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More than 140 years after the Longview Cannibals first took the field, the team's legacy is now permanently recognized with a new historical marker honoring its impact on East Texas baseball.
The Gregg County Historical Commission and Gregg County Historical Museum dedicated the marker commemorating the Longview Cannibals, a team founded in 1883 that represented the city for 44 years and helped shape the region's baseball tradition.
"The Longview Baseball Club was founded in 1883," said Gregg County Historical Commission member Peggy Meacham. "It was all amateurs who would drop everything they were doing, go play ball, and they played different towns around here. Everybody had a ball team."
What began as an amateur club quickly evolved into one of East Texas' most successful teams.
By 1895, the Cannibals had become a semi-professional organization, attracting talented players and building a reputation across the state.
The team's unusual nickname also has a memorable origin.
According to Meacham, the Longview team was originally unnamed when it faced the San Antonio Missionaries in an exhibition game.
After Longview defeated the Missionaries, a newspaper reporter wrote that the local team had "eaten up" the Missionaries.
"The newspaper reporter was so excited that he said the Longview Cannibals ate up the San Antonio Missionaries," Meacham said. "That's where they got their name."
The newly dedicated historical marker serves as a tribute to a team that helped put Longview on the baseball map and preserved a chapter of East Texas sports history for future generations.
Continue reading...
The Gregg County Historical Commission and Gregg County Historical Museum dedicated the marker commemorating the Longview Cannibals, a team founded in 1883 that represented the city for 44 years and helped shape the region's baseball tradition.
"The Longview Baseball Club was founded in 1883," said Gregg County Historical Commission member Peggy Meacham. "It was all amateurs who would drop everything they were doing, go play ball, and they played different towns around here. Everybody had a ball team."
What began as an amateur club quickly evolved into one of East Texas' most successful teams.
By 1895, the Cannibals had become a semi-professional organization, attracting talented players and building a reputation across the state.
The team's unusual nickname also has a memorable origin.
According to Meacham, the Longview team was originally unnamed when it faced the San Antonio Missionaries in an exhibition game.
After Longview defeated the Missionaries, a newspaper reporter wrote that the local team had "eaten up" the Missionaries.
"The newspaper reporter was so excited that he said the Longview Cannibals ate up the San Antonio Missionaries," Meacham said. "That's where they got their name."
The newly dedicated historical marker serves as a tribute to a team that helped put Longview on the baseball map and preserved a chapter of East Texas sports history for future generations.
Continue reading...
