Southside in Elmira in Chemung County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The First Professional Football Night Game Played Under the Lights.
Photographed by Greg D. Tranter, November 21, 2025
1. The First Professional Football Night Game Played Under the Lights. Marker
Site of the First Professional Football Night Game Played Under the Lights. On November 21, 1902, the Philadelphia Athletics defeated the Kanaweola Athletic Club 39-0 at the Maple Avenue Driving Park in this Historic Game.
Erected 2025 by City of Elmira.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is November 21, 1902.
Location. 42° 4.853′ N, 76° 46.877′ W. Marker is in Elmira, New York, in Chemung County. It is in Southside. It is on Luce Street close to Fair Street, on the right when traveling east. Located at the entrance to Dunn Field. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 546 Luce Street, Elmira NY 14904, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Southern Tier. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sullivan's Army Encampment (approx. 0.7 miles away); Earliest Methodist Preaching (approx. Ύ mile away); Old Ferry (approx. 0.9 miles away); Dewittsburgh (approx. one mile away); Elmira (approx. 1.1 miles away); Citizens Cascade (approx. 1.2 miles away); 1776-1796 (approx. 1.2 miles away); 107th New York Volunteers (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elmira.
Regarding The First Professional Football Night Game Played Under the Lights.. It was a balmy 64 degrees with a slight north wind at the Maple Avenue Driving Park for the 8 p.m. kickoff of the first professional football game played under the lights. A local team, the Kanaweola Athletic Club was playing against the Philadelphia Athletics, a Major League Baseball team playing football in the offseason to generate more interest in its franchise. Electric lights were set up along the sidelines and giant searchlights glared from behind the goal posts, at times shining in the eyes of the participants. The nighttime environment brought on an all-new experience into the game, imbuing it with a sense of excitement and suspense. The Kanaweola players were decked out in their pink and green uniforms while the Athletics sported their navy and white jerseys and pants.
From the outset the talent, size and strength of Philadelphia was obvious. The As jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead behind the powerful running of Bull Davidson. As described by the Elmira Star-Gazette, Before the whirlwind charges of the visitors forwards the wheelmans line crumbled like a house built on sands, and the heavy backs went crashing, tearing through for gains from five to eighty yards. Davidson on one play crashed through the center of the Kanaweola line, hurdled a couple would-be tacklers and raced 80 yards for a touchdown.
The Kanaweola offense had some success moving the ball in the first half. Twice they moved into Philadelphia scoring territory, but both times were turned away by the stout defense of the visitors.
The Athletics displayed a level of strategic play, calculated techniques, and robust physicality that overwhelmed their opponent. Philadelphias brute strength and size wore down Kanaweola in the second half and the As put 22 more points on the board. The closest Kanaweola came to scoring was on a 35-yard field goal attempt by Jimmy Dean, but it was wide by five feet and the club did not get another chance to put points on the board. Davidson was the star of the game, scoring four touchdowns for the Athletics, highlighted by his 80-yard run. The local teams defense was only able to stop the Philadelphia offense once on downs and once forced the visitors to kick. Such was the power of the Athletics offense.
The local paper lauded the Wheelmen for their efforts: No finer exhibition of fighting spirit was ever shown on the Maple Avenue gridiron than that of the home team. Although outclassed and outweighed, they fought furiously and contested every inch of the ground, never giving up one inch that was not earned until the final whistle blew for the end of the game. Despite the lopsided 39-0 final score, several Kanaweola players were recognized as having played particularly well.
The significance of the Kanaweola/Athletics game was lost for many years before it was finally recognized several decades later as the first professional football game played under the lights. The players who participated in the game probably did not realize at the time that they were making history. And night football helped transform professional football into the countrys most popular spectator sport.
Also see . . .
1. Dunn Field (Elmira, New York) (Wikipedia). (Submitted on November 29, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Kanaweola Athletic Club (Wikipedia). (Submitted on November 29, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Additional keywords. Elmira
Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2025, by Greg D. Tranter of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 125 times since then and 63 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 24, 2025, by Greg D. Tranter of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?
