Gazing upon this unassuming marble tablet on Boston Common, one might not guess its monumental significance. This, my friends, is the Oneida Tablet. It commemorates the Oneida Football Club, the very first organized football club in the United States. Formed in 1862, the Oneida Football Club wasn’t quite the football we know today. They played a unique version, sometimes called the “Boston Game,” a blend of soccer and rugby, years before American football’s formal rules. Imagine young men from Boston’s elite prep schools, battling it out right here, where we stand. The Oneida team, captained by Gerrit Smith Miller, was undefeated from 1862 to 1865. Legend claims their goal was never crossed, not even once. The team played on Boston Common, making this very ground hallowed turf for American football history. The Oneida Tablet, dedicated in November 1925, stands as a tribute to these pioneering athletes. The front inscription proudly proclaims, “On this field the Oneida Football Club of Boston, the first organized football club in the United States, played against all comers from 1862 to 1865. The Oneida goal was never crossed.” Turn the tablet around, and you’ll find another inscription. It lists each of the sixteen original team members, forever etched in stone. So, as you stroll across Boston Common, take a moment to appreciate this understated monument to the origins of American football. The Oneida Tablet reminds us that even the greatest sports have humble beginnings.
Rumney Marsh Burial Ground
A chill wind whispers through the aged headstones. This is Rumney Marsh Burial Ground. This historic cemetery dates back to