When the major league teams began to leave Hot Springs in the late teens and the early 20's the Negro League teams came in at the invitation of city leaders. Hot Springs had a vibrant black community with a fairly strong economy since so many hotels and bath houses provided jobs in the service industry.
With the Negro League teams came the black entertainers so Hot Springs in the 1920's and 30's was a mecca for the black vacation industry. Please don't misunderstand I am not saying the jobs were wonderful just solid. From Bill "Bojangles" Robinson to Count Basie and others they wanted to be around the ball players. I can see where Harrison Studios flourished. The war ended much of this boom.
There is a very unsubstantiated story that Josh Gibson heard about the teams training here and hopped a boxcar to Hot Springs where he was signed. I have never seen anything to prove this but the story keeps getting batted around.
In the late 1940's and into the 50's both Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella put together their post-season barn storming teams after the seasons ended. Campy even mentions hearing about a talented local athlete that was having to work to support the family hurting his athletic career. Campy gave the young man money so he could play sports. It allowed Bobby Mitchell to star before heading to Illinois and then the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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