RIAS RUN COMMUNITY AND THE GRAHAM BASEBALL TEAM FROM 1905 TO 1910

as related by Arlie Kinkade* to J.H. Jackson; published Monday, December 19, 1960

A small farm settlement on Rias Run in the Southeastern part of Ohio . . . with the little creek, called a run . . . . Shortly after the turn of the century (1900) the settlers were clearing out the hillsides . . . And until World War I, all the run was teeming with corn, tobacco . . . . The houses were log cabins, the most of them two stories in height, and all the folks down along the stream made a living by farming.

Starting at the head of the Run was a farm of about 80 acres owned by Tom Parks. . . . around 1905 or 1906 he sold it to Spencer Morris, the star first baseman of the Graham Baseball team, which we will mention later. Spencer had a large family the same as Tom Parks, but oil was found on the Parks place before he sold it, and Spencer was one that worked in the oil field, and worked on his farm during the evenings, until he reared his sons, and they could work on the farm. The Elmer Mobberly farm came next; it had a log house on it. Then came the McVay property and it had two log houses on it. Grandma McVay (who was my grandmother) or Lucinda McVay who lost her husband before the turn of the century, and her niece Nin McVay, lived in one house and Uncle Ab McVay (who changed his name to McVey), lived in the other. He was a son of Grandma McVay. Grandma died about 1908 or 1909 and Nin married Forrest Hartshorn, a local man, and they lived in the house for a few years. . . . Edward Kinkade (of whom I am a son), bought the next house, and it was a frame one also. He bought it in 1906 and lived there until 1924. His two oldest sons, Alonzo and Douglas (who got the nicknames of Lonnie and Doug) were two of the famous Baseball team. And Tom Nalley and Ed Kinkade were the team's most enthusiastic boosters. The Maywood Nalley family (he was a brother to Tom) lived in the next log cabin down stream. They moved out in 1908 or 1909, and Forrest (Bob) Nalley (son of Tom), and his bride, moved in. His new bride was Mary English.

A new general store had just gone up (in a frame building) by the Hodge and Nalley families in the turn of the century but they sold it to O.C. Williamson a year or two later, and Williamson and his family moved on the run. When Williamson took over the store, he made application for a post office, and it was soon granted and named Graham, O. Right across a little stream from the store, a frame house was built for the mail carrier, John Craig. . . .

Now, in 1960, all of Rias Run from the top to the bottom has grown up in woods. There are only four houses that are standing and are livable quarters--all frame houses and the log houses have rotted down. The Tom Parks' house that was sold to Spencer Morris at the head of the run, is owned by J.W. Crowe; and the three at the bottom--the Tom Nalley home has the Richard Leisure family living in it: the O.C. Williamson home, has Bryan Smith's family, and no one lives at the Marshall property, although the home is in livable condition.

Now we will talk about the Graham Baseball outfit, which I think originated in 1904 or 1905. They held the Monroe County championship from 1906 to 1908. The last two seasons, they purchased suits -- or had suits made for them, my mother Mrs. Margaret Kinkade, made most of the uniforms. They were the color of Old Glory . . . . The shirts were bright red calico with white letters cut out on the bosom spelling Graham. The trousers were knee length, and were of the bluest denim, with white stripes down the outside of the legs. The stockings were white, and everyone would applaud when they saw the young gentlemen going out on the diamond. . . .

Roy Cline, who lived near Lebanon, Ohio was the first one to have a camera and take pictures in that community. He moved to Florida in 1910 . . . .

Tom Nalley finished the bottom land for a baseball diamond, near our home, and would not hear to any money changing hands -- that was one way of showing his appreciation to the ball team.

Graham Baseball Team

Jay Gray, Pitcher and Shortstop; Henry (Hank) Hines, Pitcher; Dude Craig, Pitcher and Catcher; John Craig, Pitcher and First Base; Alonzo (Lonnie) Kinkade, Shortstop, and in field; Douglas (Doug) Kinkade, Third Base and Catcher; Forrest (Bob) Nalley, Catcher; Hollie Gray, Second Base; James (Jim) Knowlton, Shortstop and in field; Maywood Kenny, in the field; Oliver Hendershot, First Base and in field; Lou Gallagher, Catcher and where they wished him; Spencer Morris, First Base.

There were others who helped them out, but we only know a few. O.C. Williamson, the storekeeper, joined the team as manager, but he gave it over to John Craig after a few games. And I remember, George, Jim and Emmett Green and Clyde and Everett Camden who played in a few games for them . . . .

John Craig, I remember, had a lightning speed fast ball, and his brother, Dude, was the only one who could catch for him. I have seen John, when he sent that lightning ball down over the plate, when it would knock Dude down, but he held right on to the ball. Several times when they were the batteries, Dude would say "rat-a-tat-tat" and other funny sayings, just to get the batters confused and fan out.

Henry Hines, called Hank by the players, had a handicap, but he overcame that. His right hand was very much smaller than his left, but that did not prevent him from fanning out as many batters as other pitchers on the team. Also Jim Knowlton was caught by a falling tree when he was young, and after that one of his legs never grew, but he could skim over the ground and pick up a ball in nothing flat. I wish some of the cripples in this age could see Hines and Knowlton perform and be ashamed they every complained.

As I write this, I want to mention that the brothers, Tom and Maywood Nalley, are still living, both being up in 90.

I will send this to the home town newspaper, and if it is printed, I wish to know how many enjoyed it. My address is Arlie Kinkade, Box 182, Canton 1, Ohio. Thank you.

*Submitter's Note: This is a two-page article. I copied most, but not all of it, above. Arlie Kinkade, an accomplished musician and composer, was dedicated to Kinkade-family history. He passed from this earth on January 28, 1962 in Canton, Ohio.

Last modified May 16, 2017 by BK.

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