Fayetteville to Honor 100th Anniversary
of Babe Ruth’s First Homerun as a Pro
March 7-8, 2014
801 Arsenal Avenue
P.O. Box 53693
Fayetteville, NC
28305
Phone: 910-486-1330
Fax: 910-486-1585
Winter 2014
Edition
Megan Maxwell, Editor
In This Issue
Baseball Fever
History Buffs
Flock to Civil
War Quiz Bowl
Volunteer News
Thank you to
2013 donors and
sponsors!
Join the MCFHC
Foundation
Upcoming
Events
News from the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
George Herman Ruth Jr., known as
“The Sultan of Swat,” “The Colossus of
Clout,” “The Great Bambino,” or simply
“The Babe,” is considered by many the
greatest baseball player who ever lived.
In an era absent of steroids and multi-million
dollar contracts, Babe Ruth
dominated as a power hitter and be-came
the first sports celebrity whose
fame transcended baseball. However,
few people today know that Ruth hit his
first professional home run and received
his famous moniker in Fayetteville while
playing an exhibition game with the Bal-timore
Orioles.
Ruth began playing baseball as a
young man for St. Mary’s Industrial
School in his native Baltimore. When
Ruth was nineteen, Jack Dunn, manag-er
of the Baltimore Orioles, spotted him
and signed the prospect to his first pro-fessional
contract at $100 a month. A
few weeks later, the Orioles headed to
Fayetteville enroute to Florida for
spring training.
While in Fayetteville, it came to the
attention of teammates that Dunn had
legally adopted George H. Ruth to keep
him with the team. Ruth’s parents
Continued Page 2
Page 2
Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
100th Anniversary of Babe Ruth’s Homerun
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
the age of fifty-three. At his death the New York
Times eulogized Ruth as, “a figure unprecedented in
American life. A born showman off the field and a
marvelous performer on it, he had an amazing flair for
doing the spectacular at the most dramatic moment.”
Yankee Stadium is often referred to as “The House
that Ruth Built.”
References:
Babe Ruth, The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
Jim L. Sumner, “Babe Ruth’s North Carolina Spring:
The Tar Heel Perspective,” Maryland Historical Maga-zine,
86 (Spring 1991): 51-54
Baltimore American, September 3, 1950
(Raleigh) News & Observer, April 16, 1992
Charlotte Observer, July 8, 2000
Essay Credit: The NC Office of Archives and History
forced Dunn to become Ruth’s official guardian in
return for allowing their son to depart Jesuit-sponsored
St. Mary’s two years earlier than was
standard practice. This development, combined
with Ruth’s incessant playing on the elevators at
the Lafayette Hotel in Fayetteville resulted in the
older players teasing him as “Dunn’s baby,” which
was later shortened to “Baby” and “Babe.”
A few days after their arrival in March 1914,
team members walked a mile from the hotel to
practice at the old Cape Fear Fair Ground. Al-though
not all the players had reported yet, the
Orioles who were present divided into two teams,
the Buzzards and the Sparrows, for an inter-squad
game. They were so short of players that several
local reporters joined in the game.
In the last inning, Ruth hit a long home run to
right field. Some who were present said it landed
in a cornfield beyond the fence. Others claimed
that that it had soared past the field and landed in
Mallet’s Mill Pond. Rodger H. Pippen, a reporter
playing center field, claimed that he measured the
home run’s distance at 350 feet. Ruth described
the home run saying, “I hit it as I hit all the others,
by taking a good gander at the pitch as it came up
to the plate, twisting my body into a backswing
and then hitting it as hard I as I could swing.”
Maurice Fleishman, who at age eleven served as
batboy that day, never forgot the moment and lat-er
led the effort to commemorate the event with a
historical marker.
The Orioles left Fayetteville soon afterwards. In
his autobiography, Ruth said of the city, “I got to
some bigger places than Fayetteville after that, but
darn few as exciting.” Ruth spent only five months
with the team before being traded to the Boston
Red Sox. After five years in Boston, he became a
New York Yankee where he spent the greatest
years of his career from 1920 to 1934. He retired
in 1935 after one year with the Boston Braves.
A year after his retirement Ruth became one of
the first players elected to the Baseball Hall of
Fame. He died on August 16, 1948, from cancer at
March 7-8, 2014
March 7, 2:00 pm: Re-dedication Ceremony for the
NC Historical Marker honoring Ruth’s first pro home-run.
