The Alton Base Ball Clubs of 1858

The Alton Base-Ball Club. - Pursuant to notice, a meeting was held on the evening of May 18, to organize a club, on which occasion J.H. Hibbard was called to the chair.  The chairman made a few remarks, explanatory of the object of the organization, the meting proceeded to elect officers, J.J. Hibbard was duly elected President; John Bailer, Vice-President; J.M. Stauton, Secretary; Thomas Diminock, Treasurer; A.J. Hawley, Br. Hez. Williams and E.T. Sneernigen, Executive Committee.

The Upper Alton Base Ball Club, the name of the officers I am not in receipt of , which was organized a short time after, sent us a challenge to play a match game, on Saturday, the 19th of June, which was accepted by our club; each side had five innings, and thirteen players each, with the following result:

The Alton Base-Ball Club made...224 rounds
The Upper Alton Base-Ball Club made...90 rounds

L.B. Sidway, George S. Ferguson, Joseph Quigley, scorers and umpires.  I remain your obd't servant,  One of the A.B.B.C.

-Mears Baseball Scrapbook, Volume 4, 1856-1907


Based on information in the Protoball Chronology, this probably comes from Porter's Spirit of the Times, Volume 4, Number 20 (July 17, 1858). 

I've written before about these Alton clubs and the significance of the source material that we have on them and their games.  These are the earliest known baseball clubs in the St. Louis area and their matches are the earliest known matches for which we have a contemporary source.  They, of course, were not playing the New York game but, rather, a local variant of American baseball.  It's unknown if this variant, with five innings a game and thirteen a side, was prevalent throughout the St. Louis area or unique to Alton but it's an interesting glimpse at baseball in the St. Louis area prior to the introduction of the New York game.   

First-Class Agricultural Improvements And Accomplishments

The Chicago Journal in speaking of this subject says, "Judging from the extent and character of various County Fairs, in this and other States, games of base ball and horse racing are evidently considered first-class "agricultural" improvements and accomplishments.  Less of both would be more creditable to all concerned."

We hear the same complaint from nearly all the Fairs in this part of the State.

-Alton Telegraph, September 20, 1867

The Red Caps First Match?

The Red cap base ball club, of Edwardsville, will play the Eureka club, of Brighton, at Alton, on Saturday next.

-The Edwardsville Intelligencer, July 13, 1871

This was, most likely, the first match game for the Red Caps, an Edwardsville club formed by the merger of the Magnolia and Chargog clubs during the first week of July 1871.     

The 1879 Brown Stockings Struggle To Schedule Games

The Brown Stockings, who now have a nine well able to cope with any professional team in the country, have thus far found it a matter of difficulty to arrange contests with outside clubs, and as they are more than a match for the really skillful amateurs with whom they have crossed bats this season, their games have not proved as exciting as their admirers desire.  This afternoon, however, should the weather permit, the St. Louis favorites will meet a club strong enough to make them play ball to win, the Alton boys, who have been easily defeating everything in their neck of the woods, having arranged to do battle with the Brown Stockings at the Grand Avenue Park.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 29, 1879

Ironically, the Alton club failed, without explanation, to show up for the game and the Brown Stockings were forced to play a picked nine.  

An Interesting 1858 Reference To Bats And Balls

In the November 11, 1858 issue of the Alton Weekly Courier, there's a long article praising the virtue of "Physical Culture" and the salatory effects of physical exercise. The article contains the following quote:

We have been content to use our arms in driving quills, and measuring tape, and holding books-we need to go out under the glorious sun and try them at pitching quoits, throwing balls and wielding bats and cricket clubs.

Attribution of the piece is difficult because there is no specific author named or source mentioned. There's nothing in the piece that specificly mentions Alton or the St. Louis area but there are some references that could lead one to believe that the piece was written elsewhere and then picked up by the Weekly Courier. While it's difficult to make a judgement, I'd bet the piece was not specific to the Weekly Courier. Regardless, it is one of only a handful of references that we have to bat and ball games in the St. Louis papers during the antebellum era.

