This original painting can be found at the Indian Valley Public Library, Telford.
According to Telford historian Charles H. Price, Jr., baseball came to Telford about 1900 and was played in a vacant field located on the west side of North Main Street between Ridge Avenue and Church Road. This field was owned by Dr. Miles Detweiler who owned the working farm on Church Road near Main Street. By 1904- 1905 amateur league games were played between teams from towns along the railroad line from Perkasie to Lansdale and were quite popular until 1917. With the advent of WWI most of the older players left town to join the war effort. From Price:
“Before the war, the games were all played on Saturday afternoons. The town would set up the canvas fence and everyone, men and women, boys and girls, paid the admission and sat in the stands. We boys used to like to sit behind the back stop and watch the pitcher’s curves and drops as the balls came over the plate. We would also chase the foul balls as they came back. You should have seen us swagger up to the umpire as we tossed the balls back to him.
During the game, refreshments were served. Bill Savacool sold a type of an ice we called‘Hokey Pokey Ice Cream’which was an inch and a half cube selling for a penny apiece. Also a man named Wilson Reed who had a bottling plant on Popular Street, now West Broad Street, sold soft drinks, usually sarsaparilla, cream soda, and ginger ale, all in about four or five flavors.
The rooting between the spectators was the same as today, but I remember that the rivalry between Souderton and Telford was very intense. It was always said that there was never a Souderton-Telford ball game without at least one fight. Usually it wasn’t a big affair, but people talked about it anyway. Sometimes there would be a constable there, and he would help head it off, or the other team members would help.
Returning to Dr. Detweiler’s working farm…. He raised corn and wheat in his fields and also had some cattle. Only the one field was left vacant for the ball field. Occasionally when there would be a real dry spell, he would put his cattle in to feed on the good grass, but the townspeople didn’t like that too much because of the manure.
The town contributed rent for the field which was taken out of the gate receipts. This money also went for the equipment of the ball players. Also one team player came all the way from Perkasie to play, and some money was contributed for his travel.
I can remember going to the games quite well. Saturday afternoons were a lot of fun for everyone, right up to World War I.”
Price, Charles H., as told to Beauveau Borie, IV, More Old Time Views of Telford. “The Goshenhoppen Region”. Peterkett, v. IV, n.1, pp. 16-21. Goshenhoppen Historians, Inc., Green Lane, PA: 1971.
Jay Stover had the following to say about Telford baseball in an interview on March 8, 2012:
“His Nibs children’s clothing manufacturer was located behind the County Line Hotel on West Broad Street (in addition to a location in Souderton). As with many Telford businesses, it sponsored a softball team named the Bulldogs on which Dave Landis was a player. Also on a ‘His Nibs’ team at one time was Bobby Schantz, who was drafted right on the American Legion Romanowski Field [on Central Avenue]. Schantz went to play for the Philadelphia Athletics and ended up as a Major League Relief Pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964; although he is probably best known for his outstanding years with the Yankees, Pirates, Colts and Cardinals.”
