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At the time of the 1871 game, a covered grandstand called the "Grand
Dutchess" provided spectator accommodations. The Grand Dutchess was open only to women and men accompanying them. (Some sources give "Grand Duchess" as the name of the ballfield itself, but contemporary records contradict this.) The
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and his heirs owned fields in downtown Fort Wayne, on which at various times amateur baseball games and practices were conducted, beginning in 1862. The precise location of the ballfield on
Hamilton's fields is lost, but it was in an area now bounded by Calhoun, Wallace, Barr, and Williams Streets,
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Teams that played on
Hamilton's property included the Kekiongas, in their amateur days. Due to various confusions and flaws in the historical records, some sources give "Hamilton Field" – located north of the train tracks, at the corner of Lewis and Calhoun streets – as the location of the first
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The
Kekiongas have a splendid ground for playing upon this year. They have six acres enclosed with a high, tight board fence, measuring 1,900 feet lineal, and seats for the convenience of spectators, with canopy
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game was played at the
Kekionga Ball Grounds on May 4, 1871. This was the first professional baseball league game, the first professional league game in any sport in America, and possibly the first game of
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71:. Built in 1870, it was located on the site of the former Camp Allen, a Union Army base during the civil war, north of what is now Camp Allen Park, and named for
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played two Sunday home games there, because Sunday baseball was outlawed in
Cleveland (it was in Fort Wayne also, but the ordinance was not enforced).
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However, the
Kekiongas never played at League Park, and the historic marker is incorrect. But two major league games were played there, in 1902.
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postseason series. This game was played at
Swinney Park, which was probably located about where the Swinney Tennis Center is now (
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The
Kekiongas folded before the end of the 1871 season, so the Kekionga Ball Grounds only hosted eight other major league games.
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major league game. But it wasn't, nor was there likely ever any place called "Hamilton Field" as a proper noun.
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beat the
Bronchos 3–1 on Sunday, August 31, 1902. These were the last major league games played in Fort Wayne.
421:"Monument to mark site of 1871 pro baseball game Ceremony will be held Thursday evening at Camp Allen Park"
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now bounded by Mechanics Street, Elm Street, Cherry Street, Camp Allen Drive, and Fair Street.
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One other major league baseball game was played in Fort Wayne: on October 24, 1882,
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pitched the Bronchos to a 6–4 victory on Sunday, June 22, 1902, and
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south of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad tracks.
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370:"May 4, 1871: Association Ball: Kekionga vs. Forest City"
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Grand Duchess burned to the ground on November 5, 1871.
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A monument at Headwaters Park on the right bank of the
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pitched the shutout for the Kekiongas; the umpire was
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392:"Ft. Wayne Kekiongas 2, Cleveland Forest Citys 0"
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481:. SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)
458:. SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)
372:. SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)
295:. SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)
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477:Bill Griggs and Jim Nitz (October 15, 2011).
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512:Defunct baseball venues in the United States
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263:History of sports in Fort Wayne, Indiana
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293:"Kekionga Ball Grounds (Fort Wayne)"
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218:19–7 in the deciding game of the
507:Defunct sports venues in Indiana
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517:Sports in Fort Wayne, Indiana
419:Blake Sebring (May 3, 2019).
93:some people do and some don't
341:"Kekionga Base Ball Grounds"
479:"Swinney Park (Fort Wayne)"
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456:"League Park (Fort Wayne)"
454:Bill Griggs and Jim Nitz.
291:Bill Griggs and Jim Nitz.
67:was a baseball field in
56:Fort Wayne Daily Gazette
34:41.076861°N 85.1579111°W
241:41.072417°N 85.159111°W
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39:41.076861; -85.1579111
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157:41.085000; -85.139278
89:Major League Baseball
65:Kekionga Ball Grounds
339:Paul Healey (2004).
97:Fort Wayne Kekiongas
84:National Association
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103:by a score of 2–0.
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172:Cleveland Bronchos
315:"Camp Allen Park"
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485:February 22,
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462:February 14,
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25:85°9′28.48″W
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232:85°9′32.8″W
229:41°4′20.7″N
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143:85°8′21.4″W
125:League Park
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22:41°4′36.7″N
501:Categories
396:Retrosheet
366:John Thorn
269:References
216:Providence
176:Addie Joss
140:41°5′6.0″N
109:John Boake
82:The first
214:defeated
101:Cleveland
99:defeated
50:overhead.
257:See also
182:and the
180:Cy Young
73:Kekionga
53:—
212:Chicago
95:). The
487:2020
464:2020
432:2020
403:2020
378:2020
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301:2020
170:The
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