A Brief Mention Of The Active Club Of Alton

The Active Base Ball Club was organized in the latter part of July of the current year (1866).  Wm. D. Perrin, President, and E.B. Parke, Secretary.

-Gazetteer of Madison County


James T. Hair's history of Madison County was published in 1866 and, while I haven't sat down and read the entire thing, I'm really looking forward to going through it.  I'm pretty sure that I've found the only mention of baseball in its three hundred pages but I was actually pleasantly surprised to find what I did.

Reading the introduction, I did find this quote: "The Mississippi Valley is the garden of the world and (Madison County) is its center."  I don't know about Madison County being the center of the Mississippi River valley but I love that description of the valley.  A bit off topic, I know, but I've never found a more beautiful place on earth than the valley that's formed by the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.    

The Old And Popular Pastime Of Base Ball

The Ball Club

The young men of our city, on Monday evening last, perfected the organization of a "Ball Club," for the purpose of indulging in the old and popular pastime of "Base Ball." A Constitution, By-Laws, and set of Rules for the Government of the club were adopted, and the following officers were elected:

J.H. Hibbard, President; John Beilar, Vice President; J.M. Stanton, Secretary; and Thos. Dimmock, Treasurer.

The first game, under the organization, will be played this afternoon, at two o'clock, on what is known as "State House Square," in Middle Alton.

We make this announcement with unqualified pleasure, and hope that the Club will long flourish in active harmony. We understand that some sixty members have already enrolled their names, and it will probably increase to one hundred. The initiation fee is only twenty-five cents. the regular games will be played every Friday afternoon, at the hour named above. Young men whose business is of an in-door sedentary character should enter heartily into the games of this Club; they will derive much benefit therefrom.

-Alton Weekly Courier, June 3, 1858, page 1


What was it I was saying the other day about pushing back the darkness of our knowledge?

This is great stuff. We have names of members/officers, the number of members, the cost for joining the club, the location of playing grounds, stuff about the organization of the club, and when their first game was played. I really couldn't ask for more from a source.

But, topping all of this, is a fantastic reference to "the old and popular pastime of 'Base Ball.'" This seems to me to confirm Tobias' assertion that what he called "town ball" was indeed popular in the St. Louis area before the arrival of the New York game. It also suggests that the game, or a form of it, had been played in the area for some time. What "old" means specifically is impossible to know but the city of Alton was only forty years old when this account was written. And in a quick (but interesting) aside, the city was founded in 1818 by Rufus Easton of St. Louis and named after his son Alton Easton , the father of future Union Club member Archibald Easton. St. Louis itself was founded in 1763 and Europeans first settled in the area in 1699 at Cahokia.

So is it conceivable that they were playing some form of a safe haven, bat and ball game called base ball in Alton for forty years? It's certainly within the realm of possibility. If the game was "old" to the writer of the Courier piece and that writer was a twenty-odd year old young man then we can say the game had been played in Alton since at least the 1830's. And what of St. Louis proper? Was the city of St. Louis influencing the game played in Alton or was the reverse true? Or was it a mutual relationship? If this form of ball play in Alton dated back forty years, to 1818 or the early 1820's then one would have to believe that game play in St. Louis was influencing game play in Alton. What kind of influence did Illinois towns like Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and Vandalia have on game play in Alton and St. Louis, if any?

Doing a quick search, I found this interesting tidbit from a A History of Alton: "After the end of the Indian troubles in 1832, Alton grew rapidly in business and population. Many people came into the city, mainly from the Eastern States." If a reasonably conservative estimate of when this form of base ball first started to be played in Alton is sometime in the 1830's than what role did a heavy influx of Easterners have on the development of the game? Was it a form of the game introduced from the East or was it a hybrid of an Eastern game and an indigenous form?

Lots of questions and few answers (for the moment).

