VFW on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.; a presentation by Craig Baum on the history of Huckabay & Baum baseball bats at the museum on Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m.; and the panel discussion “Chalk Lines, Blood Lines: Talkin’ Baseball” at Turner Hall in Columbia on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.

Display hours for the exhibit are 1 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at the museum, located at 724 Elaine Drive in Waterloo.

For more on the exhibit, visit www.monroecountyhistorymuseum.com.