Hillsborough in Orange County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Gold Park

Historic Eno Mill Baseball Field

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 31, 2023

1. Gold Park Marker

Inscription.

Gold Park. Historic Eno Mill Baseball Field.

“Away down the hill was a large baseball field … fenced in with oak boards every bit ten feet so we kids couldn't sneak in. Something was going on there every Saturday and Sunday. We had a good baseball team. A few went on to the semi-pros.” – Source - Interview with Kenneth and Mary Lou Hicks, p. 61 “The Eno Mill Village”, Hillsborough Historical Society Journal Volume 2, No. 1 July 1999.

, Baseball was a favorite pastime in the mill villages for both athletes and spectators. Children and adults played informal pickup games, but the very best athletes played on the mill-sponsored team. Some mill hands were hired for their baseball abilities rather than their work skills. Mills throughout the state sponsored teams and match-ups were highly anticipated social events. A winning team was a source of great pride for the workers and local community. , In 1896 James Webb and Allen Ruffin incorporated the Eno Mill Corporation and began construction of a modern textile mill building with 10,000 spindles. This mill building remains standing in altered form (note location in relation to sign placement, “i.e. 100 yards west.”) , The grassy area in front of you was used as a baseball playing field by the mill workers at Eno Cotton Mills and later the Cone Mill Corporation. Baseball was a popular pastime for mill workers. Many mills sponsored teams and informal pick-up games were common as well. , In the early twentieth century, owners of large mills in particular implemented a variety of programs to improve the lives of their employees. As part of this effort mills and mill villages were improved, community centers were built, and programs for health, education and recreation were established. These programs fostered company loyalty and permanency of the workforce. , [Caption] Above: This undated photograph shows the mill complex. The baseball diamond can be seen in the background. In the foreground is the worker housing. Source: Orange County Historical Museum, Eno Cotton Mill Archives: Image 169

“Away down the hill was a large baseball field … fenced in with oak boards every bit ten feet so we kids couldn't sneak in. Something was going on there every Saturday and Sunday. We had a good baseball team. A few went on to the semi-pros.” – Source - Interview with Kenneth and Mary Lou Hicks, p. 61 “The Eno Mill Village”, Hillsborough Historical Society Journal Volume 2, No. 1 July 1999.

Baseball was a favorite pastime in the mill villages for both athletes and spectators. Children and adults played informal pickup games, but the very best athletes played on the mill-sponsored team. Some mill hands were hired for their baseball abilities rather than their work skills. Mills throughout the state sponsored teams and match-ups were highly anticipated social events. A winning team was a source of great pride for the workers and local community.

In 1896 James Webb and Allen Ruffin incorporated the Eno Mill Corporation and began construction of a modern textile mill building with 10,000 spindles. This mill building remains standing in altered form (note location in relation to sign placement, “i.e. 100 yards west.”)

The grassy area in front of you was used as a baseball playing field by the mill workers at Eno Cotton Mills and later the Cone Mill Corporation. Baseball

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was a popular pastime for mill workers. Many mills sponsored teams and informal pick-up games were common as well.

In the early twentieth century, owners of large mills in particular implemented a variety of programs to improve the lives of their employees. As part of this effort mills and mill villages were improved, community centers were built, and programs for health, education and recreation were established. These programs fostered company loyalty and permanency of the workforce.

[Caption] Above: This undated photograph shows the mill complex. The baseball diamond can be seen in the background. In the foreground is the worker housing. Source: Orange County Historical Museum, Eno Cotton Mill Archives: Image 169

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Sports. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 36° 4.274′ N, 79° 6.566′ W. Marker is in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in Orange County. Marker can be reached from Dimmocks Mill Road south of Eno Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 415 Dimmocks Mill Rd, Hillsborough NC 27278, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Masonic Hall (approx. half a mile away); Eagle Lodge No. 71, A.F. and A.M. (approx. 0.6

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 31, 2023

2. Gold Park Marker

miles away); William Churton (approx. 0.6 miles away); Occaneechi (approx. 0.6 miles away); Town of Hillsborough (approx. 0.6 miles away); James Hogg (approx. 0.6 miles away); Billy Strayhorn (approx. 0.6 miles away); North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hillsborough.

Also see . . .
1. More than a Game: Baseball and Southern Textile Communities 1880-1935 (PDF). Since the early 1880s, textile mills had been organizing teams comprised of men who worked at the factory. Initially games would be played between men in the mill town. However, starting in the early 1900s, teams began to travel around the county to play against other mill teams in the “Textile Leagues”. These leagues grew in popularity to the point where, by the 1920s, the startup capital for building a mill included a baseball field. (Thesis by Aaron Perch, Butler University, 2018) (Submitted on September 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. The Mill's History. The mill began operating in late 1897 as a 10,000 spindle yarn mill, adding

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350 looms for weaving ginghams and plaid cloth in 1904. (Eno River Mill) (Submitted on September 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Eno Cotton Mill (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination and photographs submitted for the mill complex, which was listed in 2011. (National Archives) (Submitted on September 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.