1852.7

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San Francisco Plaza Again Active, This Time with "Town Ball;"

Salience Noteworthy
Location California
City/State/Country: sf, ca, United States
Game Town Ball
Immediacy of Report Contemporary
Age of Players Adult
Text

"For the last two or three evenings the Plaza has been filled with full grown persons engaged very industriously in the game known as 'town ball.' The amusement is very innocent and healthful . . . . The scenes are extremely interesting and amusing, and the place is peculiarly adapted for that purpose."

 

Sources

"Public Play Ground," Alta California, January 14, 1852

On June 11, 2007, John Thorn reported a similar CA find: "A game of "town ball" which was had on the Plaza during the week, reminded us of other days and other scenes. California Dispatch, January 2, 1852. 

 

Comment

In the prior year (see item #1851.2) the game at the Plaza had been called base ball in two news accounts, and town ball in none that we now have. Note the account of prior base ball in SF at 1851.2 above. Angus explains that six former members of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in Manhattan were then in SF, and thus the reported games may have been played by modern rules.

Angus adds - email of 1/16/2008 - that this appears to be the last SF-area mention of base ball or town ball until 1859.

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Submitted by Angus Macfarlane, John Thorn



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