Clinton IAGenWeb

Sports

City Noted for Fine Athletes: Expansion Marked Since Close of War

Sports in Clinton, now accepted as an important part of the community'sactivity, had a rather sporadic existence during the early.

Clinton's first sports organization of note flourished shortly after the endof the Civil war, when the Clinton Actives, a local baseball team earned areputation as one of the most powerful independent clubs in the midwest. The Actives played in what is now DeWitt park, taking on all comers withconsiderable success.  Cap Anson and his famed Chicago White Stockings ofthe 1880's were among the prominent clubs in Clinton during those years to facethe Actives.

This was at the time when baseball was first beginning to sweep the nation,and old files indicate that the Clinton team operated on a par with some of thefinest teams in the country.

It was some years later that foot racing took the spotlight, but the sportwasted little time in becoming popular once it did move in.  Edmund Burke,retired policeman, and Jerry Keefe, retired postal employee, were the spearheadsof a Clinton group of runners who allowed the city to become noted, according toan old newspaper account, "for high class runners able to take the measureof practically all competition."  Clinton tracks and spiked shoes,continues the article, were virtually unknown, and running was done whereverspace could be found.

Baseball continued to occupy a position of major importance as the city grew,and by the turn of the century, the Ringwood park field, which for many yearshoused both football and baseball games, was completed.  Three-Eye leagueplay offered Clintonians a look at organized ball, and gave the city one of itsfinest teams.  The Three-Eye at that time was an important proving groundfor major leaguers, and many of the greats competed in the circuit. Clinton's years in the league were highlighted by the memorable 23-inning gamewith Peoria around 1910, won by the Tractors 3-0.

Clinton later too membership in first the Central league, and then itssuccessor, the Central association.  It was during this time that BingMiller, later and all-time great with the Philadelphia A's, got his start in proball with Clinton.  Both the Three-Eye and Central association membershipswere renewed in the late 30's, but the city was without organized baseball formany years.

Clinton did have one more entry in a professional league before the longdrought set in, but it didn't last long.  Ted Sullivan, veteran majorleaguer, started the Northern league around the time of the first world war, butthe circuit folded in the first weeks of the season, and the city had seen thelast of professional baseball for some years.

Football didn't move off the sandlots until the turn of the century, butwithin ten years Clinton had what was probably its greatest teams, before orsince.  The period from 1912 to 1915, when Duke Slater and his teammatesoperated under the tutelage of Clinton Osborne, is generally recognized as oneof the powerhouse eras of the sport in Clinton.

Night football came on the scene in 1930, when Coan field, Clinton high'ssuccessor to the Ringwood park, was equipped with floodlights.  Theaddition boosted interest and attendance at the games to new highs, and footballhas grown steadily ever since.

Lyons and St. Mary's also began to attract notice with their football teamsat this time, and started the periods of growth which culminated in the Lyonspowerhouse of the pre-and-post-war eras.  The two schools quickly adoptedeach other as natural rivals, and their competition in all sports soon becameamong the most spirited in the area.

Like football, basketball quickly assumed an important place on thescholastic sports scene.  Clinton's teams of the fabulous 1910-1915 eracompiled the finest won-lost records of the old slow-break game -- scores of 30points were seldom attained -- and the rise of Clinton's new breed of cagersthrough the 1940's was climaxed by St. Mary's 1953 annexation of the statetitle, the only school to turn the trick from the city.  The Irish came onthe scene later than either Lyons or Clinton, but soon their power grew, and by1930 were recognized as "in the forefront of eastern Iowa parochial schoolranks."

The enthusiasm for the running races mentioned above had slowly died throughthese other periods of growth, but with the inception of the Gateway Classic,the track and field sports staged a comeback that hit its peak in the late 20'sand early 30's.  The Classic first got underway in 1919, and by 1927 hadgrown to such proportions that it was recognized as the premier prep trackcarnival in the midwest.

This was the age of the Washington of Cedar Rapids dynasty, when the meet wasdominated by Washington, and when records which for the day would have donecredit to a college meet were commonplace.

The meet continued to grow, and by 1933 had attracted  such high schoolelites as Gary, Ind., Oak Park, and several Chicago teams.  This was theheyday of Clinton's famous Carl Nelson, who set Iowa track records in the dasheswhich still stand.

Although the attraction of professional boxing in Clinton is virtuallynonexistent today--it's illegal in the state of Iowa, for one thing--the sportwas once of off-and-on importance.  John L. Sullivan appeared in Clintonthree times during the last decade of the nineteenth century, and forty yearslater, Max Schmeling fought an exhibition here.  Eddie Croaks, aheavyweight, was the city's top product for the fistic wars.  Croake foughtthe famed Peter Jackson in his prime, and for several years was among the topmen in his class.