An 1870 East Side Match

The Magnolia base ball club of Edwardsville visited Alton on Thursday last to play a match game of base ball with the Wide Awake club of that city. The day was very hot and the game lasted between four and five hours, and resulted in the defeat of the Wide Awakes. The score stood Magnolia, 50; Wide Awakes, 34. At the conclusion of the game the latter felt so mortified at being beaten that with but one exception they could not treat their opponents with common politeness.

-Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 9, 1870

The Active Base Ball Club Of Alton

At the match game of Base Ball played at Litchfield, August 30, 1866, between the "Prairie" of Litchfield and the "Active" of Alton, the following was the score...(Prairie 64, Active 36)...

The "Prairie" Club victorious by 28 runs. Time of game three hours and forty-five minutes. Umpire, E.L. Metcalf. Scorer E.T. Atwood.

Baldwin field captain of "Active" club, Forrester field captain "Prairie" club.

-Alton Telegraph, September 7, 1866


Playing for the Prairie Club was Forrester, p; Finch, 3b; McWilliams, c; Tuttle, lf; McAllister, rf; Zink, cf; Ayers, 2b; White, ss; Hood, 1b. Playing for the Active Club was Baldwin, c; Perrin, 1b; Sioman, cf; Morrison, 2b; Kellenberger, 3b; Dobelbower, rf; Clement, p; Smith, ss; Schweppe, lf.

Without checking my notes I'd say that this is the earliest reference to a baseball club on the Illinois side of the river that I've seen. It's certainly the earliest contemporary source that I've seen mentioning an East side club.

An 1858 Match Game In Alton

A Match Game

Some time since we noticed the organisation, in our city, of a Base Ball Club. Since then, the Club has played from one to three games every week, the regular games being played on Friday afternoons, and the members have become very expert. Last week they accepted a challenge to play a match game with the Upper Alton Club. The game was played on Saturday afternoon, by twelve picked men from each Club, upon the Alton Club ground, in Middle Alton, the latter winning in five innings, by one hundred and thirty-four rounds. The game stood at the close: Alton Club, 224 rounds; Upper Alton Club, 90 rounds. We are told, however, that the Upper Alton boys played at a disadvantage, being on strange ground, and three of their best players being sick. It is admitted by some of the members of the winning Club, that had the advantages been equal, the contest would have been a close one, and the result perhaps entirely different. We presume it will be tried again.

-Alton Weekly Courier, June 24, 1858


This reference to a baseball match in Alton in 1858 is similar to the Porter's Spirit of the Times July 17, 1858 reference that's used in the Protoball Chronology. Interestingly, the Spirit of the Times article is written in the first person while this one is not which rules out the Courier piece being the direct source for the Spirit of the Times reference although it's possible that they share a common author.

Update: After writing this I noticed one discrepancy between the two sources. The Spirit of the Times source mentions thirteen players per side and the Courier source mentions twelve.

The significance of this article, as I wrote before, is that it is the earliest reference to a safe haven game in the St. Louis area of which we're aware. Actually, what I wrote was that it was the earliest reference to a non-cricket safe haven game that I know of but checking my notes I noticed that the earliest reference to a cricket game I have is from November of 1858 and the earliest reference to a cricket club is from September of 1858 so this Courier piece predates both of those by several months. As of right now, this is the line between the light and the darkness. We have direct contemporary evidence of a safe haven game being played in the St. Louis area in June of 1858 with club formation in May of 1858. While I have no doubt that safe haven games were being played in the St. Louis area earlier then this, that's speculative with nothing to back it up other than Tobias' vague reference to the popularity of town ball and cricket in the area prior to the arrival of the New York game.

Of course, this Courier article is not a reference to the New York game. The earliest reference to the New York game in the St. Louis area continues to be the notice for the Cyclone/Morning Star match that ran in the Missouri Democrat in July of 1860. The Courier piece does nothing to change the time line regarding the advent of the New York game in St. Louis. What it does is give us more information about the nature of St. Louis bat and ball games and clubs prior to the formation of the Cyclone Club in the summer of 1859.

