Today in Wheeling History: August 11 — Ruth B. Holloway, widow of Wheeling Stogies owner, deeds Fulton Baseball Ground to the American Legion Athletic Club (1938).
In a pivotal moment for Wheeling’s baseball legacy, Ruth B. Holloway, widow of Charles Holloway, the former owner of the semi-professional Wheeling Stogies, deeded the Fulton Baseball Ground—also known as Bauer’s Park—to the newly formed American Legion Athletic Club on August 11, 1938. This transfer marked the beginning of a new era for youth baseball in the city. The field, located in the Fulton neighborhood, had once hosted exhibition games featuring legends like Babe Ruth and was a former home to the Stogies, a Detroit Tigers farm team that included Art Rooney, future founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The American Legion Athletic Club had been incorporated just days earlier, on August 8, 1938, with the mission to promote youth athletics and community welfare. The club’s first major act was securing a permanent home for Wheeling’s Post 1 American Legion Baseball Team, which had just won its first state championship under coach Walter Ray “Lefty” Hamilton. The field became a hub for regional tournaments, carnivals, and community gatherings, helping fund the team and foster local pride. Holloway’s deed ensured the preservation of a historic sports venue and laid the foundation for decades of athletic achievement in Wheeling.
To learn more: Wheeling American Legion Post 1 Baseball History (https://tinyurl.com/4kesumzw), Weelunk: Eight Decades of American Legion Baseball ((https://tinyurl.com/23wjssyn), Ohio County Public Library Archives – American Legion Post 1 (https://tinyurl.com/4f95yjfm), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yf7jcw8r), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/y2sv3hfb), The Wheeling Memory Project: Joe Gompers Remembers Babe Ruth's Visit to Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/yn69hymh)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, Google Maps, Wheeling Intelligencer
In a pivotal moment for Wheeling’s baseball legacy, Ruth B. Holloway, widow of Charles Holloway, the former owner of the semi-professional Wheeling Stogies, deeded the Fulton Baseball Ground—also known as Bauer’s Park—to the newly formed American Legion Athletic Club on August 11, 1938. This transfer marked the beginning of a new era for youth baseball in the city. The field, located in the Fulton neighborhood, had once hosted exhibition games featuring legends like Babe Ruth and was a former home to the Stogies, a Detroit Tigers farm team that included Art Rooney, future founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The American Legion Athletic Club had been incorporated just days earlier, on August 8, 1938, with the mission to promote youth athletics and community welfare. The club’s first major act was securing a permanent home for Wheeling’s Post 1 American Legion Baseball Team, which had just won its first state championship under coach Walter Ray “Lefty” Hamilton. The field became a hub for regional tournaments, carnivals, and community gatherings, helping fund the team and foster local pride. Holloway’s deed ensured the preservation of a historic sports venue and laid the foundation for decades of athletic achievement in Wheeling.
To learn more: Wheeling American Legion Post 1 Baseball History (https://tinyurl.com/4kesumzw), Weelunk: Eight Decades of American Legion Baseball ((https://tinyurl.com/23wjssyn), Ohio County Public Library Archives – American Legion Post 1 (https://tinyurl.com/4f95yjfm), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yf7jcw8r), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/y2sv3hfb), The Wheeling Memory Project: Joe Gompers Remembers Babe Ruth's Visit to Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/yn69hymh)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, Google Maps, Wheeling Intelligencer
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