A new attraction to the Heritage Festival on July 4 will be the vintage baseball game. (to hear an audio report click here: vintage base ball)

Never before has Sterling seen the likes of two teams sporting authentic uniforms of the late 1800s playing America’s Favorite Pastime Game as it was played “way back then” when Sterling was a little town and Logan County had a population of 3,000.
The match, as it would have been called then, will be played on the hill behind the museum south of the Karg Barn, and is courtesy of the Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association. (Yes, baseball was two words in those days!) The association, founded in 1993, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of 19th century baseball in Colorado as well as the A baseball team from the 1880s. (Courtesy Photo)education of the public through many means including living history “performances” of games.

There is meticulous researching of details of uniforms, equipment, lexicon, and lifestyles in an effort to represent the sporting life in Colorado more than a century ago. Some teams that actually existed are recreated according to the best documentation available, with gaps filled by reasonable deduction from the progress of the sport outside the region.

Matches are played by rules representative of the earliest days of the game in Colorado, with a heavy emphasis on living history interpretation and “thespianism” to reflect the competitive spirit being tempered by the Victorian ideals on gentlemanly conduct and fair play.

The CVBBA is not only for ballists (players). A large number of civilian roles are utilized to carry off the performance of a late 1880s game: the umpire (who may tote a six-gun to maintain order and scare off the occasional coyote), tally-keeper, reporters, politicians, society ladies, suffragists, abolitionists and a host of cranks (spectators) are fully integrated into the show, and they are encouraged to make the presence felt. All will be in costume.

Coming to Sterling on July 4 will be the teams of the Colorado Territorial All Stars and the Colorado Territorial OldeStars. The OldeStars went “on the road” a couple of years ago with their first game being in Downer’s Grove, Ill. They wound through northern Indiana and finished the tour in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival. They played 12 matches in six cities in 11 days. Thunderation!

There will be popcorn and Cracker Jacks for sale in case you get the munchies while watching the match, and you can visit the Masons’ booth for homemade root beer to quench your thirst.

Water and soda will also be available for purchase nearby. Proceeds from the sale of water and soda will be used for the Heritage Festival July 4, 2010.

The 2009 Heritage Festival on July 4, an annual event, is sponsored by the Overland Trail Museum, The Logan County Commissioners, the city of Sterling, the Logan County Historical Society, the Logan County Lodging Tax Board, and KSTC/KNNG Radio.

Article by Carol Graybill/ Courtesy of the Journal Advocate