Hinckley in DeKalb County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Welcome to Hinckley
Harlem Globetrotters
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 24, 2025
1. Welcome to Hinckley Marker
Site of the first ever Harlem Globetrotters road game
January 7th, 1927
Erected 2016 by Harlem Globetrotters.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is January 7, 1927.
Location. 41° 46.174′ N, 88° 37.703′ W. Marker is in Hinckley, Illinois, in DeKalb County. It is on Lincoln Avenue (U.S. 30) 0.1 miles east of Sandwich Road. The sign greets visitors entering Hinckley from the east, near Hinckley-Big Rock High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 East Lincoln Avenue, Hinckley IL 60520, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Irving Wade (approx. 0.6 miles away); William H. Rissman (approx. 0.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lester Howard Wade (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Golden Age of Bands (approx. 0.6 miles away); Site of the First Permanent Settlement in DeKalb County (approx. 1.1 miles away); Bicentennial Grove (approx. 7 miles away); Stone Mill Museum (approx. 8.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hinckley.
Regarding Welcome to Hinckley. The Harlem Globetrotters, the famed barnstorming basketball team, originated in
this page online
Link 3 under "Also see..." examines the historical truth about the origins of the Harlem Globetrotters and, in particular, the game they played in Hinckley, a small town about 55 miles due west of Chicago. But the research in that article indicates that the game in Hinckley may have happened in 1929, not 1927.
A Globetrotters news release says that the 2016 game related to the erection of this sign was the Globetrotters' fourth appearance in Hinckley. In addition to the first game, they also played a 1966 game in Hinckley, and another in 2001 that was televised by ESPN Classic.
Also see . . .
1. Harlem Globetrotters. This article by the Hinckley Historical Society is about the Harlem Globetrotters dedicating this sign on U.S. 30 in 2016. (Submitted on May 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Globetrotters History. From the team's official
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 24, 2025
2. Welcome to Hinckley Marker
Hinckley-Big Rock High School is in the background.
3. The Harlem Globetrotters Very First Game. The Sports History Network examines the true story about the origins of the Harlem Globetrotters and their first game, played in Hinckley, Illinois. (Submitted on May 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Courtesy of Chicago History Museum (ICHi-040465), 1931
3. Harlem Globetrotters
Caption from the Chicago History Museum: "Posed portraits of Harlem Globetrotters players from the 1931 season, including Inman Jackson, Toots Wright, and Al Pullins. Some of the photographs are signed to coach Abe Saperstein."
Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 138 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on May 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