Special guests and dignitaries to be announced.
Site of marker, Gillespie Street, Fayetteville (In front
of DOT offices, 558 Gillespie St.).
March 7, 10:00 am: Sports of the Sandhills exhibit
opens with a display on baseball. The exhibit will fea-ture
photographs and memorabilia on regional base-ball
history. Did you know that Jim Thorpe played for
the Fayetteville Highlanders in 1910? Find out more
about this and other interesting facts in the exhibit.
March 8, 1:00 pm: Attend a Vintage Base Ball
game at Arnette Park. Vintage Base Ball is baseball
played by the rules and customs of the 19th centu-ry.
This game will follow the 1864 rules as adopted by
the National Association of Base-ball Players. No
gloves here folks! For more information about Vin-tage
Base Ball visit the Vintage Base Ball Association’s
website at vbba.org. Arnette Park is located at 2165
Wilmington Hwy, Fayetteville, NC 28306.
Page 3
Winter 2014
Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl Brings Out History Buffs
January 23 at Methodist University
Test your knowledge at the annual Civil War Quiz
Bowl on Thursday, January 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Yar-borough
Auditorium in Clark Hall at Methodist Uni-versity.
The event is sponsored by the Museum of
the Cape Fear and Methodist University.
Contestants will test their knowledge of trivia,
tactics and history as host Jim Greathouse assails
them with questions covering all aspects of the War
Between the States. The questions are a combination
of multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blank, and
the most challenging will be straight forward ques-tion
and answer. From the most avid Civil War buff
to those who want to see how much they remember
from history class, all will be challenged and enter-tained.
The contest is open to contestants of all ages with
prizes awarded for both the adult and student (16
and younger) winners. Register in advance by calling
the Museum of the Cape Fear or register at the door.
Registration will be accepted until 20 spaces are
filled.
The Civil War Quiz Bowl is free to attend and is
open to the public, with plenty of room for friends,
family and spectators. For more information and to
register, contact Leisa Greathouse at 910-486-1330,
or email leisa.greathouse@ncdcr.gov.
Methodist University is an independent four-year
institution of higher education with over 2,400 stu-dents
from 41 states and 53 countries. Methodist
University offers over 80 majors and concentrations,
100 clubs and organizations, four master’s degree
programs, and 20 NCAA III intercollegiate sports.
To learn more about Methodist University, please
visit methodist.edu or facebook.com/
MethodistUniversity.
Test Your Civil War
Knowledge with
these sample
questions
1) Identify the
photo: Her
husband may
be more fa-mous,
but we
want you to
identify her. Who is she?
2) True or False: In French, the
word “Shiloh” means “place of
peace.”
3) Multiple Choice: It is often
said that the war began in my
front yard and ended in my front
parlor when Lee surrendered to
Grant. Who am I?
a. John Brown
b. Dred Scott
c. Wilmer McLean
Answers bottom of page 5
Page 4
Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
BY LEISA GREATHOUSE
On January 4, we held a Volunteer Orientation Day (VOD). We were pleased that seven people attended.
VOD is a day to learn about the museum’s volunteer program without the pressure of making a commitment
until you know what’s involved, determine if it fits into your schedule of discretionary time, and decide if there
are opportunities in your area of interest.
Join the museum in saying “Welcome!” to Tim Hair, Quo-Votis Covington, Cole Baughman, Jeff Raynor, Lau-rie
Luedeke, and a welcome back to Martha Benfield. Thank you all for your dedication and support of the mu-seum.
If you are a long-time subscriber to The Longleaf, then you probably know we have a Volunteer Holiday Re-ception
every December. In 2013, it was held on December 5 with a room full of dedicated and selfless people
who give so much of their time and talent all year long. The museum provides the ham and turkey, and every-one
who attends brings a covered dish. There are a lot of good cooks among the volunteer staff. Here’s just a
sampling: Paul’s walnut and cranberry salad, Jim’s artichoke casserole, Mara’s Mexican dish, and Louise’s dev-iled
eggs. Yum!! This year’s theme was “Twas’ the Night Before Christmas” and volunteers dined by candle-light.
Thank you to our Office Manager Karen Wallace and Gift Shop Manager Betty Ray for all of your hard
work in making this evening so special for the volunteers! Enjoy these photos from the evening’s event.
Top Left: Volunteer Carol Scheib poses with her
raffle prize, a delicious fruit basket!
