UI's mascots before Herky....

[hknation]

First was "Burch" the bear:

1908

Iowa rooters enjoyed a new diversion at football games in the shape of a four-month-old bear cub named Burch. Taken from the Idaho hills and housed under the newly erected cement bleachers at Iowa Field, Burch took his place near the Iowa bench during all home games in 1908 and 1909. Known as “one of the boys,” the bear would occasionally dance for the crowd.

He also traveled with the team, as this story from the November 1908 edition of The Iowa Alumnus indicates: “Iowa’s cub bear, ‘Burch,’ is a feature of every trip the football team takes. While on the way to Missouri, one of the players was exercising the mascot on a depot platform when a passer-by poked the animal in the back with a stick. ‘Burch’ whirled and wrapped his paws around the man’s legs. The fellow thought his time had come and called for help so loudly that the city marshal rushed to the scene and threatened to arrest the entire team unless the mascot was muzzled. The boys, however, finally persuaded the officer that such a course was unnecessary.”

Cared for by Jimmie Barry, the much-loved guardian of Iowa Field, Burch met an untimely death by drowning in the Iowa River in March 1910.

Then came a dog, don't know the dog's name or it even had one? From the pic below, it appears that ROTC had the dog?

 

[Herkmeister]

Great stuff. Did not know either of them. Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[hexumhawk]

I knew about the bear but not the dog.

 

[wneff]

The dog was Rex. He was on the homecoming button one year, too.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Just think if we could have a live bear leading the team out onto the field instead of Herky. Much more intimidating to the opposing team.

....especially when he is allowed to roam their sideline freely during the game. Kinda hard to concentrate on the game when there's a frickin bear looking at you like you're the best meal he's seen in 3 months.

 

[Lone Clone]

Just think if we could have a live bear leading the team out onto the field instead of Herky. Much more intimidating to the opposing team.

....especially when he is allowed to roam their sideline freely during the game. Kinda hard to concentrate on the game when there's a frickin bear looking at you like you're the best meal he's seen in 3 months.

Does Colorado still have Ralphie the buffalo? She was a sight to behold.

 

[GnarlyBoy]

OT, but I was surprised to see Iowa Field (per one source) had a capacity of 30k at it's peak after south end zone seats were added. Replaced by Iowa Stadium in 1929. 30k is significant - not just a high school field.

 

[GnarlyBoy]

Also read where Herky the Mascot did not appear until sometime in the 50s.
Saw also that the Armory was not built in conjunction with the Field house. It was it's own stand-alone building until annexed to the Field House which was built about 5 years later. Have never seen a picture of what the Armory looked like prior to the Field house.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Also read where Herky the Mascot did not appear until sometime in the 50s.
Saw also that the Armory was not built in conjunction with the Field house. It was it's own stand-alone building until annexed to the Field House which was built about 5 years later. Have never seen a picture of what the Armory looked like prior to the Field house.

If you're in Iowa City sometime and can get into the Field House, there's a wall in the Main Gym briefly detailing the history of the FH along with the Armory. There's also some interesting pictures to go along with it, of how everything looked back then and it's crazy to think just how much it has changed.

It went from being an open field to well, let's be honest, kind of a cluster f-....and I mean that in a nice way to an extent.

P.S. there's a couple cool pictures of a football game being played in the Armory with the basketball court in the background (almost like a very old school Alamo Dome feel), and vice versa.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Here's a couple pictures I could find of both the Armory and Iowa Field:

And a pic of the Field House at its finest:

 

[Hawkeyes4Life247]

I love those pictures and remember seeing them on the wall in the field house. I always thought they were all of that main gym area in the Field House. Was the Armory a different building?

 

[Titanhawk2]

I love those pictures and remember seeing them on the wall in the field house. I always thought they were all of that main gym area in the Field House. Was the Armory a different building?

The armory is right behind the bleachers at the one end of the basketball court, that indoor football field in that one picture.

 

[Hawkeyes4Life247]

The armory is right behind the bleachers at the one end of the basketball court, that indoor football field in that one picture.

I graduated from Iowa in 2003. How different was the layout of the Field House/Armory after it became essentially the rec center for students? I always pictured what was our "main courts" with the track above them as the old basketball court where the team played, and where they turned it into racquetball courts and studios for things like fencing I always figured was where the bleachers used to sit. I'm starting to think that the layout was entirely different when it was used for varsity basketball. Was the gymnastic room and basketball courts next to it (I believe the North side of the building) always there for that purpose? What about the basketball courts on the other side of the pool area? Were they always there?

