Shoeless Wonders Historic Marker Unveiled

Written By Tim Gosnell

Historic Marker unveiled to honor barefoot football team

HumanKind celebrated the unveiling of a historic marker honoring the Shoeless Wonders  on Saturday, June 22. The Department of Historic Resources, members of the Shoeless Wonders football team and Mayor Treney Tweedy presided over a ceremony unveiling a historic marker honoring their contributions to history in the state of Virginia. 

From the 1920s to the 1950s, orphans from the Presbyterian Home (known today as HumanKind) dominated and defeated rival football teams. Too poor to even afford shoes, they played in their bare feet, and became known as The Shoeless Wonders. Their inspiration story gained national attention, and was featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”. Universal showcased the team in a black and white newsreel that played before films nationwide.

Live video of the ceremony can be found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/humankindva/videos

Photos:

Tim Gosnell
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