Local Baseball

[W. Gray]

Alexander Cartwright introduced baseball in the east in 1845 and the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the nation's first professional baseball team in 1869.

Baseball caught on nationally and the Wilson County Citizen (Fredonia) reported in 1874 that a good professional baseball player could earn $2,000 a year.

Elk Falls fielded a team in 1875 known as the Elk Falls Resolutes. Besides the Resolutes, there were a few other amateur teams in Howard County including the Longton Grasshoppers and the Boston Clinch Bugs. Paw Paw also fielded a team. These teams not only played each other but also played against teams in Fredonia in Wilson County and Independence in Montgomery County. One can only imagine how rested these players might have been getting to games by bouncing around in a wagon behind horses, mules or oxen; by walking; or by riding a horse or mule.

They probably did not have uniforms and probably played only for civic pride.

Wichita reportedly fielded an all female team in 1873. Wonder what kind of clothing they wore.

In July 1875, the Longton Grasshoppers traveled to Boston and beat the Boston Clinch Bugs by a score of twenty-five to eighteen. The Longton nine won by scoring ten runs in the top of the ninth inning. Tom E. Thompson, not yet sixteen years old and working as a printer devil for the Howard County Ledger in Elk Falls, went to his old hometown to see the game and see if the Boston girls had forgotten him. Reportedly, they had not.

[Marcia Moore]

     The Paw Paw Cubs was the name of the Paw Paw community men's baseball team.  In the 1930's, the Paw Paw team's ball diamond was located in Calvin Monical's pasture.  
    The Salem Free Baptist Church on Upper Paw Paw also had its own baseball team that played other church teams.  

[flo]

this would have been in the mid 40's, but I remember my Dad playing baseball in a "pasture" that is now where Joanna Wilson has her doublewide, if memory serves me correctly.  Also attended a small circus in this same "pasture".
]

added later - should have mentioned that this was in Severy

[Marcia Moore]

     The Fiat Ball Team was known as the Fiat Giants.  When winter arrived each year, many of the baseball players switched to the sport of boxing.