Center Township in Marion in Grant County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a towering figure in the history of baseball in America, practiced law in Marion for about two years in the late 1800s.
His office was at the northwest corner of Sixth and Washington streets, across the street from the Carnegie Building of the Marion Public Library.
First a lawyer, then a federal district judge, Landis is best remembered as the first Commissioner of Baseball and the man who restored the game to respectability after the "Black Sox” scandal involving the Chicago White Sox in 1919.
Landis was born in Millville, Ohio, in 1866, and his unusual name is a spelling variation on the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in the American Civil War, where his father had been wounded in 1864. Landis spent much of his youth in Indiana. When he was eight, the family moved to Delphi, Ind., and then to Logansport, Ind. At age 22, he went to law school. After his graduation, he practiced law in several Indiana cities including Marion - and later practiced in Chicago.
He was named federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois in 1905 and was a high-profile member of the federal judiciary.
He emerged as the leading candidate to preside over professional major league baseball in 1920, after the team owners in the American and National leagues had been embarrassed by the 1919 "Black Sox” scandal and other instances of players allegedly throwing games.
Landis was given full power to act in the sport's best interest and he used that power extensively over the next quarter-century. Landis was widely praised for cleaning up the game and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by a special vote shortly after he died in 1944.
CSA is grateful that Moorehead Communications helped dial up this iconic figure and helped share this text, image and page of history to our community. They have helped set the tone of greatness that exist and existed right here in Grant County. If anyone knows a ring of success and strives for excellence in communication it is Moorehead Communications.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Political Subdivisions • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 40° 33.509′ N, 85° 39.488′ W. Marker is in Marion, Indiana, in Grant County. It is in Center Township. Marker is on South Adams Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 305 S Adams St, Marion IN 46952, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Samuel Plato (here, next to this marker); Marie Webster (here, next to this marker); Willis VanDevanter (a few steps from this marker); Mildred Dilling (a few steps from this marker); Madelyn Pugh Davis (a few steps from this marker); Cole Porter (a few steps from this marker); James Dean (a few steps from this marker); Jim Davis (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marion.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 79 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 31, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.