 

[ping72]

How, exactly, did the bear drown? Seems like there should be a story, there. Bears don't often drown in rivers.

 

[wneff]

According to the Daily Iowan, the arrival of Burch from Idaho in 1908 had been
heralded as a good omen for the team, but a disastrous football season ensued
and Burch fell out of favor with Iowa fans. Students quit wrestling with him as
he grew larger and more ferocious. Sadly, Burch met an untimely death when he
escaped out his pen (located in the old Iowa Field), was lost for over a week
and then fell through the ice on the Iowa River and drowned. When he heard of
Burch’s fate, Burch’s guardian “Jimmy” who was the “venerable” mower of the Iowa
Field, dissed the poor bear saying “Well, he was no kind o’ use anyhow.” When
questioned further, Jimmy admitted to fearing that Burch’s ghost would return to
haunt the campus and in that event, a new caretaker would be needed immediately.
Mr Dill, local taxidermist was unable to preserve Burch’s body, but did preserve
the head, and it was placed in the museum.

http://www.sbaunan.com/history-iowa-mascots/

 

[celgene]

****ing pathetic the way the bear was treated. Glad people are more enlightened today.

 

[pwhawk]

Does Colorado still have Ralphie the buffalo? She was a sight to behold.

Yes Ralphie is still going. My son spent 4 years as a Ralphie handler. Many, many stories Still the best mascot in all of college football.

 

[wneff]

Rex

 

[Herky T Hawk]

I graduated from Iowa in 2003. How different was the layout of the Field House/Armory after it became essentially the rec center for students? I always pictured what was our "main courts" with the track above them as the old basketball court where the team played, and where they turned it into racquetball courts and studios for things like fencing I always figured was where the bleachers used to sit. I'm starting to think that the layout was entirely different when it was used for varsity basketball. Was the gymnastic room and basketball courts next to it (I believe the North side of the building) always there for that purpose? What about the basketball courts on the other side of the pool area? Were they always there?

The old games were played on the main deck. The armory was torn down. You can still see where it was connected because they had to retrofit a wall into the old opening as seen in this picture.

The north gym and the gymnastics gym were there back in the day too. The upper deck bleacher area was filled in with walls to create additional rooms. Same goes for the lower deck area for the racquetball courts. You can see where the openings used to be in this picture.

Compared to what it looks like today.(Sorry for the political picture)

Here's a picture of the armory with the fieldhouse in the background.

Here's one where you can see the armory with the fieldhouse to the left of it, as well as see the north gym and gymnastics gym on the far left.

I'll say that it is going to be a sad day for me when they tear that building down. I never attended a bball game there, but I spent a lot of time playing pick up basketball.


Something else to note, the first collegiate 5 on 5 basketball game ever was played at the armory in Iowa City. But it was a different armory, not the one attached to the field house. The first one was on the east side of the river, near where the main library is today. The old Iowa Field was located where the current parking lot is south of EPB and west of the Main Library. The field's proximity to the river is what led to Birch's drowning since that is where he was kept and would have been one of the likely places he would have gone when he escaped.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Rex

This needs to be brought back.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

I can remember when the fieldhouse (was actually almost a field) with the dirt floor around the basketball court. Remember playing basketball on the courts behind the west stands back in the early 70s.

 

[anon_snp6dc585nnj4]

Money says people actually stood up back then and not on their hands.

 

[Hawkeyes4Life247]

The old games were played on the main deck. The armory was torn down. You can still see where it was connected because they had to retrofit a wall into the old opening as seen in this picture.

The north gym and the gymnastics gym were there back in the day too. The upper deck bleacher area was filled in with walls to create additional rooms. Same goes for the lower deck area for the racquetball courts. You can see where the openings used to be in this picture.

Compared to what it looks like today.(Sorry for the political picture)

Here's a picture of the armory with the fieldhouse in the background.

Here's one where you can see the armory with the fieldhouse to the left of it, as well as see the north gym and gymnastics gym on the far left.

I'll say that it is going to be a sad day for me when they tear that building down. I never attended a bball game there, but I spent a lot of time playing pick up basketball.


Something else to note, the first collegiate 5 on 5 basketball game ever was played at the armory in Iowa City. But it was a different armory, not the one attached to the field house. The first one was on the east side of the river, near where the main library is today. The old Iowa Field was located where the current parking lot is south of EPB and west of the Main Library. The field's proximity to the river is what led to Birch's drowning since that is where he was kept and would have been one of the likely places he would have gone when he escaped.

Thank you so much for the history lesson! I loved playing pick up games there as well. It was nice to live in Rienow and walk to the Field House to play ball or workout almost every day.