This, of course, raises significant questions. What kind of game exactly was the Alton Base Ball Club and the Upper Alton Base Ball Club playing if it wasn't "baseball?" If it isn't the New York game (and based on the fact that they were using twelve men per side and playing only five innings, it's easy to say that it wasn't) than what is it? Well, the simplest answer, as it's been pointed out to me, is that they were playing a bat and ball game that was known, in Alton, as "base ball." It was simply a local variation of a safe haven game that they happened to call base ball and, based on Tobias' recollections, was likely similar to what was more commonly called town ball. How was the game played? I don't know. How was the field laid out? Don't know. What kind of rules were used? Don't know. Was this game specific to Alton or was it played throughout the St. Louis area? Don't know.

Certainly, the lack of answers to these specific questions seems frustrating but it really isn't. We now have numerous sources showing that safe haven games were being played in the St. Louis area in 1858 and that has a significant impact on our understanding of the origins and development of baseball in St. Louis. And over time we're going to find more references, more sources, more information and we're going to continue to push back the darkness on our knowledge. This is a good thing.

Note: If you ever look at the tags that I add to each post or use the list of tags in the sidebar, you may have noticed that I misspelled "origins." Yeah...I'm embarrassed. And I'm really not sure if I can fix it without changing the tag on each individual post. I'll have to look into it. Of course, I'm sure that my poor spelling (and grammar) is not a shock to any regular readers of this blog.

Baseball At Shurtleff College

Shurtleff College was planted by New England Baptists, and consecrated with prayer to the education of a Baptist ministry, and for over thirty-five years it has been true to its mission. The churches of the Mississippi Valley have looked to it for their chief supply of educated ministers. Nearly an hundred preachers went forth from it before the theological department was opened...With earnest piety Shurtleff has united elevated patriotism. Though on the borders of rebellion, she has sent more men into the army than any other college in the West. In the dark days of the republic her whole body of students enlisted as three month men, and the Trustees gave up their Commencement to enable them to serve their country...

The Theological School has now been five years in operation, and has graduated three classes. About thirty students are now pursuing study in the regular course, and there are about fifty students for the ministry in the collegiate course. Both the School and the College have doubled their numbers during the last four years, and have quite overgrown their present accommodations.

-Alton Daily Telegraph (quoting the Watchman and Reflector), December 7, 1868


In 1827, Reverend John Mason Peck established a theological school near Belleville, Illinois and in 1832 he moved the school to Alton, naming it the Alton Seminary. In 1835, Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff donated ten thousand dollars to the Seminary, which was used for the construction of new buildings and the establishment of a professorship of oratory, and the name of the school was changed in 1836 in honor of its benefactor. In 1957, Shurtleff College, the oldest Baptist college west of the Appalachians, was absorbed by the Southern Illinois University system and is currently used as the campus for the university's dental school.

And it just so happens that in 1867 Shurtleff College had a baseball club.

Below we append the score of the match game of base ball between the "Shurtleff" Base Ball Club, of Upper Alton, and the "Athletic" Base Ball Club, of Carlinville (Illinois) played Saturday, October 26th, on the grounds of the "Athletic," in Carlinville..."

-Alton Telegraph, November 1, 1867

The Shurtleff College club defeated the Athletics of Carlinville by a score of 38-30. In their summary of the game, the Telegraph made note of the number of "fly-catches" made by each club (thirteen apiece) and the number missed (two each). The umpire of the game was Mr. L. Dubois of the Athletic Base Ball Club of Springfield, Illinois.

Agonia

"When Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war.

