Posts Tagged ‘Negro League’

Fact-finding mission on City Island

Written on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 [permanent link]

On a recent Friday night between two long days at a homeschool convention in Harrisburg, PA, I went looking for fun on the capital city’s designated fun island in the middle of the Susquehanna River. I found a lot of History! And one awesome punchline. . .

This cool Friday dusk would have felt completely different if the AA Harrisburg Senators had been playing a home game instead of away. I was sad to occupy the island with a few joggers and the ghosts of players in the Negro Leagues of baseball. One team there was called the Harrisburg Colored Giants. The Giants played 1906-1908, but on a deserted City Island it was hard to judge which team was more a part of faded history, the Giants or the Central Penn Piranha (a nearby sign proclaimed them “The Winningest Team in Minor League Football History!”)

The joggers crossed a pedestrian-only bridge from the island to downtown Harrisburg. The sign proclaims it “The Oldest Metal Span Bridge in the U.S. 1888.” I have no idea what engineering made this bridge possible or special, but I love finding that detail of History. That sort of claim doesn’t often show up on Google — you’ve got to walk a place to find that.

Before air conditioners, this island was where city folks came to cool off in July and August. A cement beach sits on the north end of City Island. They still use the bathhouse built for the beach in the 1920s! The peeling paint added to the spooky atmosphere as the sun set and the security guard looked happy to be leaving his own hut on the fun island.

The city’s website says the island’s “RiverSide Village Park features seven rustic concession stands offering roast beef and fish sandwiches, crab cakes, sausages, hamburgers & hotdogs to french fries, lemonade, & ice cream.” I loved the idea of wrapping all this in a historical tone – I just wished I could have gotten some eats from the convincing replica of the John Harris Trading Post, 1705-1785.

. . . and then I walked behind the trading post! And saw a different kind of post!!! This great log cabin replica got carted in on a mobile home trailer and parked there 20 years ago, and they still haven’t bothered to cover up the trailer hitch!! Or maybe that’s just the place where the ashes from the chimney come out??? The view you don’t get on the postcard. 😉

Tags: Bentley Boyd, Chester the Crab, City Island, comix, Harrisburg, history, John Harris Trading Post, Negro League
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