Historic Pelham: 19th Century Baseball in Pelham

For many years I have researched the history of baseball in the Town of Pelham. On Friday, December 11, 2009, I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog an item entitled "Earliest Reference Yet to Baseball Played in Pelham". In it I quoted a reference to a recreational baseball game played during an outing of The Wm Cook Association from the Eleventh Ward, New York City on September 26, 1877.

On March 9, 2010, I posted another item entitled "Earliest Reference Yet to Organized Baseball Played in Pelham." That item described a game played by The Vail Base Ball Club of City Island against a team from Mamaroneck on June 13, 1878.

I now have located a few additional references to additional games played by The Vail Base Ball Club a few weeks later. The Vail Base Ball Club was also known as "The Vails" and "The Vail B.B. Club." In 1878, the officers of the Club were James M. Liming, President; A.F. Vail, Vice-President; Francis Vail, Treasurer, and C.P. Billar, Secretary. See City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 21, 1878, p. ?, col. 5 (no page number printed on the newspaper page). It also appears that the Club was relatively new in 1878 since one account noted that the Club scheduled its "first annual moonlight excursion and picnic" later in 1878, suggesting that the Club was in its earliest years. Id.

The reference to the August 3rd game is very brief. It states:

"The Alphas, of New Rochelle, played the Vails of City Island, on Saturday last, on the grounds of the latter. The New Rochelle boys were badly beaten, by a score of 29 to 12."

Source: City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Vol. IX, No. 464, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 2, col. 6.

Additionally, the news of "City Island" published in the October 4, 1878 issue of The Chronicle of Mount Vernon included several references to The Vail Base Ball Club of City Island. I have quoted these additional relevant excerpts immediately below.

"The Vail B. B. Club intend giving a ball on the 3rd [?] inst., in Borden's Hall. Extensive preparations for the affair are going on. . . . .

CHALLENGE -- The Vail B. B. Club, of City Island, challenge any amateur ball club of Westchester County to play for the championship of the county. Communications should be addressed to Chas. P. Billar, secretary of the Vail B.B.C. . . .

The Vail B. B. Club, of City Island, played the Eagle Club of West Farms, on Wednesday last, on the grounds of the former. The game resulted in a victory for the Vails. Score, 15 to 12. At the commencement of the first inning, J. Mitchell, the catcher for the Eagles, was partially disabled by being struck over the eye with a foul ball, receiving quite an ugly cut thereby, and before the game closed, Manly, catcher for the Vails, was also struck in the eye with a foul. Both men played until the game was finished."

Source: City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Vol. IX, No. 472, Oct. 4, 1878, p. 2, col. 5.

19th Century Baseball as it Likely Was Played in Pelham.

At the end of this posting, I have quoted the entire news items within which the above-quoted excerpts about early baseball in Pelham appeared. In addition, immediately below I have included links to the many, many Historic Pelham Blog Postings I have published regarding the early history of organized baseball in Pelham.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010:  Photograph of Only Known 19th Century Women's Baseball Team in Pelham, New York.

Thursday, January 28, 2010:  News About Pelham Manor and Pelhamville in 1895 - Lighting Districts, Gas for the Village, Baseball and More.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009:  Baseball Games Played by the City Island Beldenites and the City Island Rivals in 1884.

Monday, December 14, 2009:  Baseball Games Played by the City Island Shamrocks in 1889.

Friday, December 11, 2009:  Earliest Reference Yet to Baseball Played in Pelham.

Thursday, December 10, 2009:  More 19th Century Baseball and Firefighting References.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009:  City Island Shamrocks Base Ball Club Changed its Name to the Minnefords in 1888.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009:  Even More Early References to Baseball Played in Pelham.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009:  Yet Another Reference to Early Baseball in Pelham.

Monday, November 23, 2009:  Additional Brief Accounts of Baseball Played in Pelham in the 19th Century.

Friday, November 20, 2009:  More Accounts of Early Baseball Played in Pelham.

Friday, November 13, 2009:  1894 Account of Developments in Pelham Including a Reference to a Baseball Game Played that Year.

Thursday, November 12, 2009:  More Early References to Baseball Played in Pelham.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009:  Score of June 1, 1887 Baseball Game Between the Country Club and The Knickerbocker Club.

Friday, March 20, 2009:  Another Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008:  Another Brief Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham.

Monday, November 26, 2007: Box Score of a Baseball Game Played on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in July 1896.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007: Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897.

Friday, July 20, 2007: Account of Early Baseball in Pelham: Pelham vs. the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in 1897.

Friday, November 10, 2006: The Location of Another Early Baseball Field in Pelham.

Monday, October 9, 2006:   Reminiscences of Val Miller Shed Light on Late 19th Century Baseball in Pelham and the Early Development of the Village of North Pelham.

Thursday, March 23, 2006: Baseball Fields Opened on the Grounds of the Westchester Country Club in Pelham on April 4, 1884.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006: Another Account of Baseball Played in Pelham in the 1880s Is Uncovered.

Thursday, October 6, 2005: Does This Photograph Show Members of the "Pelham Manor Junior Base Ball Team"?

Thursday, September 15, 2005: Newspaper Item Published in 1942 Sheds Light on Baseball in 19th Century Pelham.

Thursday, February 10, 2005: New Discoveries Regarding Baseball in 19th Century Pelham.

* * * * *

Below are fascinating transcriptions of the entire news articles within which the baseball excerpts quoted above appeared.

"City Island.

The M.E. Sunday School held their annual pic-nic at Oriental Grove, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 1878, and they had a very nice time.