When Shurtleff meets Shurtleff the contest thickens, the encounter hands in the balance, and the result becomes doubtful. Frequently have we seen the array of brain and mental vigor against the brain and mental vigor-declaimer against declaimer, debater against debater, and orator against orator, when the result seemed to be uncertain, the choice so nearly equal. But Saturday last we witnessed the array of muscle, bone, joints and activity, against activity, joints, bone and muscle. At first muscle was in the ascendant, 24 to 9, bearing down all beneath it, when activity came the rescue, and, aided by joints, muscle was compelled to relax, making the contest nearly equal. Again muscle takes the lead, supplemented by activity, is hotly pursued, and even outstripped by counter muscle and activity 33 to 32.

The Freshmen class were arrayed against a picked nine from the College in a game of baseball. The Shurtleff club had beaten the Atletics, of Carlenville, by a score of 38 to 30, the Actives, of Alton, 52 to 14, and the Bluff City, 59 to 10. Now a part of the Shurtleffs meet a part of the Shurtleffs, and it is "nip and tug" with only a slight gravitation towards tug.

The Freshman took the ins, and with K. Dubois to pitch and F. Dubois to catch, and promised hard work to their opponents. Though Fred at the bat did not play with his usual skill, yet as catcher took balls under all circumstances, sending them swiftly to the 2d base, stopping short the run of one and another. K. Dubois, being hurt in the beginning of the game, was unable to pitch for a few innings; in which the College seemed to gain an advantage, making 15 runs in two innings, but recovering somewhat, he checked their gain, and made a good score for himself. Riggs was at home in his part of the field, and no wonder, for he hails from Rockford, and has seen the "Forest City" play. A ball from the bat coming near him is a fly catch or is on a very short route to the first base, where Stookey was well prepared to hold every one of them. Simpson, at the 2b, took good care of it, of all balls that came to him, and when he appeared at the bat he was there to some purpose. A. Phillips, Gilham and Haugh, in the field, did good service, the last taking three fly balls in succession (applause), the former two, and played well at the bat and base, the first on forced run, saving a tally by swift running.

We noticed in the playing of the College nine that Castle hit the ball hard and caught well, putting out 13 men on foul strikes. Starne light of foot, sure of hand and swift as Achilles, made one-fifth of the whole scores. Merriam did some heavy batting, caught two fly balls in fine style, and added six to the score. McFarland went in on his muscle, put out one on the first base, another and then another to emphasize it. Beran as usual used but one hand in striking, but hit full double-handed blows, and showed himself "no sardine" at catching. At one period of the game Dixon was seen pursuing a foul ball. The ball hit by Clawson, was going swiftly, and Dixon, was going swiftly ten feet at a stride; the ball made a bound and Dixon made a jump, catching it fair, by reaching out one hand apparently two yards (applause). Stiffler attended well to the 3d base, took foul balls, and gave more than one the sad pleasure of walking to the home base as slowly as he chose. J.E. Phillips batted fair, adding four to the score, while Corey gave the ball some of the hardest hits, and as a fielder sent it quickly to the place where needed.

At the close of the ninth inning, a hasty count announced 33 for the College, and 34 for the Freshmen. (Great cheering for the latter.) A second count increased the cheers, as it showed a drawn game of 34 to 34.

A tenth inning is proposed to settle it. Heigh, in earnest, is at the bat but his expectations are cut short, for McFarland is on the alert, and takes the ball straight from the bat. Simpson makes one run, and the two following go out on fouls caught by Castle.

The College boys come in from the field cheering. Starne is at the bat, and with one of his hard hits, sends the ball beyond every fielder, going to the third base with hearty cheers, many hoping he may make a home run. He finishes it, while the next three go out on fouls caught by Stockey and F. Dubois, and the tenth inning stands 35 to 35. (Furious cheering.)

An eleventh is called for and every ballist throws off his hat and strings his nerves. Clawson, in behalf of the Freshmen, hits a "high roller" which promises a home run, but nimble feet are in pursuit of it, and he is forced to halt at the 2d base before coming home. One, two are out. Gilham is called to the bat, and F. Dubois on deck. The Freshmen are hopeful. G. puts in one of his last, but is left for the fourth time on base, for Fred, though he gave the ball a blow full of power, was caught out on the fly by Merriam, and the freshmen gave place to the College nine, who make five runs and win the game 40 to 36. The Freshmen claim 11 fly catches and 3 passed balls, to the College 8 fly catches and 6 passed balls. The game lasting three and a half hours, was spirited and highly interesting, the umpire, H. Milts, of the Shurtleff club, giving general satisfaction. F. Long and S.B. Force acting as scorers...

