The Quad-City Times - News, Sports and more from the Quad Cities region or Iowa and Illinois

You are not logged in.
Login

Log in to qctimes.com
Email:
Password:
Remember my information.
Register
Quadsville
Site Help

Plattevile plans Bears museum

Font Size:

By The Associated Press | Sunday, February 11, 2007 3:09 AM CST | () comments

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (AP) — Platteville may be about 25 miles north of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line, but this Wisconsin town considers itself Bears territory.

In fact, Platteville officials hope their town will be the site of a Chicago Bears training camp museum in the next year or two.

“Platteville is part of Chicago Bears history. And the Chicago Bears are part of Platteville’s history,” said Kathy Kopp, the Chamber of Commerce’s executive director. “It’s something that this community is very proud of, the fact that the Chicago Bears trained here for 18 years.”

The team relocated its training camp to Bourbonnais, Ill., in 2001 after the Illinois Legislature asked the Bears to move as part of a deal to fund improvements to Soldier Field.

Instead of feeling jilted, local residents say they still consider their town the Bears home away from home. Posters and signs supporting the team adorn downtown shops six years later.

The affection was apparently mutual. Before the Bears left town, the team bequeathed a $250,000 computer lab called the Bears Den to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

“They wanted to leave something, their legacy from the Chicago Bears, with the UW-Platteville. And that’s what this computer lab is,” said Curt Fatzinger, the school’s athletic-facilities coordinator.

The Chamber of Commerce hopes to open the museum this summer or next, Kopp said. She is also planning a training camp reunion for Bears fans, she said.