Mr. Charles Baxter is building a two story house on Main street, 38 feet deep, and 20 feet front. The building is for Mr. Hebborn, who is at present in the feed business in the building recently occupied by Mr. John Boull.

Master Edward Cochran fell from a pear tree on Saturday at two o'clock, a distance of 30 feet. He has not recovered as yet from the fall.

Mr. Charles Baxter is fitting up his large building on Main street for an armory for F. Company, 27th Reg't, N.G.S.N.Y. The place has been leased from Mr. Baxter for five years, as it is the most convenient place on the island for the purpose. It will be opened on the 1st or 5th of September, with a grand ball given by F Co.

The sloop yachts Pell and Cyrus F. Pell are hauled out at Carll's yard, for cleaning and painting. On Friday, Capt. Pell, while standing on the arm of one of the ways, made a misstep and fell, breaking one of his ribs.

The schooner Lady Jackson is at Carll's yard, discharging a load of chestnut timber, for the frame of a new schooner.

Mr. Elisha Booth is building a two-story frame house, 28 feet front by 30 feet deep, on Main street. The lower part is for a fancy bakery, and the upper part for a dwelling. Mr. George O. Hawes is doing the work.

Mr. George Wilson is building a two-story house, 24 feet front by 18 feet deep, near Main street. Mr. Charles Baxter is doing the work.

The Scotch Excelsior Athletic Club held their excursion at Chas. McClennon's pavilion on Friday last. The steamer Black Bird was chartered for the excursion, and steamed in at the town dock about 11 o'clock. A variety of Scotch games were played, and a match game of quoits was pitched, fifty feet distance, for a gold medal. The Sheriff of Pike County, Penn., and a number of gentlemen from that part of the country, were among the excursionists. At six o'clock the party, after making arrangements for another excursion, left the island well satisfied with the day's enjoyment.

At Hawkins ship-yard, the schooner Townsend S. Jackson, is on the ways for general repairs. Tugboat James McMahon is out for caulking, etc. Sloop Robert H. Coles is out for cleaning and painting, and sloop yacht Katie Wood, and schooner F. B. Sindson, are being caulked and painted. The yacht Intrepid is to be repainted.

At Carll's ship-yard, the schooner Palladium is on the ways, for caulking and general repairs. The yachts Active and Estelle are hauled out for cleaning and painting.

The Alphas, of New Rochelle, played the Vails of City Island, on Saturday last, on the grounds of the latter. The New Rochelle boys were badly beaten, by a score of 29 to 12.

Aesop."

Source: City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Vol. IX, No. 464, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 2, col. 6.

"City Island.

On Wednesday evening of last week, the new armory of F Company, 27th Regiment, was opened with a grand ball, at which there was a large attendance of the friends of the members. The dancing was kept up with vigor until early morn.

The Vail B. B. Club intend giving a ball on the 3rd [?] inst., in Borden's Hall. Extensive preparations for the affair are going on. . . . .

At Hawkins ship yard -- schooner Forest Home, hauled out for general repairs; schooner E. H. Pray is out for caulking and painting; the yacht Intrepid is having a new keel put on and other repairs done; schooner New Regular is on for caulking and painting; the schooner Illinois, which was run into a sunk off Captains Island, some weeks ago by the steamer Massachusetts, is still at Hawkins yard and is likely to remain there. There are four claims against the vessel, notice of which are posted on her bow. The captain has absconded with what goods there were on board the vessel at the time of the accident.

Commissioner Cochran is making quite an improvement on Main street, between the turn and Fordham avenue. In some places the street has been cut down about two feet. The earth is being used as filling on the old road.

On Monday night last, the propeller Ellen was lying at the end of the pier at Carll's yard, having just been launched, after having had extensive repairs done. On Tuesday morning, it was found that the propeller had been towed away and the bill for her repairs had not been paid. Mr. Carll went immediately to New York and found the vessel lying at the foot of Fourteenth street, and had her towed back to his dock, where she remains.

Last Saturday afternoon, the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the new M. E. Church, on City Island, was held in the presence of a large concourse of people. The services commenced with singing by the assemblage and singing by the children of the Sabbath School. Rev. Mr. Belden, of City Island, offered prayer and the Sunday School children sang another song; after which Rev. Dr. Morsell, of Grace Church, delivered a brief address. 105 names were added to the list of subscribers to the new church fund. These names were put in a tin box and placed in the corner-stone as it was laid. Rev. Mr. Delancy, Pastor of the church, and the Rev. Mr. Fields, of New York, delivered short addresses, and the service slosed.

Aesop.

The tax sales of the town of Pelham have been postponed until the 30th inst.

Mr. Pell's new house is rapidly approaching completion.

Another oyster war has begun. It appears that Mr. Chas. McClennon planted oysters in the vicinity of his dock. A short time ago, as the plaintiff claims, Stephen and Morris Leviness, Eugene Williams and Samuel Billar took oysters from the grounds above referred to, Mr. McClennon brought an action against the parties named, and the case is to come off at White Plains on the 11th inst. We understand the defendants claim that the ground was a natural oyster bed, and if Mr. McClennon planted on it while the natural oysters were there, it was no fault of their's [sic], and h must therefore be the loser.

Some large catches of blackfish have been made at City Island recently. Persons can be fittout out with all the appliances at Flynn's, City Island Bridge."

Source: City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Vol. IX, No. 472, Oct. 4, 1878, p. 2, col. 5.

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Labels: 1878, Baseball, City Island, Entertainment, Francis Vail, Sports, The Vail B.B. Club, The Vails, Vail Baseball Club