Veterans Memorial Stadium
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Pottsville played its first game at Veterans Memorial Stadium in 1932 against Pine Grove High School with the Tide winning 26-6.
The Vet was officially dedicated before the October 8 game against Bethlehem in front of 4,000 fans, the largest crowd of the season. Principal D.H.H. Lengel acted as master of ceremonies and Congressman George F. Brumm (Class of 1897) spoke.
Bethlehem defeated the Crimson Tide 2-0 by blocking a punt which Pottsville recovered in its own endzone for a safety.
The present Pottsville Area High School didn’t open its doors at “The Castle on the Hill” until the following year.
Veterans Memorial Stadium was constructed with labor provided by the U.S. government’s Works Progress Administration and with materials paid for by the athletic treasury.
All of the materials used in the construction of the Stadium came from different parts of the City of Pottsville.
Sand for the cement work was collected from gutters around the city. Native stone for the encircling walls was secured from old homes in the city and from nearby land sights. The Brownstone used in the wall was taken from the old post office and the old vineyard on Hillside, while the gates are from cells in the old city hall. The footage was taken from the old York Farm breaker.
The original track was composed of red cinders from a burning mine near Minersville, but an all-weather track was installed in the late 1990s.
In 1935 lights were installed at the Vet and the Tide played its first night game, which was actually a double-header, against Pine Grove and Schuylkill Haven.
Pottsville won both games, defeating Pine Grove 12-0 and Schuylkill Haven 27-0 in the only night double-header in the history of the stadium.
On September 8, 1939 the stadium was officially dedicated in front of 7,500 fans before a game against Saint Clair which the Tide won 13-0.
(Information courtesy of George S. Lord, Pottsville Statistician)
Directions
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From the north (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton):
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- Take I-81 South to the Saint Clair Exit (Exit 126)
- Take Route 61 South through Saint Clair into Pottsville
- At the sixth traffic light, make a right onto Nichols St (Pottsville Diner will be on your right)
- Follow this road to a stop sign at a T intersection - make a left onto Centre St at the T
- At the first traffic light, make a right onto Laurel Blvd (Pottsville City Hall will be on your right)
- Follow Laurel Blvd to the fourth stop sign, then make a left - stadium is behind school on the right (at the top of the hill)
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From the south via Route 61 (Reading area):
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- Take Route 61 North into Pottsville
- Start counting with the traffic light at entrance to Cressona Mall (on left - first light)
- At the fifth traffic light, make a left onto Norwegian St (Sunoco gas station will be on your right)
- At the next traffic light, make a right onto Centre St (M&T Bank will be in front of you to the left)
- At the next traffic light, make a left onto Market St
- Follow Market St through two traffic lights
- At the third traffic light, make a right onto 16th St
- Follow 16th St down then up a hill to the right - stadium is behind school on the left
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From the south via Route 183 (Reading area):
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- Take Route 183 North to Cressona, under train tracks to a traffic light (Hess Gas Station in front of you on the right)
- At Hess Gas Station, go straight through traffic light (becomes Route 901)
- At the next traffic light, make a right onto Market St (Sheetz will be on your right)
- Follow directions from the west (Market St is Route 209 North, traffic light at Sheetz is first light)
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Fron the east (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton):
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- Take I-78 (Route 22) West to the Pottsville Exit (Exit 29 - Route 61 North)
- Follow directions from the south via Route 61
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From the west (Tremont, Tower City, Williamstown, Lykens):
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- Take Route 209 North into Pottsville, and follow through two traffic lights
- At the third traffic light, make a left onto 18th St (CACL Federal Credit Union will be on your left)
- Go two blocks, and make a right onto Elk Ave (second stop-sign)
- Follow Elk Ave for about three blocks - stadium is behind school on the left
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From the northeast (Tamaqua, Lansford, Nesquehoning, Jim Thorpe):
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- Take Route 209 South into Pottsville
- At the traffic light intersection with Route 61, turn right (KFC/Dunkin Donuts will be in front of you to the right)
- At the next traffic light, make a left onto Norwegian St (Sunoco gas station will be on your right)
- At the next traffic light, make a right onto Centre St (M&T Bank will be in front of you to the left)
- At the next traffic light, make a left onto Market St
- Follow Market St through two traffic lights
- At the third traffic light, make a right onto 16th St
- Follow 16th St down then up a hill to the right - stadium is behind school on the left
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Check back soon for more stadium information and pictures.
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