Tenney: Baseball in early Phoenix
From SABR member John Tenney at Base Ball in Arid Land on April 22, 2015:
Phoenix, named after the mythical greek bird that would rise anew from the ashes, was once a small frontier town thirsty for growth.
Originally founded in 1867 on the banks of the Salt River, Phoenix was an early agricultural town. Over the ensuing decade, the town slowly grew. As of 1880, the population in Phoenix was 2,500 hardy souls. With the introduction of the railroad, baseball eventually made it’s introduction in the 1880’s. By the next decade, the population had nearly doubled. With the rising population came an increased interest and ability to support a local base ball club.
Eventually, a base ball ground and park was built by wealthy entrepreneur Elmer Patton. Patton lived in a spacious house in town and was also the manager of the Phoenix Brass Band. On the very east side of Patton’s Park was the baseball grounds as pictured below.
Read the full article here: http://baseballinaridland.blogspot.com/2015/04/baseball-in-early-phoenix-part-1.html
Originally published: April 23, 2015. Last Updated: April 23, 2015.