Bombs, Boise City and Baseball
July 5, 2000
 Listen  Historian's Notes Resources Transcript
Historian's Notes
The bombing of Boise City is such an odd and entertaining part of Oklahoma's history that to exclude
it from the Almanac would be a veritable crime. The city, far from being upset
by the event, uses it as a promotional item. A bomb, planted much later, can be seen in the ground outside
the courthouse and the full story can be found on the backs of area restaurant menus!
I'm not a fan of organized sports by any means, but the first organized baseball game in Indian Territory
is a newsworthy event by anyone's standards. Those old ball players were tough! No gloves or protection
of any kind!!
Resources for "Bombs, Boise City":
Couch, E. (1999). Oklahoma trivia. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press.
Speer, B. (1996). Moments in Oklahoma history: About people, places, things, and
events: A book of trivia. Norman, OK: Reliance Press.
In addition, various newspapers found at the State Historical Society were used.
Resources for "Baseball":
Speer, B. (1996). Moments in Oklahoma history: About people, places, things, and
events: A book of trivia. Norman, OK: Reliance Press.
Burke, B., Franks, K. A., & Parr, R. (1999). Glory days of summer: The history
of baseball in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Heritage Association.
Almanac Transcript
Hello, I'm Steven Kite welcoming you to the Oklahoma Audio Almanac where
we turn the pages of history to bring you the stories of our state's past.
This week bombs, Boise City and baseball make the headlines.
On July 5, 1945 Oklahoma once again made the national news as being one of the few states to be bombed
during WW II. On a warm sleepy Saturday night fifty-five years ago, 100 pound bombs began falling upon
the Cimarron County seat of Boise City. Apparently a B-17 bomber based out of the Dalheart, Texas Army
Air Base was on a practice mission and mistook the street lights around the Court House for their target
site. Bombs filled with sand and a small amount of explosives hit the target and surrounding area causing
only minimal damage to city buildings and no actual harm to citizens. Boise City newspaper reporter Fred
Krieger noted the next day, “there are many things Boise City needs, among which I could suggest some
searchlights and anti-aircraft guns.” Army Air Force officers toured the city several days later offering
a personal apology to the citizens of the shaken town.
The game of baseball in one form or another has been played in this country since at least the 1700s.
It didn't take long for the residents of what is now Oklahoma to pick up on the concept of baseball, and
the first organized game in the area occurred in Indian Territory on July 4th, 1882. A crowd of three
hundred watched the contest between the neighboring towns of Krebs and Savanna. In a game that featured
plenty of wagering and fist fights the Krebs team proved triumphant over Savanna with a score of 35-4.
Catcher for the Krebs team, PT Barnum, played the entire game without a face mask or glove and reportedly
came away from the event with a hand that looked like a ham. The game was played on the open prairie with
cans and sacks of hay used as bases.
While baseball was popular throughout the region, it wasn't until the arrival of Joe "Iron Man" McGinnity
to the mines in Krebs that the sport began to attract a substantial following. McGinnity moved to Indian
Territory with a good grasp and a love for the game of baseball and helped to organize teams throughout
the region while he pitched and managed the famous team from Krebs. McGinnity worked hard for the sport
and is known today as the father of Oklahoma baseball...and that's what happened this week in Oklahoma
history.
I'm Steven Kite.
The Oklahoma Audio Almanac is a production of the OSU Library and Oklahoma's
Public Radio.
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