Posted By:
Joe D.
Warning: this is a long read - with a link to an even longer read.
It was just a little pickup, leading to a little bit of discovery, an opportunity to step back in time - and experience a little bit of 1908 in a small town in North Dakota. A history lesson, some entertainment - and exactly what makes buying the unkown enjoyable.
I picked up a Real Photo postcard of a team from a town. I didn't know the team, I didn't know the town. The postcard looked like it was proudly created. Very nicely captioned it said they won 27 straight games, were the 1908 Champions of North Dakota, and had a winning percentage of.882. Very impressive I thought. So, I tried to find out some information about York - North Dakota and this baseball team.
According to Wikipedia - the 2000 Census total population for York was just 26 people!
Looking at the postcard - I see 26 people in the postcard.
So, 26 people in the town in 2000, and 26 people just in this photo in 1908.
With that, my curiosity jumped up a few notches... and I searched for more information.
Google is great... and although I hade to wade through 5 pages of search results - I finally found a gem. All of the information I could ask for about this town.
What I found.... York N.D. was once a bustling town. One of the earliest settlers in this town is pictured in the postcard. York was a town of Canadians - Americans - and immigrants, a town that was almost wiped out - but came back stronger, a town that allowed (and paid) negro ball players to be part of their baseball team. A cool American 'town' story, and a pretty darn good baseball team.
some of the baseball info (from the webpage mentioned, link at the bottom of the page)...
....Some early baseball teams at York - No Immigration Problem Here.
In addition the town had a very active baseball team and a spacious bleacher had been built to accommodate the large Sunday crowds. That was before North Dakota had adopted its "Blue Laws". Three salaried players were hired by the town. One of these, a negro named Crump, was also the barber and lived there the year around with his family.
York was international Champions in 1908.
York baseball enthusiasts still talk about the time this team beat Grand Forks at York in 1902. A special train brought a band and fans from Willow City for that game. Team members shown, as recalled by Frank Whalen, York old timer, include-Back to right: Johny Jeffries-dray man, 3 b; Chan Gaylord-druggist, 2 b; O.C. Bottgerp-pool hall operator and team manager; Richard Parks-St. Paul dentist, S.S.; a Willow City player whose name Whalen could not recall; and Willy, O.F.; Bottom: Ben Whiting-pitcher; Wes Martin-barber, O.F.; Bud Johnson-catcher; Clem Kelley-pitcher; Martin and Johnson were negroes. Whiting was a brother in law of Carl Thoreson.
Whalen recalled that when a youngster asked one of the Negro players why he did not wash his face, the man replied, "I wish I could wash it off, I'd be in the major leagues". York and Brinsmade both imported players including negroes.
Additional cool reading if you have the time - About the town of York, North Dakota. I paraphrased the web page mentioned and provided a link to the full text is provided at the bottom
....York didn't really begin to grow until after the railroad came through and there were only two families living here, George Wilson and William R. Bell. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Colonel Uline of Devils Lake looked over the land and helped to plan the railroad.
Of the earliest families after the town started growing, six or eight Canadian families came from across the Canadian boundary. Four families came in from Missouri and many other families from different parts of the United States and settled here in York.
The new settlement teamed with activity, the future seemed assured and every one worked willingly to earn his share. Soon there were 30-40 pupils attending school. Two general stores, a local newspaper, blacksmith shop, lumberyard, and two elevators. Regular church services were held each Sunday along with Sunday School. Their social side of life was not neglected either. They formed a literary and debating club. Sometimes the debaters would have some real hot arguments, and the battle would rage fast and furious. As the debaters were pretty evenly matched the judges were put to a test to give a just and unbiased decision. Each one had a fling at debating on different subjects. They all had a lot of fun and laughter during these times. As they put it, "we all did our stunts mist much laughter and jollity." They had their church programs, neighborhood dances and social parties. Every one was satisfied and felt that they had found their Eldorado at last. But alas! The unforeseen happened. In 1890, three years of drought and hot winds stopped everything. When it continued things looked black. For many it was the last straw. In 1893 many moved away. Most of the Canadians returned to the north, others followed this example, and only seven families remained to continue what seemed a losing battle. Many settlers were forced to leave their homes. The fourth year there was a bumper crop, but the fall rains started early, and there was only one thrashing machine in the neighborhood. Only three families were lucky enough to get their thrashing done. Shocks of grain stood in the fields all through the country during the winter and were ruined. But with faith and hard work the country came back as great as ever.
In 1895 the faith of the courageous handful was rewarded. The community struck one of those North Dakota gold mines, a bumper crop. Things boomed again and the little settlement took on a new lease of life. Confidence was restored and the community thrived.
A few years later this district received another boost. The Max Bass immigration got under way. Carload after carload of new settlers poured into the country. Mr. Wilson did his part getting the land settled. He worked with Max Bass in helping the newcomers to locate claims.
One of the earliest settlers in the York vicinity was J.L. Johnson, who filed on a homestead a mile west of the present town in August 1887. Mrs. Johnson came the next year.
At that time there was not much of a town and what there was, was located along the north side of the tracks. When the Johnsons moved into town a few years later, they too, settled on the north side of the tracks. After a few months they moved to the south side of the tracks, where they set up their first store building and thus became the first to start business in what is now the business section of the town.
Frank Follman reports that the population was about 1000. Local businesses consisted of three general stores and a hardware, two banks, York State Bank and Bank of York, five elevators, two barber shops, two hotels, the Leland and the Stevens House, a Confectionery Store, two livery barns, a doctor-Dr. Poole, a drug store, proprietor, Sam Arthur, two implement dealers-one was run by H.L. Hock and the other A.L. Albert, a newspaper and a lawyer. There was a band which Mike Whalen was the band master, two black smith shops, four churches, Lutheran, Brethern, Methodist, and Presbyterian, a real estate office "The Golden Grain Co," a pool hall, two meat markets, a post office, two dray lines, two lumber yards. The depot agent was Engebretson and Jim Depen was the telegrapher. Along the road going east and west a few of the businesses were, a bowling alley, the J.S. Patterson Co. Land Office, a whip factory and a pool hall.
http://www.geocities.com/jljiv/YorkBook.html>
02-18-2007, 06:54 AM
Journey to 1908, a small town in North Dakota (long read)
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