Factory Baseball Team

Title: Factory Baseball Team
Description: Photograph of players on the American Thread Company's Dye House baseball team, c. 1920. Photo taken at Recreation Park, Willimantic, CT. Black and white gelatin print in a gray cardboard matte. Unknown photographer. Like many large factories, ATC organized its own athletic league, the ATCO MIll League, and workers from various shops played each other. The "D" on their jerseys stands for "Dye House," and the ATCO stands for "American Thread Company." The workers/players were (1st row) Rod Lavillier, Walt Jones, Adams, Archer Hamel, unknown, Litsi Mac, (2nd row) Walt Johnson, Dugan, Art Nichols, Joe Hamel, Bill Berard, and Cooky Blair, according to what is written on the back of the photo matte. The coach was named Casey. Art Nichols (real name Arthur Meikle) was a former major league player. Born in 1871, Nichols played for the Chicago Orphans and St. Louis Browns, mostly as a catcher, retiring from minor league ball in 1912 at the age of 41. Nichols was born in Manchester, NH, and died in 1945 in Willimantic, CT.
Identifier: WTHM.2022.2.47
Type: Photograph
Format: Gelatin Print
Subject: American Thread Company Dye House baseball team; American Thread Company, Lavillier, Rod, Jones, Walt, Adams, Hamel, Archer, Mac, Litsi
Rights: Copyright status not evaluated. Please contact the Windham Textile and History Museum for permission to use.