Hebron’s 1908 Baseball Team

It’s Baseball Season!  Although uniforms, equipment and fields have changed through the years (see photo above); the excitement of the players and spectators has remained.

As with most local town teams, the baseball field was located on the Town Green.  Unfortunately, since Hebron Center was located at the intersection of Connecticut Routes 85 and 66, it was paved over when more people owned vehicles and roads were expanded.  Just picture crowds of people gathered on the Hebron Green to support the local Baseball Team.

We have learned that Hebron home games have been played in 5 locations: 1900 to 1926 on the Hebron Green, 1927-1928 in Horton's hay field between the Episcopal Rectory and the Church, 1930-1933 Kibbie's Field (SW corner of Hope Valley Road and Route 85), and 1933-1939 The Amston Lake Ball field.  During these years, the teams were carried to away games on the back of pickup or platform trucks!

Retired UConn professor Win Hilding wrote, in ca. 2000, that “In the summer of 1944 the Town of Hebron arranged to rent the hayfield south of the Episcopal Rectory for the nominal sum of $25 per season. As we had done for the Kibbie Field, a few of us gathered equipment and dragged the infield and mowed the outfield to make this field playable. From my uncle Win Porter's forest in Gilead I was able to cut down 10 dead Chestnut posts about 6-8 inches in diameter. I used these posts to make a first class backstop about 50 feet back from home plate. This backstop lasted about 20 years when it was replaced with metal posts and new wire. This field, with the exception of part of the outfield that has become a parking lot for Hebron Elementary School, is still in use today for softball and Little League games.”  That same St. Peter’s Field was bought by the Town a few years ago.  Those early players must have done a good job of developing the field 80 years ago since it is still valued as being the driest field in the center of town -- but the dugouts are looking pretty sad.

Presently Hebron has no adult baseball teams, but it does have baseball & softball fields at Veteran’s Park, Old Colchester Road Field, and Burnt Hill Park; as well as at RHAM Middle and High Schools.

M.A. Foote, Hebron Historian