1908 Baseball Game Ends in Tie So Players Could Catch Train Home

This sports story ran in The Daily Times, Beaver, PA, on April 26, 1908. A couple of things occurred to me while reading it. First, we probably don’t appreciate the independence afforded us by the automobile. There was a time when having a car was a luxury and most people depended upon public transportation. In this story the two ball clubs settle for a tie and skip extra innings “in order to get their last train home.” Second, what the heck is a “bingle”? At first I thought the writer meant “bungle,” especially when I noticed that the U and I on the QWERTY typewriter keys are right next to each other, but then I looked it up: “Noun 1. bingle - a base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base.”

East Liverpool, OH, April – 25 – Leaving the field in the ninth inning with the score 1 to 1 in order to get their last train home, the Beaver Falls Independent put up a good game at Rock Springs Park this afternoon. This was the first games the visitors had played together this season and their work was far above the usual run of independent clubs. Lawton, a new catcher for the locals, worked his first game and proved his worth as a pinch hitter. Twice were three men on bases, but the needed [sic] bingle from the local side was not forthcoming to get the winning run. Crast pitched himself out of several bad holes, while Fisher, for the Potters, in the short time he worked, struck out the majority of visitors who faced him, and did not allow a hit.

The locals got their lone tally in the first: Gaston, first up, walked and stole second. Beecher singled and stole second. Woodruff walked, filling the bases. Alcock flew out and Price flew to the middle, but Gaston scored the out. In the third Crast was safe on an error. Sheets got the best fielder’s choice and a single by Mullen scored Crast.

East Liverpool… 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1
Beaver Falls ……0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1
Stolen bases – Gaston, Beecher, Mullen, Sheets
Sacrifice Hits – Price, Kunkle
Struck out – By Nolly 4, by Fisher 3, by Craft 1
Base on balls – Off Nolly 1; off Craft 8
Hit by pitcher – Beecher, Heintz
Hits – Off Nolly 1 in 5 innings
Left on base – East Liverpool 8; Beaver Falls 5
Time – 1:40
Attendance – 500
Umpire - Quinlan

Pittsburgh Plumbers Encouraged to Bring Lady Friends or Lose Two-thirds of the Fun at Park

(Union Station, Pittsburgh, PA, circa 1902)

In some ways I feel as if I am continuing the journey started by Ira Sayre, a Chester native and photographer, who shared the history of Rock Springs Park with his slide show talks; featuring his own collection of photographs and postcards. While I never met Ira in person, I did have the pleasure to see a video recording of a presentation he gave in the early 90’s at Chester’s City Park. Mr. Sayre’s talk was very informal with people asking questions throughout, and the images flashing on the screen constantly dotted with flying insects playing in the projected light. Ira mentioned, as I do in my book, the historic marker on Carolina Avenue that incorrectly reads, “Rock Spring Park,” but added that the marker also doesn’t mention the fact that trains were used in addition to boats and trolleys to carry pleasure seekers to the park. In an article taken from the Domestic Engineering Journal of Mechanical Contracting, Volume 44, 1908, Plumbers from the Pittsburgh Area (spelled “Pittsburg;” see explanation below) plan a train excursion of their own from Pittsburgh’s Union Station. It also encourages all the plumbers to bring their lady friends or risk “(losing) at least two-thirds of the fun.”

Pittsburg, PA – Actual Preparations are now being started for the annual picnic of the Pittsburg Master Plumbers’ Association, which will be held again this year at Rock Springs Park, on the Pennsylvania Railroad Lines. The outing will be held on Saturday, August 8, and the Association makes an urgent request that all plumbing shops be closed for the entire day, and that all members attend the event, thus helping, if possible, to make it even more of a success than the one last year, which was the most successful in the history of the Pittsburg Master Plumbers’ Association. A special train will leave Union Station, Pittsburg, at 8:10 a.m., stopping only at Allegheny, Sewickley and Rochester, PA. This train will leave Rock Springs in the evening at 9:20, arriving at Pittsburg about 11 o’clock. All plans for the day have not been finally completed, but these details are expected to be ready to announce after the next meeting of the association, which will be held next week. There will be several base ball [sic] games, athletic contests of all kinds, boating, dancing, etc., and those attending will not be at a loss to find enough to entertain them. As dancing will be one of the real features of the day, it is the earnest request of the officers of the association and the committee in charge of the dancing floor, that the members be generous this year and afford a little pleasure to their lady friends, sisters, wives or even sweethearts. Many of the ladies who have been in the habit of attending the annual picnics were not there last year, and it developed after the affair was a matter of history that they had been only too anxious to attend, but that they had not heard the necessary “Come on.” Boys, if you leave the girls at home you lose at least two-thirds of the fun that you might easily have. The committees, as well as all final details, will be announced in “Domestic Engineering” as soon as they have finally been decided upon.

