Its president, Tim Murnane, a former sportswriter, and many of its original member clubs were inherited from the New England League, which ceased operation in 1915.
The league consisted of eight teams annually during its existence.
The New Haven franchise, owned and operated by George Weiss during 1919–1929, won four of the league's 17 championships, although under multiple nicknames.
Weiss would go on to a Baseball Hall of Fame career as a top executive with the New York Yankees.
This edition of the Eastern League collapsed during the nadir of the Great Depression on July 17, 1932.