Original Berry Bowl center court artifact on display at Cass County Historical Museum
The Class of 1973 was the last to graduate from the original home of Logansport High School before the building was demolished in 1975. The historic Berry Bowl was also razed in the process, but pieces of it were saved by various community members and entities. Just over a year ago, members of the Class of 1973 were made aware of an important piece of local sports history that was available: the iconic center court section from the old Berry Bowl basketball court.
The business where it had been displayed had closed. The large circular section of the original Berry Bowl floor — long a symbol of generations of Logansport basketball tradition and countless other school memories including commencements, concerts, assemblies, and music performances — was purchased by the Class of 1973 and has since been carefully preserved at the Cass County Historical Museum, located at 421 East Broadway in Logansport. To preserve and properly showcase the historic artifact, the class commissioned Patrick Rentschler, of Grass Creek Lumber, to design and construct a custom display cabinet suitable for the size and significance of the piece.
The completed display was installed on Wednesday and officially becomes part of the museum’s exhibits after Memorial Weekend. “The old Berry Bowl remains one of Logansport’s most treasured athletic landmarks and continues to hold a special place in the memories of generations of athletes, students, and community members,” a press release from the Historical Society stated. “The preservation and public display of the center court section will help ensure that this important piece of Logansport’s basketball heritage can be appreciated and remembered by future generations.
” The Museum is open 10 a. m. to 4 p.
m. Tuesday through Thursday.