Sioux City Cornhuskers
 

I read all the time that they were formed in 1894 in the Western League blah blah blah, yet I have seen and have a copy on my computer at home that shows the 1891 Sioux City Cornhuskers. I also have seen Old Judge cards with Cornhuskers players on them too. This seems to refute the 1894 founding year claims. I also heard they formed in 1885 the same year as the Western League formation, or should I say the first formation that collapsed in 1888.
I am wondering if they are only getting credit for being founded in 1894 because that was the first season of Ban Johnson's Western League after he bought it Nov 20, 1893.
I was wondering if anyone has any info on the pre-1894 Cornhuskers, or if anyone has any Old Judge Cornhuskers that want to show off. If anyone has any vintage pictures of the Cornhuskers, that would be awesome too.
I am asking about all this because I am White Sox fan from Chicago area and I am really interested in the Cornhuskers history since the Sox came from them. I know they were Pennant winners in 1894 within the Western League, but there is really no history from before then. Not even in the Baseball online library.
I would also like to open up this thread for pictures of other 19th century Western League franchises that became pro in the A.L. such as the Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles etc...

Cornhuskers...
 

Zach - Interesting points... I do know that these Nashville players came over to Sioux City after the Southern League disbanded in 1887 for a few years (Nashville 1885,86,87) and picked back up in 1893.

Tony Hellman - 1885 Nashville Americans
George Bradley - 1886-87 Nashville Americans / Blues (Buck Barker Notes on Reverse depict Teams that Bradley played for including Sioux City in 89-90)
Robert Burks - 1887 Nashville Blues

Buy a copy of the Old Judge book and you'll see all the Old Judge pictures

I know I just wanted to see some from members collections too :D. I love the Old Judge book, has some great pics.

Nice cards Jeremy and thanks for that info about some of the players. The back of that George Bradley card shows exact dates he played for them, that is great!

Sioux City was in the Western Association in 1888. They finished in 6th place with a 30-50 record (Through the Years With the Western League). In 1889 they were in 4th place with a 60-61 record. Omaha won the league that year with St. Paul and Minneapolis ahead of Sioux City. In 1890 they were 56-64 and finished in 5th place. Through the Years with the Western League called the 1890 league the Western League while the book The Western League called it the league that Sioux City was in the Western Association.

In 1891 the league limped through with only four teams. Sioux City won the pennant with Kansas City, Omaha and Denver following. At the end of the year Sioux City won a series against the Chicago White Stockings and one against the St. Louis Browns.

There was no Western League or Western Association in 1893.

The Western Association Sioux City Corn Huskers
 

Sioux City Corn Huskers made their first appearance in the Western Association in 1888, replacing the St. Louis Whites (Whites disbanded June 20th, Corn Huskers beginning on July 4th). The Corn Huskers themselves would disband before the end of the 1888 season (Oct 1st, ~one week short of season finally) but would return for start of 1889 season and remain in the Western Association until the League itself disbanded at the close of 1891. They finished in 1st place in 1891.

Due to the Corn Huskers timing of joining the Western Association (mid summer 1888), all N172 cards of the Corn Huskers date to 1889. However, just like all other National League, American Association, and Western Association teams of 1889, the whole team was well represented with 12 players, 55 poses.

Thanks for the history guys! I love knowing more about my favorite team, go SOX!