Hudson County View: Museum of Jersey City History to host talks on Roosevelt Stadium, Filipino community

Museum of Jersey City History to host talks on Roosevelt Stadium, Filipino community

By John Heinis

March 28, 2025

https://hudsoncountyview.com/museum-of-jersey-city-history-to-host-talks-on-roosevelt-stadium-filipino-community/

The Museum of Jersey City History will host discussions on their baseball legacy, including Roosevelt Stadium and the Jersey City Skeeters, as well as another on their vibrant Filipino community, next month.

Photo courtesy of the Museum of Jersey City History.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“The sports and community programs will be highlights of a very busy 2025 at the museum. We thank Hudson County for its support of both the MJCH and the JSQCA,” MJCH Vice President Michael Ehrmann said in a statement.

Fans of local baseball history and commuters who have seen the 14-foot statue of Jackie Robinson at PATH Plaza in Journal Square probably all know that the baseball legend made his professional debut at Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium.

That was in April 1946, one year before Robinson made his big league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But very few know that Jersey City’s roots in baseball date back to the 1860s.

Likewise, many people are aware of the Filipino community’s contribution to the city’s rich ethnic diversity, but not many know much about the deep history of Filipinos in Jersey City.

Those wanting to learn more about either or both subjects will have an opportunity to do so thanks to two talks being presented in early April at the Museum of Jersey City History (MJCH), located at 298 Academy St.

Joe Colford, Ph.D., grandson of a Jersey City Skeeters owner, will recount the city’s long connections with both major-league and minor-league baseball in a talk at the Museum on Saturday, April 5th, at 10 am.

The baseball talk is part of a series of talks on sports in Jersey City, focusing on arenas such as Roosevelt Stadium and the Jersey City Armory, and the athletes and teams that performed there.

The talks are being given in conjunction with a major exhibit on sports in Jersey City to be opened at the Museum in mid-April.

The talks and exhibits are supported in part by a Historic Grant from the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development (funding is from both the County and the New Jersey State Historical Commission).

On Thursday, April 10, at 7 pm, Nestor Palugod Enriquez, who emigrated to the United States in the 1960s from the Philippines after serving with the U.S. Navy and who later served as assistant city comptroller in Jersey City, will discuss the vibrant journey of the local Filipino community.

The talk on the Filipino community is the first in a series of four focusing on the contributions of different groups to the city’s rich racial and ethnic diversity.

Other talks will focus on the roles of the Black, Puerto Rican and Indian communities.

The Journal Square Community Association is co-sponsoring this Community Series of talks and exhibits that will be developed for each community.

The Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development awarded the JSQCA a grant to support the community programming.

Ehrmann also expressed gratitude to Mayor Steven Fulop, the city council, and Cultural Affairs Director Christine Goodman for getting the museum (now an independent non-profit organization) started and providing its new home at the Apple Tree House about three years ago.

Both talks are free and will also be livestreamed via Zoom and those interested in participating virtually are asked to RSVP at the museum’s website.