Top Right: Volunteers enjoying their Christmas
dinner.
Bottom Right: Volunteer Jauneza Vivian invites
everyone to attend book club.
Page 5
Winter 2014
Thank You to Our 2013 Donors & Sponsors
Join the MCFHC Foundation!
Your tax deductable donation enables us to continue to provide free cultural and
educational programs, events, and exhibits!
MCFHC Foundation, Inc.
Cumberland Community Foundation
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/
Cumberland County
NC Humanities Council
Dig and Dream Garden Club
Diamond Tours
Garden Club Council
Lynda F. Leath Rentals
Charles Broadwell
Anne Livezey
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Frans & Ruth Verbunt
Lew & Carol Scheib
Mary Lynn Bryan
Friends of Lee County Library
National Society of Colonial Dames of
America
Teresa N. Hill
J.E.B. Stuart Chapter-UDC
Le Club Francais De Fayetteville
Super Clean Investments-William
Prewitt
Nancy & Dave Olson
Answers for CW Quiz: 1) Mary Todd Lincoln 2) False, “Shiloh” is Hebrew for “place of peace.” 3) C
The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is part of the NC
Department of Cultural Resources/Division of State History Museums.
The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex consists of a NC
southeast regional history museum, the 1897 Poe House, and Arsenal
Park. Two floors of exhibits present the rich history of southeastern
North Carolina, from the Paleo-Indian period to the first decades of the
1900s in the Museum of the Cape Fear. The fully restored and furnished
1897 Poe House, home of E.A. Poe, a Fayetteville brick maker, offers a
glimpse of early twentieth-century life and the changes that defined this
era. Finally, Arsenal Park marks the site commissioned in 1838 by the
federal government to manufacture and store arms. The arsenal was
used by the Confederacy during the Civil War, and it was destroyed by
Union troops under the command of General William T. Sherman in
March of 1865. Admission to the Museum Complex is free.
Museum Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5
Sunday 1-5
1897 Poe House Tours
Tues-Fri 11:00, 1:00, 3:00
Saturday 10-5 on the hour
Sunday 1-5 on the hour
801 Arsenal Avenue
P.O. Box 53693
Fayetteville, NC 28305
Phone: 910-486-1330
Fax: 910-486-1585
Visit us on the web at:
museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov
Museum Staff
David Reid
Administrator
Leisa Greathouse
Curator of Education
Megan Maxwell
1897 Poe House
Education Coordinator
Karen Wallace
Administrative
Assistant
Jim Frederickson
Carpenter
Weekend Staff
Louise White
Ruth Aldridge
Damon Routzhan
And more than 50
volunteers
January 23, 2014
13th Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl
6:30 pm
Yarborough Auditorium at
Methodist University
See page 3 for details.
February 1, 2014
Dancing Stories with
April C. Turner
2:00 pm
Museum of the Cape Fear
Celebrate Black History Month with danc-er/
singer April C. Turner. Turner will lead
Dancing Stories, an exploration of African
folklore that demonstrates ways that Afri-can
stories can bring a community togeth-er.
At the end of the presentation, audience
members are invited to participate in play-ing
music together as a community. The
program is a well-rounded cultural experi-ence
focusing on the strength of art to in-spire,
unite and educate. FREE!
February 27, 2014
Black Valor: African-American
Sailors in the Civil War
7:00 pm
Museum of the Cape Fear
This lecture by Professor Charles Anderson
will discuss the role that African-
Americans played in the Union Navy and
the Medal of Honor recipients of the Civil
War. FREE!
March 7-8, 2014
Fayetteville Baseball Fever!
March 7, 2:00 pm: Re-dedication Cere-mony
for the NC Historical Marker honor-ing
the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s
first professional homerun. Location: Gil-lespie
Street in front of the DOT offices.
March 8, 1:00 pm: Vintage Baseball
game and activities at Arnette Park. FREE!
See page 2 for details!
March 7, 2014
Sports of the Sandhills
Exhibit Opens
Focusing on baseball in the spring, this
exhibit will shift focus to regional golf his-tory
in time for the U.S. Open in Pinehurst
in June. Visit our web-site and our Face-book
page for more information as these
exhibits develop. FREE!
May 31, 2014
Civil War Living History Event
11:00-4:00 pm
Arsenal Park
This living history event will feature re-enactors,
firing demonstrations, and more!
FREE!
Winter 2014 Page 8