Life on a Tidal River

Research and text contributed by Caleb, Patrick, Cole, Riley, and Nathan

Football in the '40s

Although the game of football originated in the late 19th century from the British game of rugby, it wasn’t until the 1940s that the modern version of football developed, partly in response to the large numbers of men who went to war. For example, the free substitution rule went into effect in 1941, proving to be the salvation of college football. Prior to this, substitutions were only allowed if a player was injured. This simple change also revolutionized the game of football, allowing for more strategy. Also in response to the war, the northern states began to recruit African-Americans, and some college teams had to merge in order to survive. In 1943, the wearing of helmets was made mandatory which made it a much safer game. These helmets, however, were only made of leather which did not offer as much protection as today's standard helmets.

Bangor Football

Bangor High School enjoyed several successful football seasons during the early 1940's beginning with a State Championship in 1940. Leon Higgins, editor for the annual yearbook The Oracle, chronicled the 1941-1942 season during which Bangor won six games and lost two. They scored a total of 114 points and gave up only 27.