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Ed Allen

Ed Allen, born about 1864 in Arkansas,1 was a black Arkansan who mentioned 19th Century black baseball in Arkansas as part of the Federal Writers' Project. See also Sam Scott.

Biography

Allen was the son of Peter and Cynthia Allen. He lived most of his life near Des Arc, AR.2

In an interview with Irene Robertson of the Federal Writer's Project in the 1930s, Allen mentioned playing baseball with both whites and blacks, presumably as a youth.3 Based on his birth year of about 1864, Allen likely would have been playing baseball in the late 1860s and the 1870s, roughly concurrent with the first introduction to baseball in Arkansas.4

Excerpts

"White boys and colored boys, whole crowd of us used to go in the river down here all together, one got in danger help him out. We used to play base ball together. All had a good time. We never had to buy a ball of bat. Always had em. The white boys bought them. I don't know as who to blame but young folk changed."5

1 1870 U.S. Census, 1880 U.S. Census, 1900 U.S. Census, 1910 U.S. Census, 1920 U.S. Census, 1930 U.S. Census, 1940 U.S. Census. Allen is listed as black in the 1880, 1900, 1930 and 1940 censuses, white in the 1870 and 1900 census, and mulatto in the 1910 census.
2 1870 U.S. Census, 1880 U.S. Census, 1900 U.S. Census, 1910 U.S. Census, 1920 U.S. Census, 1930 U.S. Census, 1940 U.S. Census. Allen is listed as black in the 1880, 1900, 1930 and 1940 censuses, white in the 1870 and 1900 census, and mulatto in the 1910 census.
4 Baseball was first widely played in Arkansas around 1867.