It’s possible the sport may have been played in Barrie as far back as the 1850s, but it was Benjamin Wilson Rhinehart who formally introduced American-style ball to town, says history columnist
This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
164 Bradford St.
Here’s a little baseball history.
But first, let’s talk about a one-time owner of this handsome home: Ben Rhinehart.
Benjamin Wilson Rhinehart immigrated to Canada in 1850 when he was just two years and half old. He was born in Pittsburgh (Pa.) in the year 1850. His father ran a very profitable boot and shoe shop in Newmarket that employed many workers.
Rhinehart’s father fell ill with paralysis, forcing him to work at the age of 10. It was necessary to help support the eight-person family.
Rhinehart moved to Barrie in search of better opportunities. This was around 1870. Charles Naylor was working at the bar when Rhinehart arrived in town. Gazette. When Rhinehart explained to Naylor his desires, he was taken by Daniel Crew, owner of the The Advance The newspaper office. Rhinehart began his apprenticeship the next week, earning $1.50.
Ben would stay at the The Advance Over 25 years of experience in the industry.
In 1875, Benjamin Wilson Rhinehart married Elizabeth Naylor, daughter of James and Amelia Naylor, one of Barrie’s pioneer families.
Elizabeth was born in Lincolnshire (England) like her parents. She moved to Canada at the age of four. Charles, her brother born in England, introduced Rhinehart, his sister, and the entire printing industry to him!
Charles began his career in the printing industry at the Spirit of the AgeFrom 1858 to 1865, the Barrie conservation paper favored the Orange Order’s (Protestant), conservative viewpoint. Charles would work for Gazette, The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us. The Advance You can also read about the ExaminerAfter Toronto, Newmarket and Owen Sound we moved to Imlay City in Michigan.
It was while visiting his sister in 1917, that Charles – printer, writer and poet – passed away unexpectedly. His funeral was held at the Rhinehart home on Bradford Street.
Benjamin Rhinehart continues his career in printing, continuing to work at the Advance, The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us. Gazette You can also read about the Examiner. He was active in his community: as part of the Barrie fire brigade, the school board and a member of Burton Avenue United Church. He was an Oddfellow and initiated into Barrie Lodge No. Just a year after moving to Barrie, he was initiated into the Lodge No.
Rhinehart was also a member of Barrie Lodge No. 3 of the Uniformed Encampment, a lodge that eventually disappeared due to attrition … but not before Ben Rhinehart took the Encampment, along with the Barrie Band, to a grand celebration in North Bay, where they won first prize at the tournament and praise from the town of North Bay as the finest and most sociable of all the Encampments in attendance.
Later, in 1901, when dozens were petitioning for the renewal of Patrick McAvoy’s licence of the Railroad House in Allandale, as a Ward 5 elector, Rhinehart’s name was among an even longer list of those opposed to granting the licence.
Benjamin Wilson Rhinehart, dean of the printing fraternity of Simcoe County, had a long and distinguished 56-year career as a printer, working into his late 70s.
The home on Bradford Street, where he lived with Elizabeth and their daughter Bertha (Birdie), a dressmaker, and where his own funeral took place, is still a striking house with a lovely mix of architectural features.
Are you wondering if there’s still a baseball story in your future?
Also in 1871 this new citizen and printing trainee organized the first American ball club in Barrie. When an announcement was placed in the papers to attend a meeting at a downtown hotel, an enthusiastic crowd of 75 to 100 people turned out. There was no question of the interest in forming a baseball club … most of the discussion was about uniforms!
The organizer decided to settle the matter by asking those who preferred black trunks and white stockings to stand to one side and those who prefer white trunks and red stockings to move the other. The room neatly divided into two equal groups, each choosing a captain: David Powell for the red stockings and Ben Rhinehart for the white stockings, or ‘Stars’ as they called themselves.
The boys on the teams rapidly took to the sport, practising at night in Queen’s Park, the resulting baseball games providing loads of enjoyment and entertainment for players and fans.
When reflecting on the baseball club, Rhinehart commented: “There was no tin-pan sports about the boys in those days.” He went on to say, “every player was out to practise or they heard about it. In those days, it was underhand pitching and the art of curve-ball pitching had not then been discovered.”
It’s possible the sport may have been played in Barrie as far back as the 1850s, but it was printer Benjamin Wilson Rhinehart who formally introduced American-style ball to Barrie, and the community’s passion for baseball has never left.
