Overland Day: What is it?

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Posted By: Max Weder

After seeing Mark's 2 wonderful pennants, I wondered what "Overland Day" was referring to. Presumably sponsored by the car maker from Toledo.



Pennants reposted from prior thread:

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Posted By: Mark

Max... I have wondered for years what Overland Day referred to, and want to thank you for solving the mystery. The stylized "Overland" script is a perfect match!

Those old fashioned cars really put in perspective, how old these pennants are. Hard to really believe that the they coincide with one another...

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

So the Overland company must have paid good money to get an exhibition game together in Toledo. I wonder how prevalent this was back in those days?

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Posted By: Mark

That's a great question... it must have cost Overland a fortune (even back then) to put on this event. I wonder how they even squeezed this into regular season play?

Some other questions come to mind...

I wonder if these Pennants were giveaways for the Overland employees who attended these games?

Did Overland do this for only two years ('14, 15), or did the tradition span longer?

Did the "superstar" players even participate (ie. Bresnahan, Bender, Plank, Baker, Collins, Cobb, Crawford, Marquard, Matty, Jim Thorpe??)

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I wish I had taken a camera to the show so I could have taken a picture of the postcard....there were IIRC about 5 or 6 women in the front row of the grandstands standing up holding that exact pennant that you have. If the price were reasonable I would have bought it, but the guy wanted $175 for it.

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Posted By: bobw

Found these paragraphs from a longer article from a 1916 newspaper article about "Overland Day". Sounds like this company really took care of its employees.

OVERLAND COMPANY TO ENTERTAIN MEN

In 1914 there was no league baseball in Toledo. But the fun of the Overland employees was not spoiled. On the contrary they were treated to a big league contest when the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Athletics, the latter then world's champions, were brought to Toledo for an exhibition battle."In 1915 the New'York Giants and the Detroit Tigers were brought to Toledo. In this way the Overland employees have had a chance to see "Christy" Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Frank Baker,"Roger Bresnahan, Chief Bender. Eddie Plank and numerous other baseball celebrities as guests of their employers.But Swayne field no longer can seat the 17,300 employees of the Overland. The factory has grown too large for one "Overland Day."
This year, the celebration of "Overland Day"will be extended over three days and instead of a ball game the attraction will be a real, genuine circus, brought here for the benefit of the workingmen and their families. The Willys-Overland company has a reputation for doing things on a grand scale, no matter whether the matter in hand is production of automobiles or entertainment of its employees. The coming event, therefore, is in keeping with, its policy of doing big things in a big way.

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Posted By: Anonymous

BobW... That's a wonderful article. Thanks so much for posting! That really answers a lot of questions, and it is incredible to contemplate a company back then producing such grand events for ther employees.

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Posted By: Matt

"This year, the celebration of "Overland Day"will be extended over three days and instead of a ball game the attraction will be a real, genuine circus, brought here for the benefit of the workingmen and their families."

Yes...Who wouldn't prefer seeing a "real, genuine circus" to watching Cobb square off against Matty...


great article.

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Posted By: Mark

Matt...

Sadly, my ex-wife (and most women I've met) would opt for the real, genuine Circus.

I wonder what the Overland employees thought when the yearly event shifted away from Baseball? Maybe the modern day equivalent was Chevy Chase's reaction in the Christmas Vacation movie. He was not too pleased when the "swimming pool" Christmas Bonus was downgraded to a "Jelly of the Month" membership.

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Posted By: bobw

Found some more articles about Overland Day in the Indianapolis Star. this one is from 1915. I found one from 1914 and will post it later

Indianapolis Star May 23,1915

WILLYS WILL GIVE EMPLOYEES TREAT

President of Overland Factory Will Take Giants and Tigers to Toledo for Entertainment of Persons Employed in Factory.


Overland day has been set for June 21, when the New York Giants and the Detroit Tigers Journey to Toledo to give 11,000 employes of the Willys-Overland Company their annual baseball festival.At his personal expense John N. Willys,president of the Overland company, will bring the two big league teams together for the first time in baseball history. Managers McGraw and Jennings have both promised that their teams will take
the field with their full playing strength and that the Overland fans will see the two famous teams at their best.
Although the Overland employes are the most important guests on this occasion,
there, will be present, also, Ban Johnson and John Tener, presidents of the American and National Leagues-
Vice President Daly of the New York Central Lines and a number of other men whose names nre prominent In business and financial affairs. It is the intention of Mr. Willys to run a private train from
New York to Toledo for the accommodation of his guests. In addition to receiving an afternoon of fun. the Overland employes will he paid regular wages for the afternoon.
This is the second year Mr, Willys has arranged for two major league teams to play in Toledo during the regular league season in order to provide his employees with an afternoon's rcreation. Last year the Philadelphla Athletics and the Chicago Cubs furnished an exhibition which attracted widespread attention
Whlle the American Assocation team was in Toledo it was the custom of the Overland company to close up the big factory for an afternoon and send all employees to one of the games early in the season. On this occasion Mr. Willys purchased the entire allotment of seats in order to provide room for the army of
automobile builders. Last year when the Mud Hens were transferred to Cleveland,it was decided to give Toledo a glimpse of real big league ball. This year negotiations of the same sort have been successfully carried out. The big Overland factory will close at noon on the day of the game. A giant parade with all of the Overland fans in line will form at the factory shortly after and headed by the Overland fifty-piece
band, will march to the ball park in ample time to see the preliminary practice of the teams. Seven brass bands, as well as the Overland Glee Club of seventy-five voices will help enliven the occasion.

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Posted By: Mark

Amazing and fascinating... thanks so much for researching and posting that article, Bob!

