NW Okie's Corner

Bayfield, CO - This week we take a look back at St. Louis, Missouri, and at least one of the baseball clubs, the St. Louis Browns, that played at Sportsman's Park on the north side of town along Grand Blvd and Dodier street.


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Why? Because in 1907, my grandfather, William "Bill" McGill (fast southpaw pitcher) pitched a season with the St. Louis Browns September, 1907.

Did you know that in 1913, the Republican party was working to unite the progressive party and the republican party to remedy the causes of 1913? Today you wouldn't even see a republican and progressive hanging or talking together, would you? How times do change!

We found another story in the Muskogee Cimeter, out of Muskogee, Indian Territory, concerning the Muskogee Cimeter Gang heading towards St. Louis and Washington D.C. for the inauguration of the President Theodore Roosevelt on March 4, 1905.

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One Hundred Years Ago - 13 May 1913

America - One hundred years ago today 13 May, the Tulsa Daily World, dated 13 May 1913, Tuesday, The front page headlines read: "Are Outspoken For A Coalition." There were those who were seeking a uniting of Progressive and republican parties to remedy the causes.

Chicago, May 12 1913 -- That a uniting of the progressive party with the republican party was not only desired but actually was sought, was the gist of sentiment expressed at the close of a two day conference at which republican leaders outlined plans for reorganizing the party.

Herbert S. Hadley, formerly governor of Missouri, who with Senators Cummins, Borah and Sherman, led the discussion at the conference, said afterward that the desire to have those back in the party who left it to join the progressive party was manifest." The coalition, he added, was not to be effected by any scheme such as the assign of resolutions by leaders, "but rather a remedying of the causes in the republican party which resulted in the separation."

The conference, attended by six United States senators, numerous members of the house of representatives and leaders from states as distant as Massachusetts and California, resulted in the issuance of a statement. It expressed the belief that the republican national committee should call a republican national convention at an early date as possible to effect radical changes in party affairs and especially in reference to conduct of national conventions. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Duchess of Weaselskin

Bayfield, CO - Ever wondered about "mothers day?" It was Anna Jarvis, who through her goals made reality in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday of every May to be set aside for the celebration honoring moms around the country.

It was a young mother named Ann Reeves Jarvis, a community organizer from West Virginia, that spent many years organizing Mother's Day events, first as a way of bringing attention to infant mortality, then as a way of promoting political activism and pacifist views amongst women, especially in post-Civil War America. But it wasn't until two years after her death in 1905 that her daughter, Anna Jarvis, started to passionately push for the day to be officially recognized.

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St. Louis Browns Baseball (St. Louis, MO)

St. Louis, MO - Sportsman's Park, the first baseball field for the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns. Located in North St. Louis, Sportsman's Park was a unique venue that gave baseball fans the opportunity to watch the game up-close and interact with the players. Jim also shows rare archival footage of baseball games and an interview with hall-of-fame Cardinal, Stan Musial.

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Sportsman Park, St. Louis, MO

St. Louis, MO - On the north side of St. Louis at Grand, Sportsman's Park, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns. A visual tour of the stadium as well. Song by Brian Clarke.



Sportsman's Park was home to two different baseball teams during its existence. Baseball at the site where Sportsman Park stood dates back to 1866. The Brown Stockings of the National Association League played at the first Sportsman's Park in 1875 when the ballpark was known as Grand Avenue. It was located at the corner of Dodier Street and Grand Avenue.

In 1880 Alfred Spink bought the team and tore down the ballpark, rebuilding a covered Sportsman's Park. The ballpark opened on 21 May 1881, but burned ten years later because it was built mainly of wood.

After the 1901 season the St. Louis Browns were formed when the Milwaukee Brewers, charter members of the American League, moved to St. Louis. The St. Louis Browns built a new ballpark where Sportsman's Park burned in 1898. Consisting of about 8000 wooden seats, the ballpark was named after its predecessor. In 1908 a new ballpark was constructed, using concrete and steel to build a double deck grandstand from first to third base with additional seating joining the lower level and extending down the lines.

The Browns played their first game at the new Sportsman's Park against Cleveland on 14 April 1909.

The first night game under lights at Sportsman's Park was on 24 May 1940. Both the Cardinals and the Browns played at the ballpark until 1953 when the Browns moved to Baltimore. That same year, Sportsman's Park was renamed Busch Stadium after August Busch purchased the team on 9 April 1953. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Grandpa Baseball Legacy 1904-1909

Alva, Oklahoma - Wm. J. "Bill" McGill played baseball from 1904 to 1909. He started in Alva, OK and continued to Friends University and then on the the Southwest League in 1906 to play for the Austin Senators. From there he was sold for $500 in 1907 and moved up to the Major American League with the St. Louis Browns.