Imagine someone in the area who unexpectedly had a plumbing emergency when all plumbing shops were closed for the entire day due to this annual outing.

Historic Note: In 1890, the United States Board on Geographic Names decided that the final h was to be dropped in the names of all cities and towns ending in burgh. (Throughout the period 1890-1911 city ordinances and council minutes retained the h.) In 1911, after protest from citizens who wished to preserve the historic spelling, the United States Board on Geographic Names reversed its decision and restored the h to Pittsburgh. Today, I live in Greensburg, PA, a city which did not restore their h.

Roy C. Cashdollar shown in an article from The Evening Review about the historical marker on Carolina Avenue. It is often noted that the sign is missing the final-s in "Springs," and photographer Ira Sayre commented that the modes of transportation to the park mentioned excludes train excursions, but I appreciate Roy and his committee's efforts to bring the sign to Chester. It is one of the only reminders that the park existed.

Trolley Tracks and Yellow Bricks Survived Well Past the End of an Era

This is a view of the lower park entrance to Rock Springs Park in 1970. The last trolley ran in 1934, but as you can see from this photograph the yellow brick entrance with embedded tracks was still around 36 years later. I was told that a trolley fan used a switch key at the time this picture was taken to manually switch the track and it still operated. The bridge in the background crosses over Marks Run. Much earlier postcard views of this area show the Old Mill Ride beyond the entrance gate. (Courtesy of Richard Bowker)

Daily Receipts Log from the Hand Years

This Daily Receipts Log shows half of the rides in Rock Springs Park in later years were for children. Photo evidence from this time reveals many parents and young children frequented the park. Note the old-style or French spelling of “Carrousel” and the typo “Afernoon” at the top. (From the Collection of Richard Bowker)

Mail Pouch Barns in Rock Springs Park?

Annually dozens of big name companies held picnics at Rock Springs Park. One such company, known more for their product than their name, The Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company, “opened the picnic season on July 13, 1927,” according to The Beaver Daily Times.

The company began when two brothers, Aaron and Samuel Bloch, entered the tobacco business as “stogie” manufacturers in Wheeling, West Virginia, fourteen years after the end of the Civil War. At that time, tobacco companies often used cigar wrapper clippings as a form of chewing tobacco. The Bloch Brothers took this one step further and conceived an idea that would revolutionize the chewing tobacco industry. Why not flavor these clippings and package them in paper bags?

Starting on a very small scale the brothers would flavor and package the new-type tobacco in paper bags that bore the names of the stores who sold direct to customers. Immediate success in this venture led Aaron and Samuel to market their own brand. Taking a mail pouch as their characteristic symbol, they made their first sale of West Virginia Mail Pouch on October 15, 1879.

The change to this new type of “scrap” chewing tobacco caught on in the Wheeling area immediately. The fame of West Virginia Mail Pouch began to spread to neighboring areas and the brothers began to advertise. Their biggest form of advertising was large painted signs on the sides of barns. These barns can be still be found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and California. The barns, usually hand-painted in black or red with yellow or white capital lettering, read: "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco Treat Yourself to the Best."

Initially, barn owners were paid between $1 and $2 a year for the advertisement, equivalent in 1913 dollars to about $20-$40 today. But more importantly, they received a much desired fresh coat of paint to preserve the integrity of the wood. Mail Pouch painted their message on one or two sides of the barn and painted the other sides of the barn any color the owner wished. Many of the barns were repainted every few years to maintain the sharp colors of the lettering. Some of the barns are now listed as National Historic Landmarks by the Secretary of the Interior.

Other groups to hold picnics at Rock Springs Park in the Summer of 1927 were The Tri-State American Legion, New Brighton Community, Duquesne Light and Power, Tri-State Oil Men, United Presbyterian Sunday Schools of Beaver Valley, Tri-State Odd Fellows, United Tri-State Colored picnic, Tri-State Moose Lodges, Burgettstown Chamber of Commerce, Crafton, PA Sunday Schools, Pennsylvania Railroad Employees, and many others. The Beaver Daily Times went on to state that “The present park owners have secured a lease for twenty-five years and have spent in new improvements and facilities approximately $200.000."

Park Owners and Potters Were Traction Magnates

According to the publication, Glass & Pottery World, Volumes 11-12, Rock Springs Park owner C.A. Smith and his brother W.L. Smith of the Taylor Smith and Taylor and McNicol potteries were also “developing rapidly into traction magnates.” In August 1903, the Smith Brothers were granted a franchise by the court at New Cumberland to add a second electric railway line to the one which connected Rock Springs Park to East Liverpool via the Chester Bridge. “The Smith syndicate has announced that it will begin operations forthwith, and states that they expect to have cars running before the year closes."

To the west, potters Joseph G. Lee and W.E. Wells of Newell, West Virginia, along with a grant from the U.S. government, were planning to construct a bridge across the Ohio River (The Newell Bridge) and running their own electric railway line from East Liverpool to their, then secret, industry site in Newell. “The Plans of the Lee syndicate have not been made public, but there is little doubt they have something interesting up their sleeves, as the Newell site has no equal now along the Ohio valley, and would be simply perfect for the location of an immense steel plant, and it is freely rumored that something good in the industrial line is practically assured to Newell.” The “immense plant” would not be for steel but rather the world’s largest pottery plant ever constructed, The Homer Laughlin China Company. Looking to expand and finding no available land in East Liverpool W.E. Wells and Homer Laughlin chose to build Plant 2 across the Ohio River in what is now Newell, West Virginia. The company’s history claims, “The proposed site was farm land, about three miles in length, lying about 50 to 100 feet above the Ohio River.” The location would have access to the railroad, abundant fuel, and improving river navigation. In order to develop the land into a usable industrial site, the Laughlin company created the North American Manufacturing Company to undertake such tasks as building a water system, laying out streets, and selling lots. In 1901 the only way to cross from East Liverpool to Newell was by ferry, but in June 1904 work began on a new metal suspension bridge. On July 4, 1905, the first traffic used the bridge, and to this day the company’s toll bridge serves the people on both sides of the river. The population of Newell grew rapidly.

Connected with Plant 2 was a 100-acre recreational park. It was situated in the valley just south of the plant and included a spring-fed brook, a lake, a zoo, a formal garden, and an outdoor theater where vaudeville players appeared and silent movies were shown. This park was the conception of George Washington Clarke, perhaps the greatest salesman in the history of dinnerware. His work in the Middle West was largely responsible for the expansion of the company, and he devoted much of his income to beautifying the company’s park. Tragically, he did not live long after the park was built, succumbing to an apparent heart attack in 1911. Laurel Hollow Park has been recently reclaimed. Check out their website at http://www.laurelhollowpark.net/.

Completed in 1905, the Newell Bridge is historically important as one of the first all-steel suspension bridges.

Lake Drained in 1952 to Add Picnic Grounds in Lower Park

This grassy area was once part of the lake at Rock Springs Park. (1970)










According to Billboard, June 7, 1952, manager Robert L. Hand ordered a full-scale operation to fill in the lake at Rock Springs Park “in order to provide additional picnic space.” The work was done prior to the 1952 summer season. Two new rides were also added at that time – the Bisch-Rocco Kiddie Airplane (pictured) and the B.A. Schiff Kiddie Boat Ride (pictured). The 3.5-acre lake was created fifty-two years earlier by then-owner C.A. Smith at a cost of $50,000. In 1906 a report by The United States Bureau of Fisheries under the subject “the propagation and distribution of food fishes ,” reported that the lake at Rock Springs was stocked with 150 “fingerlings, yearlings, and adult” large-mouth black bass. Of course, those who remember the lake in later years saw it substantially reduced in size with only small fish and no boating (see picture). What remained of the lake was drained in 1974-75 when the park was razed to make way for the redirection of Route 30 and the approach to the new Jennings Randolph Bridge.






Kiddie Airplanes and Kiddie Boats in Rock Springs Park (1968)