Of all the sports which have been in Clinton, probably none has enjoyed someteoric a growth in so short a time as has tennis.  Courts were firstconstructed in Riverview park in the 20's, and from there on, the sport grewsteadily.  It was full stride in the post-war period, however, when theClinton Tennis Association started its Mississippi Valley tennis tournament, aFourth of July occasion which now draws some of the top talent in the midwest.

Golf, too, has steadily expanded through the years.  The city got twocourses when the Clinton Country club left its Ringwood location to move to itspresent grounds.  The Clinton Kiwanis club led a drive for a municipallinks on the site of the old Country club, and the sport has enjoyed steadygrowth.

The Clinton municipal swimming pool opened in 1930, and has been one of themost popular summer recreation sites ever since.

With the end of World war II, Clinton rejuvenated many of its sports, andexpended others.  The city has swelled its athletic facilities more duringthis ten-year span than any other, virtually every sport has grownremarkably.  Perhaps most striking has been the baseball outlets, which hita new high last summer and are expected to be further bulged this year. Clinton had class C baseball for three years in the late 40's then dropped thegame for three years.  But last summer, Clinton assumed membership in theClass D M-O-V league, and interest zoomed.

The city outdrew every other class D community in the nation pulling in74,000 fans during the season.  In addition, Little Leagues, Pony leagues,softball, semipro, and youth diamond programs were met with unanimous approval,and it was estimated that over 2,000 Clintonians were playing baseball duringthe season.

The already-mentioned holiday tennis tourney, championship of the state inbasketball in 1953 by St. Mary's, and in football by Clinton high in 1948, alladd up to the conclusion that sports in Clinton are on the upswing, and sharply.

How much farther they will grow is anybody's guess, but officials of thevarious leagues say they expect interest to expand still further.  Thekeynote has been progress for the last 100 years, and it may well be for thenext 100 as well.

CHS Golden Age of Football

Some of Clinton high school's greatest football players displayed their talent some35 years ago at the Ringwood field, shown above.  Located at Tenth avenue,North, and Fourth street the field was a far cry from the well-graded gridironsof today. Actually it was little more than a cow pasture.  But that didn'tdetract from the enthusiasm of the fans nor did it prevent Duke Slater and hiscohorts from making football history there under the tutelage of ClintonOsborne, C. H. S. coach.

Casey At The Bat: A La Camanche

These nine men played baseball for the Camanche Indians in 1905 -- about thesame era depicted in the poem, "Casey at the Bat."

First row, left to right: Fred Quiens, Tune Huigunin, manager Jim Carter,Bruce Quiens, Clarence Mallory.

Back row: El Ryner, Floyd Anthony, Barlow Quiens, Pete Huigunin, Pete Faus.

Golf Introduced 60 Years Ago: Pastures Served As First Courses --McCoy Home Once Only Clubhouse

It was 59 years ago this fall that the first set of golf clubs was brought toClinton.

The proud owner was the late Frank W. Ellis, who still used some of themduring play at the Clinton Country club in the years immediately preceding hisdeath.

Actually the first game of golf was played here in 1895.  At that timeEllis and a few other enthusiasts played on a make-shift course just west ofMill Creek, on the Hart's Mill.  Dwight Lamb was owner of the pasture whichserved as the course.

Some time later the early golfers shifted the scene of their activities toCoan pasture at 8th Ave. S. and 12th St.

The first golf club was organized in May of 1907.  Articles ofincorporation were filed and listed Ellis as president; W. F. Coan, vicepresident; Alden Vose, secretary-treasurer.

The land which now serves as a public course on 13th Ave. N. and 4th St., andwhich is owned by O. D. Collis, was acquired and a "sporty" courselaid out.  At the beginning there was no clubhouse and the players used theporch and carriage house of the R. B. McCoy residence to store theirclubs.  A shack was erected by was destroyed by fire,  later replacedby a rustic lodge.  The lodge was the scene of many parties in the"Gay Nineties."

Reorganization of the original club was effected in 1911 by J. H. Ingwersen,F. E. Peckham, G. L. Curtis, F. H. Van Allen, George E. Wilson, Jr., F. C. Letts,Jr., J. A. Lubbers, F. J. Ward and W. E. Hayes.

By this time the club had outgrown the nine-hole course and started lookingaround for new property.  On July 25, 1920, the present Clinton Countryclub was incorporated and property purchased along Harrison road.  TomBendelow of Chicago, a nationally known golf course architect, was brought toClinton to lay out the first nine holes.

SOURCE: Centennial Edition, Clinton Herald, Clinton Iowa, 18 June 1955