Evolution of Baseball Equipment (Continued)
19th Century Baseball Makers, Manufacturers & Retailers
Rob Loeffler graciously assisted with the information in the list below.
Harwood Baseball Factory - 1858–1890s
North Avenue and Main Street, Natick, MA
Became the first factory to produce baseballs. First to mass produce the two piece figure-eight stitched cover.
John Van Horn - 1870s
No. 33 Second Avenue, NY
References: Knickerbocker
Harvey Ross - 1860s–1870s
224 Park Avenue, Brooklyn
References: Atlantic BBC
Ross' ball was used in a match between the Cincinnati Club later known as the Red Stockings) and the Hickory Club of Morgan County in Ohio on August 5, 1868. The ball was found to contain 2 and ½ ounces of rubber and the soon to be mighty Cincinnati Club won 59-16.
Edward I. Horsman - 1862–Late 1860s
124 South Sixth Street, NY
John C. Whiting - 1860s
87 Fulton Street (upstairs), P.O. Address 2217, NY
References (1861): Knickerbocker, of New York; Putnam, of Brooklyn; Victory, of Troy; Live Oak, of Rochester; Niagara, of Buffalo; Potomac, of Washington; Excelsior, of Brooklyn; Star, of Brooklyn; Champion, of Albany; Flour City, of Rochester; Excelsior, of Baltimore; and a great many others.
Andrew Peck & Co. - 1858–mid-1860s
105 Nassau Street, N.Y.
Merged with Snyder to become Peck and Snyder around 1868. Started stitching baseballs in 1866 after returning from Civil War.
Peck and Snyder, NY - late 1860s–1890s
105 Nassau Street, NY (original Andrew Peck & Co. address)
22 Ann Street, New York
126 Nassau Street, New York (May 1st 1870)
Peck and Snyder was purchased by Spalding in 1894.
Baseball Makes and Models
1873
126 Nassau Street, New York
- Peck & Snyder's Professional New Dead Ball
1874
126 Nassau Street, New York
- Peck & Snyder's Professional New Dead Ball
1875
126 Nassau Street, New York
- P & S Professional Dead Red Ball, for Match Games
- P & S Professional Dead White Ball, for Match Games
- P & S Amateur Dead Red or White Ball, for Practice Game (AKA - Second Quality)
- Bounding Rock (Lively Ball)
- Atlantic lively Ball
- Star Lively Ball
- NY Regulation Lively Ball
- Practice Lively Ball
- Junior Lively Ball
- Convention Balls
- Young America Ball
- O.K. Boys' Ball
- No. 25 Boys' Ball
- No. 14 Boys' Ball, three colors
1876
126 Nassau Street, New York
- P & S Professional Dead Red Ball, for Match Games
- P & S Professional Dead White Ball, for Match Games
- P & S Amateur Dead Red or White Ball, for Practice Game
1877
124 Nassau Street, New York
- P & S New Treble Ball, Red or White, for Match Games (One oz. moulded rubber center with two lighter internal covers)
- P & S Professional Dead Red Balls, for Match Games
- P & S Professional Dead White Balls, for Match Games
- P & S Amateur Red or White balls for Practice
George Ellard - 1869 - 1880s
1869 Address - 143 Main Street, Cincinnati
Cincinnati Red Stockings reportedly used the Ellard Ball in 1869 and 1870.
Ward B. Snyder - 1870s
84 Fulton Street, NY
Formerly of Peck and Snyder.
W.B. Carr and Co., Brooklyn - Late 1870's - 1880s
1879 - 245 and 247 Gold Street, Brooklyn
1884 - 136 N. Portland Avenue, Brooklyn also Box 19 at Brooklyn Daily Eagle Office.
Charles Edwards, Brooklyn - 1880s
61 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Rice - 1860s - 1870
Nassau Street, NY
Considered one of the earliest base ball manufacturers; sold company to S.W. Brock in 1870.
S.W. Brock - 1870s
Nassau Street, New York
Purchased Rice in 1870.
S.W. Rice and Co., NY - 1870s - 1880s
147 Fulton Street, New York
J. Carr and Seaman, NY - 1880s
1886 - 245 Gold Street, Brooklyn (from classified ad).
1886 - 581 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn (from classified ad).
J. Ryan and Co., NY - 1870 - 1875
121 Nassau Street, New York
References: March 3, 1873: Adopted by the National Association for "all professional match games for the championship."
No team violated the rule of the championship code by using another ball, as long as the non-Ryan match ball was of regulation dimensions.
Ryan & Davenport., NY – 1876 - ?
124 Nassau Street, New York
1876
124 Nassau Street, New York
- R & D Professional Dead Red Balls, for Match Games
- R & D Professional Dead White Balls, for Match Games
- R & D Amateur Dead Red or White Balls, for Practice Games
Waugh - Early 1870's
222 and 224 Ninth Avenue, New York
References (1872): Ball adopted by the Junior Convention of the National Association of Base Ball Players
1872
Produced the "4x Dead Ball"