-Alton Telegraph, November 22, 1867

A hotly contested game of base ball played upon the beautiful campus of the Wyman Institute at Upper Alton, between the students of that Institute and a nine made up of Shurtleff College students and town players, was commenced last Saturday, continued on Tuesday and concluded last evening. The result was in favor of the Wyman Institute boys by a score of 32 to 31 with the last inning unfinished.

-Alton Daily Telegraph, May 14, 1880

A game of base ball was played last Thursday p.m., on the Shurtleff College campus, between a College 9 and a picked 9 of this city. The game resulted in a score of 16 to 9 in favor of the Shurtleff boys. The time of the game was 2 hours 40 minutes; umpire Dr. H.T. Burnap.

-Alton Telegraph, June 14, 1883

Playing that day for Shurtleff was Morrill, ss; Johnson, p; Kendrick, 3b; Worden, 1st; Williams, 2b; Caldwell, rf; F. Morrill, cf; Bonham, lf; and Roach, c.

Thus memories of '87's Commencement bring thoughts of a year of "sweetness and light," with suggestions of the pioneer class day banquet, the beginning of the ladies' hall, the last great literary contest, the nearly organized orchestra, and the inauguration of the school of music, to say nothing of the baseball team, which won laurels in its victories over Blackburn University and other hapless contestants.

-The Pioneer School: A History of Shurtleff College

Another game of ball was played between the Shurtleff and the W.M.A. boys Saturday afternoon. It was an exceedingly closely contested game. The Shurtleff boys led off with 5 runs to 1 for the first few innings and scored no more runs afterwards. The W.M.A. boys kept gradually gaining until in the last half of the ninth inning the score stood 5 to 4 in favor of Shurtleff, with the W.M.A. at the bat. The Academy boys had splendid prospects for the game with two men on bases, but just after a foul ball, before the pitcher was in his box the man on second stepped off his base and was declared out. This made three out and the game was ended. Sloane, of the College, and Shapleigh, of the W.M.A., both pitched a very fine game, fanning one after another as they stepped up to the bat. Both teams are weak on batting. The next game will be between Shurtleff and Blackburn next Saturday at Sportsman's park.

-Alton Telegraph, May 14, 1896


There seems to be sufficient evidence (much of which, believe it or not, I didn't include here) to state that Shurtleff College had an active baseball club from the end of the Civil War and into the 20th century. Interestingly, there is numerous references to a college football club in the 1890's suggesting that the college had a rather healthy athletic life.

A New Baseball Rule For 1868

The new base ball rules for 1868 require that all balls used in a match must be stamped with the size, weight and maker's name, and if any other is used the game played will be "null and void." The new ball is smaller and lighter than the old one, being but nine inches in circumference, and weighing five and a quarter ounces.

-Alton Daily Telegraph, April 1, 1868


While I'm not particularly interested in the arcana of 19th century baseball rules, I do find it interesting that they were publishing such matters in an Alton, Illinois newspaper in 1868.

Baseball Is Violent, Dangerous, And Tiresome?

Now that...base ball season is over, we would suggest, in order that the muscle developing process may not lie dormant during the long winter months, that the base ball athletics turn their attention to sawing up the wood piles of widows and sick people during the winter. The exercise is fully as healthful, is not so violent, dangerous nor tiresome as base ball, and we are sure the results will gratify a curious public fully as much, and we would prefer to give the score of a wood sawing class to that of a base ball club in our columns. Therefore, those of our friends and readers who aspire to have their names emblazoned high upon the roll of fame as champion wood-sawyers will have an opportunity to blaze as such through the columns of this paper.

