Most people won’t be able to visit Cooperstown or Canton or Springfield or South Bend or wherever there is a sports Hall of Fame.

Friday, August 03, 2001

Most people won’t be able to visit Cooperstown or Canton or Springfield or South Bend or wherever there is a sports Hall of Fame.

But those people can visit Ironton.

John Carpenter, who owns the world’s largest privately owned sports collection, will bring his prized souvenir collection to the Lawrence County Museum this weekend and offer the public a chance to see part of his memorabilia.

The collection has been given the distinction of "world’s largest private sports collection " by Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Carpenter will have some of his collection on display from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Carpenter has more than 4,000 sports items in his collection.

This will mark the fourth time Carpenter has put set up his collection for publicviewing. His three previous shows have drawn 1,253 people.

Besides the collection, an ice cream social will be held on the museum lawn Sunday, Aug. 5.

The Lawrence County Museum is located at 506 S. Sixth St.