This article originally appeared in the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau

What does an appleknocker have to do with basketball?   Visit the Hometown Teamsexhibit in Cobden, IL from March 1 to April 13 and find out.  The Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit is open on Thurs.- Sat. from 10am to 5pm and, on Sundays from 1 to 5pm.

From Wheaties cereal to Title IX, learn how sports have shaped and been shaped by our American culture and hear the local sports stories that stir up our Southern Illinois pride.

The exhibit seeks to use sports to reflect the trials and triumphs of the American experience that have shaped the country’s national character, and to capture the history and pride of communities through the prism of sports. All levels of sports will be covered, from professional match-ups to pick-up games on the local playground. The exhibition is national in theme and local in scope, with Union County Historical Society interpreting the exhibit to share their local history, legends, and memorabilia in the community.

And if we’re not playing, we’re watching: in the stands, on the fields with our sons and daughters, or in our living rooms with friends in front of a television. Football, baseball, and basketball capture our attention most, but more and more, other non-traditional sports vie for our time and support. On any given weekend in America, sports are a big part of what we do.

 Local Exhibit Related Events
– “Mixing Business & Pleasure: Merchant Teams, Etc.” – Sunday, 3/9 at 2p
– “A Team Apart: Segregation in Sports, 1924-1954″ – Sunday, 3/16 at 2p
– “The Amazing Appleknockers: 50 Years Later” – Sunday, 3/23 at 2p
– “We Can Do It!: Before and After Title IX” – Sunday, 3/30 at 2p   
– “There’s No ‘I’ in Hometown Teams” – Sunday, 4/6 at 2p

For more information, contact the Union County Historical and Genealogy Society at (618) 893-2865 or (618) 893-2882.   This exhibition is free and open to the public.