-Alton Telegraph, November 3, 1871

The Protoball Chronology Has Been Updated

The extraordinarily fantastic Protoball Chronology has been updated and I thought I'd share some of the new St. Louis related stuff they now have up on the chronology. I've been sitting on this information since it was passed along to me a month or so ago and I wanted to wait until they put it up before posting it here. I can't tell you how difficult it was to sit on this stuff and not share it with you. But enough about me and my internal struggles, here's the new St. Louis entries:

1858.42 – In Downstate Illinois, New Club Wins by 134 Rounds

“BASEBALL IN ILLINOIS. – The Alton [IL] Base-Ball Club . . . a meeting was held on the evening of May 18, to organize a club . . . . The Upper Alton Base Ball Club . . . sent us a challenge, to play a match game, on Saturday, the 19^th of June, which was accepted by our club; each side had five innings, and thirteen players each, with the following result: The Alton Base-Ball Club made 224 rounds. The Upper Alton Base-Ball Club made 90 rounds.” “Base-Ball”, Porter's Spirit of the Times, Volume 4, number 20 (July 17, 1858), p. 309, columns. 2-3 Alton IL is a Mississippi River town 5 miles north of St. Louis. Missouri.

Obviously, this isn't the New York game that they're playing in Alton but I believe this is the earliest reference to a non-cricket safe haven game in the St. Louis area that anyone has found as of yet. Very significant and very exciting stuff. This certainly helps shed some light on what was happening with bat and ball games in St. Louis prior to the introduction of the New York game.

1859.39 – Club Organized in St. Louis MO

“CLUB ORGANIZED, -- A base ball club was organized in St. Louis, Mo, on the 1^st inst. It boasts of being the first organization of the kind in that city, but will not, surely, long stand alone. It numbers already 18 members, officers as follows: President, C. D. Paul; Vice do, J. T. Haggerty; Secretary, C. Thurber; Treasurer, E. R. Paul. They announce their determination to be ready to lay matches in about a month. Source: Underidentified clipping in the Mears collection – The Clipper or the Spirit of the Times – annotated “Sept 1859” in hand. Facsimile provided by Craig Waff, September 2008.

Again, very significant in that this is the earliest contemporary reference to a club that was (most likely) playing the New York game in St. Louis. While the best available evidence suggests that the Cyclone club organized in the summer of 1859, all the references are based on the later memories of the participants. Interestingly, this club is a complete mystery in that I have no information about it. The men mentioned in the source are not mentioned by Tobias in his history of early baseball in St. Louis. It's possible that this may be the Resolute, Hope, or Olympic Club but much more research is needed.

I have done some research and identified three of the men mentioned in the source. Edmund R. Paul was born in Missouri in 1837 and in 1860 he was working as a clerk in a real estate office that was owned by his father Edmund W. Paul. He had a brother named Charles S. Paul who is most likely the C.D. Paul mentioned in the source. Charles Paul was born in Missouri in 1841 and in 1860 he was working as a printer. C. Thurber is most likely Charles H. Thurber who was working as a clerk in an insurance office in 1860. J.T. Haggerty has been difficult to identify because of the fact that there were several Haggerty's and Hagerty's and Hagarty's with first names that started with "J" living in St. Louis in 1860.

More On The Organization Of Amateur Clubs In 1886

"The amateur clubs of St. Louis will outdo themselves this year in the number and character of their players, clubs and leagues. The Amateur Park Association of clubs will, of course, be first in point of quality and general excellence. The League formed will be the first and only one ever formed in St. Louis on a solid basis. The players will all be required to sign regular contracts with the clubs they join, and should they break any of the rules they will be forever disbarred from taking part in a championship struggle, and also from playing in any St. Louis park: and, moreover, the members of all clubs belonging to the League will be prohibited from taking part in any game where any player under suspension from the League is engaged. This rule will have a tendency to make the sore-heads come to reasonable terms and will prevent all revolving from one club to the other as has been the case in the past, and always to the detriment of strictly amateur ball playing."

