Help identifying this team

[jefferyepayne]

Found this in ancestry.com

Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 1890s View Image
Name: Harry McClain
Birth: abt 1876 - location
Residence: date - city, Jewell, Kansas

Some state census records are available on the web.

jeff

Is it me, or does it read " '96 " on the football?

[Myachelydra]

It does...nice eyes!

[edjs]

Wow, you guys are good. I've had that photo for my whole life, and never saw that! Thanks, now all I have to find are Kansas teams from 1896! Great starting place!

[andybecker]

great piece with family ties! that's awesome!

may I ask, how do you know he was paid to play? I'm curious.

information on town, independent, and semi-pro teams is really hard to find pre-1900. not much at all west of Mississippi river until you get to the coast.

i can't offer much help, but I suggest trying the PFRA (professional football researcher's association).

Might I suggest starting here: 1896 Glasco Kansas Football team. Founded in 1893 by University of Ottawa grad Tom Day. In 1896 the Glasco town team played the University of Kansas among others colleges according to the website below. They were "farm boys" but not affiliated with any school, probably semi-pro and modestly paid. The town of Glasco is about 30-40 miles from Jewell City, Kansas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasco,_Kansas
http://www.skyways.org/towns/Glasco/history.htm

I'll see what I can find in microfiche tomorrow on this team. Especially a lineup.

[edjs]

Originally Posted by andybecker

great piece with family ties! that's awesome!

may I ask, how do you know he was paid to play? I'm curious.

information on town, independent, and semi-pro teams is really hard to find pre-1900. not much at all west of Mississippi river until you get to the coast.

i can't offer much help, but I suggest trying the PFRA (professional football researcher's association).

I know he was paid because he always said so. He was very proud of playing football. But I was pretty young, and don't remember much else about him.

Here's what I could find today: Please tell me if I'm mistaken, especially about your relative, but here's info on Harry McClain, Harve Kreamer, and Bert Cluster.

Harry W. McClain (October 26, 1876 - August 1968). Born Albia, Iowa moved to Odessa, Kansas 1885 and later Jewell City (1900 US census). Married Nellie Mae Wilson November 19, 1911 in Sioux City, Nebraska. His 1916 WW1 draft registration lists his occupation as self-employed, farmer. Passed away in Ontario, San Bernardino, California 1968.

Bert Cluster (June 26, 1877 - June 25, 1951). Born in Missouri but moved to Odessa, Jewell County, Kansas 1885. Practically a lifetime in Jewell, Kansas, briefly moved to Buffalo, Kansas in 1920 only to return to Jewell in 1930. His WW1 draft registration lists his job as secretary/treasurer for EL Gray Company. Passed away in Jewell, and is buried there.

James "Harve" Kreamer (1878 - ?). Born in Illinois, but moved to Jewell City, Kansas by the 1880 census. He was a Corporal promoted to Sergeant in the Spanish American War (1898). Lived a great deal of his life in Ottawa, Kansas. Unknown when/where he passed.

All three of these men seemed to live in, or around Jewell, Kansas throughout the 1890's. I believe finding Bert Clusters' obit would be most helpful. A lifetime resident of Jewell, it may have mentioned his semi-pro football days.

1896 was a rough year in Kansas football history as Bert Serf, QB for Doane University, was killed in a game versus University of Kansas (November 17, 1896, The Advocate) I believe your great grandfather was paid as "Professionalism was an acknowledged problem" in Kansas football, especially surrounding the short-lived career of Rollo Krebs, a ringer who played four years for University of West Virginia. In 1899, KU administrators cracked down on professionals in college football. Krebs later acknowledged "he did not come to Kansas for an education he came to play football". History of Kansas Football.

Hope this is helpful. Got a friend at the Washington State Library who has access to the Glasco Sun newspaper (1895-99). He's going to help, and will probably get back to me after the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.