The Pecan Park Eagle

‘HEY, DOUGLASS! IT’S OK TO TRY AND CONFUSE ME WITH THAT HIGH RIDER BUT DON’T CONTUSE WHEN YOU TRY!”

Another Research Contribution
By Darrell Pittman

Who was “Douglass” of Hillsboro?

Darrell Pittman and I are both still researching the guy, but, so far, we haven’t come up with a tight fit identity. That wonderful piece of 1899 writing includes the frequent omission of the “phenomenal” pitcher Douglass’s first name. – Why include the first name in the story when everybody in 1899 north central Texas apparently already knew who good old boy “Douglass” fully was. Just as the newsmen of that era so often left out the name of a ballpark where the a big game was played, or any note of where it was located, because they simply did not include information that they presumed that their readers already had.

And, after all, newsmen of that time were not writing for history.

We do know this much. According to both Baseball Reference and Baseball Almanac, “Douglass of Hillsboro” never played on any level of professional baseball.

Our Pecan Park Eagle sources at “News Archives.Com” also have turned up nothing, so far, but we will continue to try different kinds of approach to research there.

Darrell Pittman has had a similar problem with his historical news services, but has turned up useful information through Ancestry.Com on likeable age appropriate candidates who were legal residents of Hill County, Texas, where Hillsboro is located, in 1900,  whose common surname was “Douglass.”  If Darrell’s source is correct, the first name for our “Douglass” mystery man was either James, John, Dan or Frank.

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Ancestry.Com List of Hill County Men Named “Douglass” in 1900:

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If you wish to join us here at The Pecan Park Eagle in our search for the bigger truth about the Hillsboro pitching phenom named “Douglass,” please feel free to join us by comment on this latest adventure into the most arcane realms of baseball history.

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