"The Business League profiting by past experience will no doubt make some iron-clad rules to prevent clubs from grabbing up such semi-professional players as may chance to be out of an engagement. In fact, all amateur organizations in St. Louis have made a careful study of the word amateur, and they intend to carry out the meaning to the letter. The right men are now at the helm, and, with proper encouragement, will bring out the latent qualities of who now are compelled to play second fiddle for the benefit of older players of reputation."

"The Amateur League will have the following clubs represented: Amateur Park Club, St. Gotthard's, Drummand's, Enterprise, St. Louis Amateur, West Ends, and Union Blues. This will make eight evenly matched teams, and the winners of the bunting will have many a hard fight before securing the trophy."

"The Business League will open the season with six clubs and will try and keep this number as they are anxious to finish the schedule, which would be impossible with more members. The clubs likely to be selected from the score of applicants are as follows: Crow, Hargadine & Co., Sam'l C. Davis & Co., St. Louis News Co., Wm. Barr Dry Goods Co., Rice, Stix, & Co., and Brown, Daughaday, & Co. This will insure good games, as all of the teams will be equal in playing strength, and the struggle for supremacy will be long and hard."

"In fact, from the present outlook, amateur base ball will be a feature in St. Louis this year, something it never has been before. The managers have the correct idea and have only to carry out the policy laid down at the recent meeting to meet with the success their efforts deserve."

-From The Sporting News, March 17, 1886

It's interesting to see the machinations of the smaller clubs in St. Louis as they organize for the season. Groups and leagues and associations are being formed as clubs compete for players, fans, money, and survival. These clubs are competing against not only each other but also the bigger clubs in St. Louis. In 1886, there was not only the Browns and the Maroons in St. Louis but also the Peach Pies, the Prickly Ash, and the Reds while just across the river were the Madisons of Edwardsville, the Alton Club, the Belliville Club, and the East St. Louis Club.

In the face of such competition, organization had to have been crucial for the clubs to survive. Reading between the lines of the above article and some of the other ones posted this week, it's clear that these clubs were in the habit of raiding each other for players. Revolving was obviously a major problem. Making and keeping a schedule also must have been difficult. Arranging games so that they were economically beneficial to both teams was also an issue.

The Sporting News, as an advocate of the game, was not only reporting on these undertakings but was actively encouraging them. They toted the beneficial nature of such organizations and chided the poor management that often stood in the way of achieving them.

One interesting note about the above article is the quote at the end about the status of amateur baseball in St. Louis. Al Spink, of all people, should have known better then to write something like that, given the tradition of 19th century amateur baseball in St. Louis. The "Golden Age" of St. Louis amateur baseball had certainly passed but it had passed only a scant eleven years previous to this article being written and certainly within the living memory of most of the readers of The Sporting News in 1886.

The Southern Illinois League

From The Sporting News, March 17, 1886:

"Cairo, Ill., March 11.-Editor Sporting News:

The baseball season here will open up early in April. On April 26 there will be some eight thousand Odd Fellows in town. The Cairo manager will pay any two League or American Association Clubs a good big guarantee to come here and play on that day. As there will be any number of professional teams in the South at about this time, some of them will doubtless take up this offer. Duquoin wanted Cairo to join the contemplated Southern Illinois League, but the management here declined. Duquoin will have a good team this year, Moore of Cairo and other good players having gone there. Besides Duquoin the new association if formed will have Belleville, Nashville and East St. Louis in its ranks. The Paducah, Ky., Club which played such rattling games with Cairo a year ago, has gone under."

I'm still digging and trying to find out more information about the Southern Illinois League but I wanted to share this little article because it gives you a good sense of the state of baseball on the East Side and in Southern Illinois. It pretty much covers the major teams in the area except for Alton and Edwardsville and it's surprising that those two wouldn't be a part of an association of Southern Illinois clubs.