1870 Forest City, Rockford IL (Forest Citys)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:

Photo A

Dated 1870, two version of same photo. Photo date determined by the appearance of players Doyle and Simmons, both of whom only played with this team in 1870. The majority of players in this photo wore a white uniform with a polygon-shaped bib. The bib had trim in a middle-tone color and “F.C.” in the center fashioned in old-English-style letters. The belt and stocking were also of a middle-tone color. One player, standing at far left, wore a bib that matched the 1869 Forest City uniform. Another player, seated at far right, wore a collarless shirt with no bib. Newspapers from this year described the uniform as having green stockings.

Top row, from left: J Doyle (70), B Addy (66-71), G Stires (68-70), J Simmons (70), F Cone (68-70), R Barnes (66-70) and T Foley (69,70). Front: A Spalding (66-70), (H Waldo) and S Hastings (69-71). Years with team from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), from Marshall D. Wright, The National Association Of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870 (2000), and from Peter Morris, Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870 (2012). Bottom photo courtesy of Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-Century Pictorial Committee. This photo was mentioned in the August 12, 1885, issue of The Sporting Life, when a print of this photo was donated to the newspaper by James F. McKee.

Photo B

Dated 1870. This illustration was made from a photograph taken at the same session as photo A. However, in this version several players have moved to different positions and the manager was not included in the scene. This illustration, published in 1899, also clearly showed the shirt bib and letters.

Standing, from left: S Hastings (69-71), J Doyle (70), B Addy (66-71), F Cone (68-70), R Barnes (66-70) and T Foley (69,70). Sitting: A Spalding (66-70), J Simmons (70) and G Stires (68-70). Years with team from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), from Marshall D. Wright, The National Association Of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870 (2000), and from Peter Morris, Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870 (2012). Bottom photo courtesy of Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-Century Pictorial Committee. Image scan from Sam Gazdiziak, ripbaseball.com, citing the Akron Beacon-Journal, July 10, 1899.

Written documentation on this uniform:
May 30, 1870, Forest City, Rockford IL, v. Mutual, New York, at Brooklyn, Union Grounds: “The Forest City lads were accoutred [i.e., notably clothed] in a costume similar to that worn by the Mutual last year [1869]—green stockings and white shirt and pants.” From the New York Herald, May 31, 1870. This report was also researched by Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1845-1881 From Newspaper Accounts (1961).

May 31, 1870, Forest City, Rockford IL, v. Atlantic, Brooklyn, at Brooklyn, Union Grounds: “The Green Stockings from the West deserved well the victory they achieved.” From the New York Herald, June 1, 1870.

June 18, 1870, Forest City, Rockford IL, v. Forest City, Cleveland, at Cleveland: “The Green Stockings arrived in Cleveland on the afternoon of the 28th and were driven direct to the Association Ground.” From the New York Clipper, June 25, 1870.

June 19, 1870, Forest City, Rockford IL, v. Forest City, Cleveland, at Cleveland: “The third [inning] should have been a blank for both sides, the muffing and slow handling of [Cleveland’s] Kimball enabling the ‘Greens’ to score five runs.” From the New York Clipper, June 25, 1870.

Team genealogy: Forest City, Rockford, IL 1865-1871
Forest City was formed in Rockford, Illinois, in 1865. The team name comes from an early city moniker. Forest City joined the National Association (NA) in 1871. The NA was baseball’s first league operating 1871-1875. The Great Chicago Fire in October 1871 forced Chicago, and by association Forest City, to fold after the 1871 season. Information from Peter Morris and others, Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870 (2012).