Early baseball in Oregon/Club 1
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| Spread of baseball: Home -> Oregon -> Early baseball in Oregon/Club 1 |
| Location | Oregon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
| Month | 6 |
| Date | 2 |
| City | Portland |
| State | OR |
| Country | US |
| Nickname | Pioneer Base Ball Club |
| First in Oregon | Yes |
"The Pioneer Base Ball Club, of Portland, Oregon, which, as its name indicates, is the first base ball club ever formed in that state, was organized June 2, 1866 . . . . There is also a club at Oregon City called the Clackamas Club. . . . . The Pioneer Club joined the National Association at its last convention, held December 12, 1866, it delegate being Robert H. Law."
Charles Peverelly, The Book of American Pastimes, page 497.
From the "Morning Oregonian": BASE BALL - The Pioneer Base Ball Club was organized in this city on Saturday evening last. The following officers were chosen to serve one year...(NOTE: The names and officers are hard to read on the newspaper copy. They are listed in Peverelly's text about teams in Oregon.)
FROM usgennet.org: History of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington 1889; Volume II, Page 226 - 246"
"On Joseph Buchtel. He was born in Union Town, Stark County, Ohio, on November 22, 1830. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Urbana, Illinois. He arrived in Oregon on September 2, 1852. Here is the quote about baseball: "In 1865 Mr. Buchtel was elected chief engineer of the fire department, and again re-elected in 1866. In 1874 he was grand representative of the I.O.O.F., and met with them in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1880 he was elected sheriff of Multnomah county, Oregon, and served for two years.
"He was the first builder of street railroads in East Portland. After disposing of his gallery, he entered the real estate business, and established himself at the corner of L and Water streets, East Portland. He is the inventor of the telegraph fire hose, which was patented in1872, and also invented a coupling for the same in1883. He also lets his inventive genius crop out in the hand fire extinguishers, and the patent wire-fence post, on which he is now applying for a patent.
"He was the champion baseball player for fifteen years, being pitcher and captain of the Pioneer Baseball Club for twenty years. He was also a champion foot racer, and was barred for years against competing for prizes, as no one would enter against him after he won the silver trumpet so easily over all competitors."
Sources
- Charles Peverelly, "The Book of American Pastimes", page 497.
- "Morning Oregonian" (Portland, Oregon); Tuesday morning, June 5, 1866; Page 3, 1st column, 7th item of "CITY".
An long article on the Pioneer Club written by Mike Lynch in 2009 is found at http://seamheads.com/2009/07/20/pioneer-club-celebrates-origins-of-baseball-in-pacific-northwest/.
