Legends of Pine Village, Indiana: Professional Football Team Undefeated for Thirteen Years

In the early years of the sport of football, a professional team from my hometown of Pine Village, Indiana, made national news. The legendary Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe carried the ball for Pine Village. Do you suppose I exaggerate? You can begin to answer that question by reading this historical marker. Next, see this photograph, one of several illustrations accompanying Phil Richards’ story for Indystar.com, which you can peruse if you are a paid subscriber. Also, see Doris Cottingham’s book entitled Pine Village Football: The Inside “Dope” (2001). Doris, who taught English at Pine Village High School, wrote an excellent summary of her research.

A Few Members of the Famous Football Team

of Pine Village, Indiana: Charlie Rhode and

Charlie’s Cousin Claire Rhode in Front Row,

Charlie’s Brother Seymour A. Rhode

Third from Left in Back Row with Sister Bertha

Richards said, “Pine Village eventually became the Pros and although they never belonged to the NFL, theirs is perhaps the most fascinating story of Indiana’s early football history. By 1914, when Pine Village beat the Mickey Club of Indianapolis 111-0, its legend was growing. By 1915, they … had begun signing the first of many stars from Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame, Wabash and DePauw. They went 8-0 that season and outscored their opponents 271-0, according to accounts meticulously compiled by Cottingham.” The team was undefeated from 1903 until 1916. No rival scored against the team for 111 games in a row.

The Famous Football Team of Pine Village, Indiana:

Charlie Rhode Second from Left in Second Row from Top

and His Cousin Claire Rhode, Team Manager, at Right

Incidentally, this paragraph from Doris’ article has a contemporary ring: “Coverage of high school and independent football focused more on the drinking and rowdyism of the spectators and the dangers of the game and injuries to the players. Editors pointed out that the bodies of young teenagers were in no condition to withstand the rough playing of the sport. Many said it should be banned in high school. Skimpy uniforms with little padding offered no protection. Parents, especially mothers, were concerned about injuries, and for several years newspapers at the end of the football season would list high school players throughout the country who had died as a result of football injuries. Many small town school authorities ruled out football as a school sport, and it was soon replaced by basketball. Pine Village high school football was discontinued in 1912.” The famous Pine Village team was an independent organization that we would call a pro team today.

The Famous Football Team of Pine Village, Indiana:

Claire Rhode, Team Manager, Fourth from Left in Front Row

and His Cousin Seymour A. Rhode Fifth from Left in Back Row

On December 20^th in 1971, I published a story in the Pine Village High School newspaper, which I edited. Entitled “Football Was Alive Here Then,” my article featured my interviews with my great uncle Charles J. Rhode and Eli Fenters, who played for the team. Charles’ cousin Claire Rhode was the manager during the halcyon years. The title of my article was a quotation from Uncle Charlie. A reprint of my article can be viewed here: http://www.wwtpl.lib.in.us/HistoryRecordView.aspx?historyRecordID=930.

I will admit that it challenges my imagination to picture the great football matches that my ancestors played and that drew such widespread attention. What must it have been like to play a game shoulder to shoulder with Jim Thorpe? Richards says the team’s “most famous game was a 1915 Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Purdue All-Stars. Team manager Claire Rhode imported Thorpe, an Olympic gold medalist and Canton Bulldogs star, for a one-game stint at a cost of $250 plus expenses. The investment paid. ‘Jim Thorpe, with a little assistance from the Pine Village team,’ beat the All-Stars 29-0, reported the Lafayette Daily Courier.” An anecdote often repeated when I was growing up might be based on fact. Supposedly, Jim Thorpe complimented Eli Fenters as the best “natural quarterback” Thorpe had ever encountered. When I interviewed Fenters late in his life, he possessed a quiet strength that made me believe the anecdote.