Grandpa had a fast south paw pitch and pitched many no hitter games. He married in 1910 March to Constance Warwick and moved back to Alva, Oklahoma. Grandpa Bill "Parsons" McGill, minor pitching began in 1905, at age 25 Minneapolis, Kansas. In 1906, he pitched in the Southwest Texas League with the Austin Senators. His baseball legacy continued through 1907 with a season with the St. Louis Browns of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1908 he was pitching for Enid and Guthrie in the Western Association, in Oklahoma, until 1909.

The Austin Senators were a charter member of the Texas League in 1887. They were frequently members of the Texas League from that point through 1914. Additionally, they played in the Texas-Southern League in 1896 and the South Texas League in 1906. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Baseball Champions (1887)

St. Louis, MO - On page two of The Daily Times, dated 16 October 1887, in Richmond, Virginia, was the following headlines concerning the St. Louis Browns and their records as players, entitled Baseball Champions."

The St. Louis Browns had nor the past year (1887) enjoyed the proud distinction of being the champion baseball club of the world. It had defeated the Chicago club (the champions of the league) in a series of games at the end of the regular season in 1886.

In 1887 they had won for the third consecutive time the pennant of the American association. They were then contesting with the Detroit club the league champions in 1887 for the world's championship.

There was one marked difference between the members of the St. Louis ball club and their opponents, the Detroit, in the contest for the work's championship. While the latter were mostly large heavy men, the St. Louis players were, with three exceptions, directly opposite in their physical makeups. Only three of their men weigh over 170 pounds each. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

On the Wing (2 March 1905)

Muskogee, IT - This next article was found in the Muskogee Cimeter, Indian Territory, Thursday, 2 March 1905, with the headlines, "On The Wing, An account of the trip of our chief and his party enroute to Washington, D.C."

The "Cimeter Special" reached St. Louis on March 1st (1905) at 8 a.m. and all the gang were right side up with care. Att'y C. G. Lowe led on the early train for Cincinnati and would join the outfit at that burg. A stop was made at Rogers, Arkansas, where most of the boys took supper in the hell-hole denominated Arkansas.

Prof. J. P. Davidson and W. H. Twine, the manager of the "Gang" were controlling the outfit to a nicety. G. L. Trigg, the hotel man was doing business for Greater Muskogee on the train. Judge A. McRea was as affable and as usual and took things by storm with his big beaver and other requisites.

The trip from Juskogee to St. Louis was made without anything of special interest, except the "Crackers" of Arkansas were very much surprised and chagrined to see a special car of "Colored men" passed through their state on a car not known as "Jim Crow."

The boys were in splendid shape and were proud of the fact that they were from the "Beautiful Indian Territory." All the people lift their hats to the gentlemen front he West. W. A. Rentie and G. K. Davidson, the bankers were in great glee over the trip and felt that Greater Muskogee and the Cimeter outfit were "IT."

At St. Louis the "Cimeter Gang" met the prominent colored men of the city who were enroute to Washington, among them J. Milton Turner, marshal of the day in so far as our people were concerned. The outfit at this stage of the game were in high spirits and were feeling that they did a patriotic duty in going to the inauguration of the greatest of American citizens to the Greatest Position of earth, the Presidency of the Greatest Government in the World.

The excursionist were all well at this point except brother Ike Evans from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, who was indisposed at the start. Rev. Sango from Muskogee, W. E. Joshingburger and Ike Evans of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, were members of the Cimeter Gang, also the indefatigable E. E. McDaniel, the R. R. contractor and one of the Greatest Negroes in the B.I.T., who hails from S. McAlester but was cosmopolitan and could be found any and everywhere there was railroad building; Mr. McDaniel was one of the brightest Negroes and one of the most able in the Indian Territory, and it was such as lie who were making a commendable record for the race in our bright and growing territory. H. R. Pierson, the genial manager of the Afro-American investment Company was delighted wight eh trip and was doing business for his company. L. T. Brown, Henry Pack and Bud Lowery were doing good work for their town and the B.I.T.

Geo. P. Davidson and pater, J. P. Davidson were fit representatives of the Creek citizens as is also W. A. Rentie, cashier of the Creek Citizens' Bank. Steve Grayson was whooping up Okumlgee as the coming town of the territory. Jesse Dale, C. H. Hailstock, Wiley Jones, G. L. Trigg and J. T. Trimble and the balnace of the gang who think Muskogee the greatest town on earth were singing the praises of the spot that God loves and whom man has designated as Grand Magnificent Greater Muskogee.

In spite of the damn knockers and their dupes the Cimeter gang would be in Washington on March 4th (1905), weather and accidents permitting to witness the inauguration of the Greatest man (Theodore Roosevelt) who ever was elected to the Presidency of the Greatest county on Earth.

The Muskogee Cimeter Gang had taken a drink of good cold artesian water for everyone of their friends. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe