The Citizen, Auburn, New York

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Sunday, September 1, 2013

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DAVID WILCOX, Lake Life editor Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (315) 282-2245 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . david.wilcox@lee.net Twitter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @drwilcox
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Lining up the history of baseball in Port Byron

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PORT BYRON

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Summertime and baseball, a game that has dotted Americas landscape for centuries but when did the game start at Port Byron? An inquiry about our first baseball team would send me on a small journey into sports history. Laura Hoffman, a descendant of Philip King, contacted me about a letter she found in her fathers papers written by Kenesaw Mountain Landis, of Dawn Chicago, to Roe Frank Hicks, of Port Byron, in 1922. The letter intrigued me, as the letter dates the team as post-Civil War. Landis, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1944, was a lawyer who was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to serve as a federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois and became the first commissioner of Major League Baseball. His initial focus as commissioner was to restore the games integrity following the 1919 Black Sox scandal. As an avid collector, Landis desired a photo of the Port Byron team after being informed the team was mentioned in our local newspaper on Jan. 14, 1922. That issue of The Port Byron Chronicle and Cayuga News read, The Hon. George W Dickinson of Auburn called upon his friend Frank Hicks on Wednesday. Dickinson is 79 and Hicks is 82 years of age. They both were members of the first baseball team ever organized in Port Byron. The late Calvin R. Aldrich, Charles R. Berry, Homer Stilwell,

O. V. Lewis, Charles Castner, Edward Hoff and Lewis Pitcher were on the team that was nearly 60 years ago. In searching, I discovered that Port Byron formed its first baseball association in 1877. As a rookie amateur team, they were aggressive and eager to make a name for themselves by inviting semi-pro and professional ball teams here. This same season the Port Byron Cayugas played the Nine Dots, another amateur team from Auburn. The two nines had their photograph taken by a local artist, but it is not known if that photo survives today. The Cayugas also played against the Auburns, a professional team named after the city of Auburn. Thankfully, a cabinet card from this season remains in the collections at the Cayuga County Historians Office, and is featured with this article. The question remains: Did the first players at Port Byron also play for the Cayugas under our first association? The answer is a resounding no! The original Port Byron nine existed before the association based on their personal history, as Pitcher moved away by 1870. Lets review the team members: Lewis Pitcher, a Civil War soldier, moved to Michigan by 1870, married at Ohio in 1873 and settled in Chicago in 1876, where he became friends with Commissioner Landis. Edward Hoff is likely the E. Leslie Hoff who died in 1871 and is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Homer Stilwell enlisted into the Civil War in 65 at Albion, settled at Weedsport before 1870, and died in 1879. Octavius V. Lewis married Julia Clow, taking over the

in LinkedIn 1911. Frank Hicks enlisted into the Civil War from Mentz, was a cigar maker by occupation and Newsvine SlideShare Google Google Talk was the catcher for the team, playing without a glove or mask. He died at Frankfort in 1931. Of the original members, Yahoo Yahoo Buzz Netvibes AOL only Charles R. Berry would be connected to the Cayugas, serving as their umpire. Most of the Microsoft MSN Apple MobileMe team was already deceased by the time Kenesaw Landis wrote his historic letter in 1922. The final question: How could this App Store Amazon Last.fm Mister Wong be connected to the King family, since they have kept this letter all these years? That answer Qik Vimeo Viddler Virb comes from member Charles Castner; his wife was Luella King, a descendant of Philip. The obituary for Frank Hicks Tumblr WordPerss Blogger Posterous claimed that in 1860, he played on the first baseball team in New York state. He likely played on one of Bump the Auburn teams at that Behance Design Float Deviant Art Design time. Regarding the first team in New York, Baseball history from that time is not compreFriendster Bebo Squidoo Share This hensive. It was a totally amateur game at the time. We are really unable to confirm what the first New York-based baseball team RSS Email was said Freddy Berowski, refUpdate #1 erence librarian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum Provided in Cooperstown. There is no doubt: Port Byron This letter, from Kenesaw Mountain Landis, of Chicago, to Frank Hicks, Google Buzz Picasa Bing Meetup is a small part of Cayuga Counof Port Byron, alludes to a post-Civil War baseball team in Port Byron. tys rich sports history. Our first manufacturing of the Charles and died in 1908 while in office; organized baseball team formed Feedburner WordPress (blue) around Drupal 1867, with our first offiClow Grain Cradle business on Ebay he is buried at Mount Pleasant Centerport, and died in 1915. Cemetery. cial ball association being estab Charles Castner lived at Calvin R. Aldrich was a law- lished in 1877. Mentz in 1870, moved to Denver, yer who served as justice of sesGowalla ICQ Metacafe Yelp Colo., and was alive as of 1930. sions and was a local insurance Dawn Roe is historian for the vil The Hon. George W. Dickagent; he died in 1915. lage of Port Byron and a member inson was a member of the New Charles R. Berry was a law- of the Mrs. Benjamin Harrison Xing yer, a member Paypal of the legal Heart Star No. 2 Daughters of Union York State Assembly from 1890team Tent 1891; U.S. consul in Belleville, for Dr. Julius Allens mincemeat Veterans of the Civil War. She Canada, 1897 U.S. consul in patent, a village trustee and can be reached at 776-8446 or Acapulco, Mexico, 1898-1908; school board member; he died www.portbyronhistory.com.
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Working to end violence against women, at home and abroad

