Baseball

Base Ball. Saturday next a match game of base ball will be played on the North Side Square, between the "Mechanics," of Kenosha, and the "Haybinders," of Racine. The Mechanics and Haybinders have an old dispute to settle by the ball, and a lively and earnest game can be expected.
A “base ball” game between Kenosha and Racine. Racine County Argus, June 22, 1871.

Jonathan Martens: I suspect the old dispute comes from base ball being a contact sport in the 1870s. A general lack of fielding was overcome by getting into a fight with a batter after a hit. The Mechanics only lasted for a couple of years. Lots of injuries, lots of spectators hit with flying bats, lots of unpaid drink tabs.
Todd: How about the Haybinders?
Jonathan Martens: I think I only see them for a few years, as well. 1870-71 ish. And then there’s a Norway team of the same name in the early 20th century. I have the impression that baseball really had a big explosion right around 1870, as the various versions of rounders were coalescing into a single sport after the civil war, and then kind of died down for a decade or two.

The season of base ball, America's great national game, will soon commence. What a flood of recollections it recalls to the mind of the writer! It takes him back thirty odd years ago, when he played base ball in the pastures adjacent to the city and in the old Fourth ward school lot. Conditions were far different then than now.
Recollections of Baseball, by David Griswold, The Racine Daily Journal, March 20, 1907.

William Wishau: North Park, North Side Square, etc. Early Baseball was also played at West Park. The property currently known as Horlick field wasn’t purchased to build a baseball park until 1906.

Alan Karls: William Wishau thanks for clearing that up. I believe I saw an 1880’s map that showed a baseball field where Horlick Field is, owned by the Racine Baseball Club. It was out in the country then.

William Wishau: Alan Karls First shows on a map in 1908.

Alan Karls: William Wishau thanks. I believe I saw it on a map from 1884 when there were no roads or developments around it. But I could be wrong. My recollection is that I wondered how people got to it as the map showed no roads to it yet.

1883 Bird’s Eye map of Racine

William Wishau: Alan Karls the 1883 Bird’s Eye map indicates St Patrick ran that far west, but still nothing out there yet.

William Wishau: From Dec 15, 1906 JT. J.M. Cooney buys ball park site. For the first year (1907) it was called Cooney Park, or Cooney’s Park. Cooney essentially couldn’t make the payments and the land defaulted back to Henry Eiler in 1908. That year Cooney Park get’s a few mentions, but it was also called Eiler Park. The Racine Base Ball Association leased the park from Eiler in 1908. The RBBA incorporated in 1909, so they may have eventually taken ownership. Seems a couple different names are in there before becoming Horlick Athletic Field.

Buys Ball Park Site Mr. J. M. Cooney Purchases Property Where Fans Can See Games Next Year. A piece of news that will occasion more real joy to the genuine fans of the Belle City became known yesterday, when it was made public that, after considerable negotiating, J. M. Cooney had purchased, through Geo. Herzog, the block of ground bounded by High, Forest and St. Patrick streets and Blake avenue, in the northwestern portion of the city, formerly the property of Henry Eiler. Mr. Cooney had been on the look out for a desirable location for a baseball park ever since last summer, when it became evident that Athletic park was to be cut up, and the choice was made only after considering all the advantages and disadvantages of the several sites that had been offered him.
December 15, 1906.