Herculaneum MO Historical Society

79 years ago today Pearl Harbor was attacked.... just ninety minutes after it started 2,386 Americans had died and another 1,139 were wounded. The Herculaneum Historical Society reminds all citizens to remember the members of the US military who perished in the attack and those who were wounded. The city remembers and thanks all military personnel who served our country during World War II.

HERCULANEUM BLACKCATS DEFEAT CRYSTAL CITY TO WIN JEFFERSON COUNTY CONFERENCE On Friday, February 28, 1964, the Herculaneum Blackcats hosted the Crystal City Hornets in what was the last game to be played in the old Herculaneum High School Gymnasium. The Blackcats would begin play in the new Robinson Gymnasium in the fall of 1964. The much anticipated game between the Blackcats and the arch-rival Hornets would be for the Jefferson County Conference Championship. The Blackcat...s had last won the championship during the 1957-58 season. On the afternoon of the game, everyone was required to exit the high school building and if they wanted to attend the game would have to line up outside the school and wait in line to pay admission. I remember standing in line with my friends as we were not going to miss this game! As expected, attendance at the game was huge. In the small gymnasium, it was said that you couldn’t get another person in even with a shoe horn. Several fans from both schools had to be turned away. Once the game began, it did not disappoint! There was never a dull moment in the game with each minute being filled with excitement and the best competitive play from both teams. The score was neck and neck with no more than a five-point lead for either team. At the end of the first quarter, Crystal City was ahead by one point 14 to 13. The Blackcats then jumped ahead, but when the final buzzer sounded to end the second quarter, Crystal City led 28-27. In the third quarter the Blackcats led most of the time, but at the end of the quarter the score was tied 52-52. This set the stage for the very exciting fourth quarter. The two teams matched each basket for basket and with less than a minute to play Crystal City scored a basket making the score 60-58. A free throw by each team made the score 61-59. With only a handful of seconds remaining, Crystal City had the ball. Misreading the clock, a Crystal City player threw the ball in the air in celebration. The ball hit the ceiling and the referees stopped the clock with 4 seconds remaining to play in the quarter. With four seconds remaining, Bruce Thomas inbounded the ball to Mike Brady who made a baseball pass to Thomas as he crossed the center court line. Thomas received the ball and from about 25 feet away sank a basket as the buzzer sounded. The basket tied the score at 61-61 and forced a three-minute overtime period. In the overtime period, the Blackcats outscored the Hornets 7 to 4 making the final score 68-65. With the victory, the Blackcats won the Mineral Area Conference basketball title. Longtime fans of the Blackcats will tell you the February 28, 1964 game, was perhaps the greatest game in Blackcats basketball history.

HERCULANEUM BLACKCATS FOOTBALL TEAM 27-GAME UNBEATEN STREAK During the early 1960s, the Herculaneum Blackcats football team was a powerhouse in the Mineral Area Conference (MAC) comprised of high school teams from Jefferson County and St. Francois County. Each year the schedule included 10 games with 8 conference games and two non-conference games. In 1962, the Blackcats opened the season with a win over the Potosi Trojans 33-0 at Herculaneum. Following that game, the Blackca...Continue reading

CENTRAL OFFICE OF THE HERCULANEUM (DUNKLIN) R-5 SCHOOL DISTRICT Throughout the history of the Herculaneum (Dunklin) R-5 School District, the administrative central office of the school district has been located in four different buildings in Herculaneum. Little is known about where the board of education and superintendent had an office and meeting room prior to 1912. When the eight-room public school building was constructed in 1912, the district offices were located on the ...Continue reading

CHURCHES OF OLD TOWN HERCULANEUM As I was growing up in the older part of Herculaneum, all but one of the town’s churches were located in what is considered the older part of town. I am including photos of the churches as they appeared in the 1950s and 1960s. At one time there was a wooden sign located at the intersection of the Brown Street and Highway 61 (Joachim Avenue). On that wooden sign were the names of the various churches and times for their worship services. The s...Continue reading