Billy Meyer was stuck in a hospital bed in Ohio 100 years ago this week. Knoxville’s hometown baseball hero was down with some kind of ill, possibly typhoid. It was not how he wanted to celebrate America’s birthday. He was ready to get back out on the diamond with the Louisville Colonels (they ended up winning the American Association pennant in 1925).
As it was, there was lots of baseball on tap in Knoxville that July 4th weekend. All the city leaguers were scheduled for double headers. The L & N Railroaders were going up against Vestal, and the City National Bank team was heading north to play Fountain City, that team managed by Roy Acuff who had just graduated from Central High School. The Southeastern Express Company was heading east to play the Mascot Miners, and the Cockrum Lumber Company was heading way south to take on Rockford.
As it were, the Knoxville Smokies were having a less than stellar season, but managed to break an 11-game losing streak versus the Augusta Tygers pm July 2. They had a double header scheduled at home for the 4th at Caswell Park. Downtown businesses were encouraging fans to come out and “help pull the Smokies out the cellar.” The Athletic House along with the Knoxville baseball directors and stockholders were sponsoring a free banquet at the Whittle Springs Inn if the team pulled out both games.
The Hamilton Dental Infirmary at Gay Street and Commerce was offering a free cleaning to the player making the first three base hits. O’Neil’s Café put up a $5 meal ticket for the Smokies player making the most runs in both games. It didn’t work out for the Smokies that weekend.
Of course, the city was hosting Independence Day activities in Chilhowee Park, with music performed in the bandstand that afternoon and evening. Thousands were expected to attend the festivities, whether to swim, dance, picnic and/or wait until the fireworks later that evening. Then as now, fireworks were illegal in all of Knox County except for organized public displays.
In other happenings, the city was about a month away from advertising for bids to construct the Broadway viaduct. The Smoky Mountain Conservation Association was redoubling its efforts to raise $50,000 towards the creation of the national park. As of that July, the total was sitting at $25,345. The announcement went out for a new $2.5 million office and movie house on Gay Street. In 1928, it opened as The Tennessee Theatre. And the contract to construct the new Sterchi Brothers building on Gay Street was awarded to Weaver and McGill.
On the unsavory side, a couple of wayward ladies got busted by the Sheriff’s office conspiring to bust one Howard Barr, alias Ralph Lee, nicknamed the Filling Station Bandit out of jail. Seven stations had fallen victim to his shenanigans. From Saturday morning July 4 – Monday morning July 6, 102 people were arrested in the city, the vast majority for drunken disorderly conduct. Prior to the holiday, 16 patriotic jailbirds requested to be let out to spend the weekend with their families, promising to return that Monday morning.
Down in Dayton, the Scopes trial was revving up. As such, a man in LaFollette claimed he’d found a mountain hermit who had a tail. The “missing link,” as he was referred, was illiterate but known to be “woods smart.” It was suggested he might be subpoenaed for the trial. No, I am not making that up.
Whatever your plans, have a safe and happy 4th of July. And liberty and justice for all.
Beth Kinnane writes a history feature for KnoxTNToday.com. It’s published each Tuesday and is one of our best-read features.
Sources: The Knoxville Journal digital archives
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Reading this took me back to times as a kid when my North Knoxville/Fountain City extended family sat around a “feast” table and talked about baseball, neighborhood gossip, jail birds (or who should be), who had died or was on the visitation list at church. I think listening to the enthusiastic tone of the baseball talk is what led me to love that sport above all others. My son-in-law just retired as a baseball scout for the Mets after a long career scouting for the Bureau and coaching college ball. It took me a long time to forgive him for turning down a scouting offer from the Red Sox. They remain “my” team. The history of baseball easily explains why it is considered “American’s Sport.” No other sport comes close to having the Tall Tales, unbelievable game reversals and interesting characters on base, in the field, or at bat. At one time every member of my family knew all the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and would burst into song with or without invitation.