Birth of McCoy Stadium
The first visible sign of townwide
fervor with football & track was symbolized by the construction of
McCoy Stadium which replaced old Kane Field. In 1929 Paul D. Hamlin, son
of Delano R. Hamlin
and Eugenia McCoy Hamlin,
financed the construction of an outstanding stadium and named it "McCoy
Stadium" to create a permanent memorial to uncle Dr.
H. L. McCoy. Dr. McCoy helped raise his nephew following the early
death of Paul?s father during his childhood. The doctor attended nearly
every baseball game at the new stadium named in his honor and was an ardent
fan of the Smethport team. McCoy Stadium also became the center of the
early Smethport High School football program until the construction of
the current football stadium in 1985. In 2002 light towers were constructed
at the field allowing night baseball games to be played. A stone memorial
is located at the southwest entrance of the stadium that commemorates Paul?s
gift to his uncle.
The 1930s and 1940s brought
Paul Hergenrother, Paul Griffin, Johnny Jones, Dobie Studholme, and Art
McDermott. Rivalry with arch-enemy Port Allegany was fierce. These intense
rivalries date back to the 1890s and continue just as strong today. |