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ZONTA CLUB

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When writing my column about Zonta on Sunday, I realized that it was Orange Day, the 25th of the month! Last year, the United Nations Secretary Generals UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign proclaimed Orange Day for organizations and individuals to Gloria advocate to end violence Wristen against women! The theme for this month is sexual violence against women and girls in conflict. Zonta International President Lynn McKenzie, of New Zealand, wrote: We cant and mustnt ignore the fact: Violence against women and girls is still pervasive in all kinds of countries and societies. Its in our backyard. Zonta International has been committed to its prevention and eradication for many years. In 2013, as the UNs Commission on the Status of Women focuses on fighting violence against women, we support the initiative

with Zonta Says No, a worldwide campaign saying no to violence against women. Do not look away. Join us! Some examples of what Zonta clubs are doing around the world are: The Zonta Clubs in Ibadan, Nigeria joined forces in organizing a rally on preventing and ending violence against women. They invited womens professional organizations to join with them and they walked a route through the streets carrying signs in the local languages, saying: Zonta says no to degrading traditional practices Zonta says no to female child labour Zonta says no to sexual harassment Zonta says no to discrimination in employment Zonta says no to violence from law enforcement agencies Zonta says no to childhood marriage Zonta says no to wife beating Zonta says no to rape Zonta says no to denial of female education Zonta says no to negative

cultural attitude In addition, we donate to the Zonta says no to female cir- Zonta International Strategies cumcision Violence Against Hyvesto Eradicate Identi.ca Zonta club of Kitchner-WaWomen Fund, where many terloo in Ontario, Canada spread hands can help to make a differa similar message. ence for women suffering from The Zonta Club of Auburn domestic violence. Zonta Interis refurbishing rooms at the national Foundation is a 501(3) Cayuga/Seneca Community Ac- organization to which contribution Agencys new Supervised tions are deductible, should you Visitation/Safe Exchange Center qualify. Please visit www.zonta. to make life more comfortable org to find out more about our for women and children escapcharitable programs. ing from domestic violence in To read more about what our own community. We gave a Zonta is doing around the coungrant to the supportive housing try and the world to eradicate program to assist young female violence against women, visit participants in a transitional zontasaysno.com. Think about living program for homeless how you could work to prevent young adults, providing a safe, violence against women. Womstable environment to work on en, men and children: Remember goals, including educational to wear orange on the 25th of achievement and employment each month to keep this imporpreparedness. We are helping tant issue in the forefront of our to furnish the infant visitation actions. Orange should be an room at the center. This program easy color to find in your closet, will be the only one of its kind with so many Syracuse Univerin the county, and will provide a sity fans in our community. safe, monitored place for superOur Auburn Zonta Club is vised visits and safe exchange of very pleased to announce that children, by and between parour clubs Young Women in ents, where there has been a his- Public Affairs winner, Milyana tory of domestic violence, sexual Doleshka, a 2013 graduate of assault and/or stalking. Auburn High School, has won

