Galesburg, Illinois, minor league baseball history

Baseball Hall of Fame members Bud Fowler (1890), Grover Cleveland Alexander (1909) and Sam Rice (1912) played for Galesburg teams.

The 1895 Eastern Iowa League standings were composed of the Burlington Spiders (52–39), Cedar Rapids Rabbits (43–51), Clinton Bridegrooms (11–26), Dubuque Colts (66–31), Galesburg Trotters (13–27), Ottumwa Brownies (49–52), Rock Island Tri-Cities (14–18) and Waterloo Indians (21–25).

The Canton Chinks, Hannibal Cannibals, Havana Perfectors, Macomb Potters and Monmouth Browns joined Galesburg as charter members in the six–team league.

The Galesburg Pavers became members of the eight–team Class D level Central Association, replacing the Waterloo Lulus in the league.

In 1912, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Sam Rice began the season with the Galesburg Pavers, playing in exhibition games.

However, Rice left the team when his wife, two children, both of his parents and two sisters were killed in a tornado on April 21, 1912.

However, on July 24, 1914, after a few games in Rock Island, the franchise was forced to move to Galesburg to play the remainder of the season after losing a territorial dispute with the Three-I League, which had teams nearby the Davenport Blue Sox and Moline Plowboys as members.

[23] The pre-20th century Galesburg teams played minor league home games at Willard Field.

On April 1, 1907, the Chicago White Sox played an exhibition game against Knox College at Willard Field.

[24][25][26][27] The 1908 to 1914 era Galesburg teams hosted home minor league games at Illinois Field.

The site today is home to Lombard Junior High School, 1220 East Knox St, Galesburg, Illinois.