The Natick Immortals |
In the late 1800's, towns had hook and ladder teams as part of their fire departments. Beginning as practice they would compete against other towns to see who could pull their fire truck and set up a ladder the fastest. These became contests for prize money and events with thousands of paying spectators were not unusual.
The Natick (MA) Hook and Ladder teams in the late 1880's gained fame by setting many records. Many of the early leaders of athletic training competed for the Natick team as young men. This group, led by Mike Murphy, will dominate the field of athletic training early in the 20th Century. At one time these men would hold the athletic training positions at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn and Michigan, all the colleigiate athletic powers of the time. In 1934, sportswriter Grantland Rice will term the group the "Natick Immortals."
The "Natick Immortals" included:
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