the Zonta District 2 Award after competing with 18 other winners in our district. She then went on to compete with the 30 district award winners from 19 countries for 10 international awards. Having moved to the United States from Bulgaria, Milyana has a broad understanding of international issues, and would like to work abroad building sustainable housing in poverty-stricken areas of the world. To this end, Milyana has been accepted into the School of Architecture at Syracuse University. Our club, her family and our community is proud of this wonderful young woman, who will certainly make a difference in advancing the status of women. For information about our club or membership, contact us at auburn@zontadistrict2.org, visit our websites, www.zontadistrict2.org and www.zonta. org, or write us at Zonta Club of Auburn, 144 Genesee St., Suite 102-270, Auburn, NY. Gloria Stootman Wristen has been a CPA in Auburn since 1982 and a member of the Zonta Club of Auburn since 1989.

LOOK BACK AT THE LAKES

The general store of Shoemaker & Company at Oakwood was broken into late last night and pair and a half of shoes was taken. People in an adjoining house heard a noise in the store at about 11:30 and the alarm was quietly circulated. A number of citizens were organized and surrounded the store while Robert Tincknell, deputy sheriff was sent for. Armed with a revolver and a search light, he entered the store, but the marauder made his escape through the rear office window taking sash and all with him. He had made a hearty lunch of crackers and cheese and took a pair and an extra shoe. Deputy Sheriff Tincknell is of the opinion that the burglar is a convict who escaped from a prison road camp a few days ago. (Pictured) Civil Defense officials of Cayuga, Seneca and Onondaga Counties had a session at the Cayuga County Court House Monday night to discuss a proposed practice atomic attack in the Syracuse area in November. Shown are: seated, Sheriff Wil-

Sept. 1, 1918

Sept. 1, 1953

for Owasco Lake for the first ever official shore-to-shore open swim ever held on the lake. They had two hours to finish, but most of the swimmers were toweling off and ready to ship off to a banquet at Cascades on the Water restaurant by 9:30 for a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. Despite the gloomy weather, members of the Auburn High School girls swim team Janna Fierlard Wilcox, co-ordinator of the monte, Maggie HoSyracuse Support Area; Col. Alercher, Reagan Cuddy and Sarah Sept. 1, 2003 len Ames, Cayuga County Civil Blair handled the jaunt across OWASCO Labor Day tradi- the lake swimmingly. It took Defense director; Thomas R. tionally marks the end of sumBallantyne, Onondaga County them just 30 minutes to reach C.D. director; Arthur E. Stephen, mer. Its the one day the countrys the beach on Fire Lane 13, at the work force gets to sit back and re- southern end of the lake. Auburn Civil Defense director. lax. Americans celebrate the day Standing are, Col. Henry M. Sept. 1, 2008 Clisson, Onondaga County chief by heading to the park, having a With a piece of chalk in hand picnic, maybe attend a parade or of staff; Donald L. Huff, Seneca standing in a classroom 7,150 hang out next to the pool. County director; Col. Clarence miles away from home, Pat HovBut 46 swimmers did someA. Rycroft, assistant director in ey this summer traced English thing a little different Monday. Onondaga County; Harold F. words onto a nearby blackboard On a chilly, wet morning, they Hayden, Auburn chief of staff, for a group of Rwandan children and Col. E.E. Hildreth, assistant put on their swimming trunks to learn. and bathing suits and headed director in Onondaga County.

Sent to Kigali, Rwanda by the non-profit International Education Exchange to teach English to a bunch of schoolchildren in June and July, Hovey of Auburn saw how motivated and courageous they were, overcoming myriad obstacles that stood in their way of getting an education. That was especially true of one student, Bosco Kuri, Hovey said. Kuris parents were killed in the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, and since then he had to care for his two younger siblings. But at age 17, Kuri made it a point to go to school and strive for excellence. He was one of my best students, Hovey recalled. He spoke the best English and read really well. He was a model student. He overcame so much and he can achieve so much because of his work ethic and his knowledge. An aspiring math teacher, Hovey, who attends Fairfield University in Connecticut as a math major, education minor, took the opportunity to go to Rwanda to gain some insight into the profession he wanted to join first-hand. Compiled by Jean Bennett