This event was a huge celebration "back in the day". It must have cost John Willys a small fortune to pay for both teams to play/travel to Toledo, pay his thousands of employees a full day's wages, enlist the bands, rent the ballpark, and pay all other related expenses. This must have been a big incentive for employees to work at Overland.

Now I can't wait to see the 1914 article. Thanks again for the wonderful post!

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Posted By: bobw

From the San Antonio Light June 21,1914

MAJOR LEAGUR TEAMS TO PLAY IN TOLEDO

Athletics and Cubs to Stage Exhibition Game for Overland Employees

For the first time since the opening of the championship season, a team from each of the two major leagues will meet when the world's,champion Philadelphia Athletics try conclusions with their old-time rivals, the Chicago Cubs, at Swayne Field, Toledo, June 23. The exhibition game has been arranged by John N. Willys, president of the Willys-Overland Company, to furnish the annual baseball festival for his 7600 factory employes. It has been the company's custom to close up shop and send all employees to the opening game of the Toledo season. When the American Association team was removed to Cleveland, "Overland Day" at the ballpark was automatically postponed. Both teams will put their regular lineups in the field, according to Managers' Connie Mack and Hank O'Day. The selection of umpires has not yet been announced, although it is understood that two prominent major league arbitrators will be chosen to officiate. Approximately 10,000 employees and their friends will witness the game as guests of the Overland Company.

Willys also built the best bowling alley in the country for his employees in 1915.

Reading these articles has made me curious as to the fate of the company and I found they are still in business.

[FourStrikes]

I purchased this batch of vintage photographs (back in the early to mid-1980's) showing festivities prior to the June 23, 1914 Overland Day game at Swane Field (A's vs Cubs).....

each photo measures 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and is stamped "Received July 9, 1914 H.L. Hooke".....as shown in the scans below, in addition to being stamped each one is also hand numbered...

included in the collection are photographs taken outside the factory (Willys Overland sign can be seen in several), the employees (AND Athletics / Cubs players) parading to the game (holding pennants, etc.), members - including clowns - from the Overland Glee Club, Willys posed with Connie Mack as well as players from both teams, pregame ceremony, a few shots of the fans in the stands, etc.....

I wonder where the "chest of silver" that was presented to Bresnahan (as seen in second scan, with story in third scan)

the last two scans show Willys posed with Bresnahan and Mack during the pregame ceremony...

surprisingly, zero of the photographs I have feature the actual game itself being played...I wonder if the photographer was instructed to "focus" on the Overland festivities and to otherwise disregard the game?????

below are a few examples of the photographs.

[UKCardGuy]

Originally Posted by FourStrikes

I purchased this batch of vintage photographs (back in the early to mid-1980's) showing festivities prior to the June 23, 1914 Overland Day game at Swane Field (A's vs Cubs).....

each photo measures 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and is stamped "Received July 9, 1914 H.L. Hooke".....as shown in the scans below, in addition to being stamped each one is also hand numbered...

included in the collection are photographs taken outside the factory (Willys Overland sign can be seen in several), the employees (AND Athletics / Cubs players) parading to the game (holding pennants, etc.), members - including clowns - from the Overland Glee Club, Willys posed with Connie Mack as well as players from both teams, pregame ceremony, a few shots of the fans in the stands, etc.....

I wonder where the "chest of silver" that was presented to Bresnahan (as seen in second scan, with story in third scan)

the last two scans show Willys posed with Bresnahan and Mack during the pregame ceremony...

surprisingly, zero of the photographs I have feature the actual game itself being played...I wonder if the photographer was instructed to "focus" on the Overland festivities and to otherwise disregard the game?????

below are a few examples of the photographs.

I know that this is a really old thread, but I picked up a pennant from the 1914 Overland Day game. I was wondering if anyone knows the whereabouts of the photos mentioned by FourStrikes or if any others exist?

[perezfan]

Gary...

Congrats on your acquisition of this insanely rare Single-Day Event Pennant.

When they talk about "things that could never happen today", there is perhaps no better example than Overland Day. Imaging a company outing that entailed bringing 2 major league teams to your local ballpark, to play an exhibition game solely for the entertainment of a few hundred employees.

Aside from the actual game, Overland employees got to march in procession alongside players like Matty, Bresnahan, Thorpe, Cobb, Crawford, Bender, Plank, Collins and Home Run Baker... on their way from the Overland Factory to Swayne Field. A pretty nice "perk" for the employees, to say the least!

Here are a couple of additional pics, provided to me by my great collector friend Dave E. Looks like they devoted a portion of the grandstand to "the ladies", and even provided many of them with these pennants from the 1915 game. It's pretty crazy that images like this have survived...

[UKCardGuy]

Thanks Mark. Those are great photos. Do you have hi Res versions of them?

FourStrikes hasn't posted since early 2022. As he had photos and papers related to the 1914 event, I'm wondering if someone is in contact with him or might know the whereabouts of those photos from 1914.

[ooo-ribay]

Good lord, look at all those pennants among “the ladies.” You’d think more would have survived but seeing as how 28,000 fans attended my Giants first game on the West Coast (1958) and there was a similar “commemorative” pennant which you see about once every ten years, I’m not surprised this pennant is a white whale. You would think less of these “keepsake” pennants would have been thrown away compared to any generic team pennant.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Thanks Mark. Those are great photos. Do you have hi Res versions of them?

FourStrikes hasn't posted since early 2022. As he had photos and papers related to the 1914 event, I'm wondering if someone is in contact with him or might know the whereabouts of those photos from 1914.

Nope... I posted the only versions I have. Thanks.