Monday, January 29, 2018

Young Men of Muscle Join the Fire Company

The so-called "base ball fever" struck in 1867 as clubs sprung up in cities & rural towns from East to West Tennessee. In Knoxville, two clubs comprised of former Unionists (Knoxville Knoxvilles) & Confederates (Knoxville Holstons) formed and played their first games in the spring of 1867 on the Old Baseball Grounds, located in what is today the 400 block of East Gay Street, the scene of the 1897 Million Dollar Fire. In 1867, this area was commonly used for itinerant circuses and town gatherings. The ground sloped down from Gay Street, this giving the block an amphitheater feel. By the fall of 1867, there were several base ball (19th century baseball = two words) clubs playing in the city. Some bemoaned the fact that many of Knoxville's young men were afflicted with the "base ball fever." Others stressed the benefits of physical exercise. The editor of the Knoxville Free Press put the "base ball fever" in perspective: "Base Ball Clubs are good things, but fire companies are better, young men of muscle join the fire company."

Knoxville Free Press, November 7, 1867




 

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