Indoor Baseball
Indoor baseball was played in the Village of Lansingburgh at Bolton Hall around the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century. Reportedly it “was invented by George Hancock in 1887 at the Farragut Boat Club on Chicago’s South Side” and it served as a forerunner of softball (Encyclopedia of Chicago).
—The Troy High School baseball team and a team from the Troy Academy will play a match game of indoor baseball in Bolton hall Saturday afternoon. The game will be called at 2:30 o’clock.
Troy Daily Times. March 15, 1899: col 1.
—The Riverside Wheelmen and the machinists of the Lion factory will play a game of indoor baseball at Bolton Hall to-morrow evening.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. March 28, 1900: col 2.
There is intense rivalry between the Trojan Hook and Ladder Company and the Read Steamer Company just at present as to the relative strength of indoor baseball teams representing the organizations and which have been named to battle for supremacy. Bolton Hall, Lansingburgh, has been engaged for a series of games, and in all probability the first game will be played Wednesday evening. Both nines are composed of good ball players. The Read team is as follows: Catcher and field captain, W. H. Cluett; pitcher, Davidson; first base, Smith; second base, James Burns; third base, Eugene McCarthy; shortstop, Farrell; left field, Moran; centre field, Snyder; right field, Edward McManus. Capt. Damon McManus of the Read Company is manager of the nine. The Read men have a number of good substitutes to call upon, including Quimby, Damon McManus, Green, Timpane, Jones, Judge, Hart and W. B. Frear. A meeting of the baseball men of the Read Company will be held this evening.
The members of the Trojan Hook and Ladder Company team are: James H. Mills, captain and catcher; W. D. Magill, pitcher; Phil. Draper, first base; C. F. Burns, second base; Arthur Phillips, third base; Edward Wales, short stop; Nevill F. Bennett, centre field; John H. Allendorph, left field; C. H. Van Arnam, jr., substitute.
Troy Daily Times. March 30, 1899: col 2.
—The first annual concert and ball of the Mutual Association of Railway Employes of the city was held at Bolton hall last evening and a large gathering was present. The feature of the evening was a game of indoor baseball between a team composed of members of the association and the nine from the Twenty-first Separate Company. The railroad men were inexperienced, and after an exciting struggle through nine innings the game fell to the soldiers by a score of 10 to 7. A concert was given by the orchestra for the next hour, after which dancing was enjoyed. The committee of arrangements included: William Lallman, chairman; M. Goodrich, A. Rhind, J. Bergh, H. Lereau, P. Smith, T. Larkins, J. Sheridan, J. Honan, F. O’Neil, J. Thompson, George Ackard, M. Hall, M. Young, J. McNeilan, John Matthews, W. Vanderpool, C. Lansing, E. Pateman, F. Reaner, J. Cashman, E. Marion, J. Roach, J. O’Neil, William Young, C. Quinn, S. Hayes, C. Piercy, M. Osborn.
“Among the Societies.” Troy Daily Times. May 9, 1899: col 4.
—Nines from the shops of Cluett, Peabody & Co. and The United Shirt and Collar Company played indoor baseball in Bolton Hall Saturday evening, and the Cluett, Peabody & Co. team won by a score of 28 to 8. There were about 1,200 persons present.
“News of the Uptown District.” Troy Daily Times. March 19, 1900: 2 col 3.
—An entertainment in aid of the Working Girls’ Home will be given at Bolton Hall next Wednesday evening. Doring’s Band will furnish music, and there will be numerous other attractions, including a game of indoor baseball. After the entertainment dancing will be enjoyed. A concert will open the entertainment. The affair is for a worthy object and there should be a large attendance.
“Amusements.” Troy Daily Times. May 3, 1900: col 5.
—After the practice of the field musicians last evening there was a game of indoor baseball between the musicians and the Lansingburgh Young Men’s Christian Association team, the former winning easily.
“Military Topics.” Troy Daily Times. December 13, 1900: 1 col 7.
—Manager George Anderson of St. Peter’s Lyceum indoor baseball team and Manager P. S. Oakley of the Sixth Separate Company team have arranged for a series of five games to be played alternately in Bolton Hall and at the Troy Armory. A concert and dancing will be given in connection with the games.
“City Notes.” Troy Daily Times. December 31, 1900: col 2.
Employeees of Cluett, Peabody & Co. gave a reception, concert and indoor baseball game at Bolton Hall, Lansingburgh, last week. Teams representing the shirt department and the collar department played, the latter winning.
Clothiers’ and Haberdashers’ Weekly 15(5). January 12, 1900. 34.
—The Belmont Athletic club will play a game of indoor baseball with St. Peter’s Lyceum this evening at Bolton Hall for a purse of $150.
“In Northern Wards.” Troy Daily Times. November 4, 1901: 1 col 6.
Spalding’s Official Indoor Base Ball Guide. NY: American Sports Publishing, 1921. https://www.loc.gov/resource/spalding.00253/?sp=1