All the communities in Powder Springs have enjoyed baseball as a pastime, the black community, as well as, the white
community. Baseball is truly “America’s favorite pastime”.
It became one of the favorite entertainments in the black community, drawing local residents together for fun and recreation. Baseball linked this neighborhood to other African-American communities and brought notoriety to several community members.
Back then there were no little leagues or parks, so they played ball where ever they could. Sometimes in cow pastures, (or any pasture), during recess at school and at home in their back yards.
Their ball teams also played on the field at back of the Powder Springs Park, which was a black-only field. When the Park later expanded the ball fields, these new fields (#1-5) were built on the back-only fields for everyone to use.
Many community members worked at Coats and Clark in Austell. They played with the Clarkdale Eagles Baseball Team which Harvey Young started in the late 1940’s. There were no integrated baseball teams then so they had blacks play blacks. The teams were able to play their games at the Clarkdale baseball field from June through September. These baseball games were well attended and became special events for visiting and courting.
The Clarkdale Eagles played in the Branch Rookie League and the Georgia Cracker League. They competed against a number of teams from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The team later moved to Marietta to play at Larry Bell Park and became the Marietta Eagles. Harvey Young stayed with the team as a sponsor when they moved.
Baseball brought opportunities and notoriety to several of the Eagles who went on to play semi-professional Baseball in the1930’s and 1940’s with the Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro American League: Melvin Austin, Archie Watson Young and Harvey Young. Their home games were played at Atlanta’s Ponce de Leon Park.
Melvin Austin (1922-1966) was also a Veteran of World War II serving in the US Army. Harvey Young (1929-1986) not only started the Clarkdale Eagles Baseball Team, he sponsored and supported the team throughout its career. He owned and operated “The Café” in the flats from 1940 – 1986. This was a gathering place for the community and a place to socialize after the children played ball in the park. Harvey also worked with and coached the boys and girls baseball and softball teams throughout his life.
Archie Watson Young (1917-2001) was active in the church(New Hope Missionary Baptist Church) serving as a Deacon and working in the children’s educational programs and activities, which included teaching them to play baseball. He also umpired high school games.
After the Atlanta Black Crackers joined the Negro League in 1937,Archie chose to quit the team following an ultimatum from his superiors at Southern Railway where he worked as a Porter. He would take time off to continue to play for the baseball league.
After World War II, baseball and softball teams were created for the neighborhood children. This gave them more opportunities to guide and develop baseball skills for the youth ages three to fourteen. The teams often traveled to other towns to play games. Home games were played in Powder Springs Park.
Brothers William and Lionel Watts coached teams for both boys and girls. They were also active in their church. William Watts (1936-1998) was one of the Trustees of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Lionel was a Deacon.
Lionel Watts (1929-1986) played professional baseball for the Georgia Cracker League. He was recognized by the National Baseball Congress of America as an all-star player for several Years. In 1969, they selected him for the All-League Baseball Team for the Georgia Cracker League honoring him with a Certificate of Merit.
The museum has a 1930 photo of the Clarkdale Eagles Baseball Team displayed in the baseball case in our right front room. In the Black History Room upstairs is more information about Harvey and Archie Watson Young and Melvin and Lionel Watts.
Hanging on the walls for display is the information from the “Powder Springs Has Some Deep Roots In It” book and a copy of a newspaper interview with Archie Young.
The above information came from: Powder Springs Image Book, “Powder Springs Has Some Deep Roots In It” Book, Georgia Magazine Article issue April 2021 “Atlanta’s Field of Dreams, Remembering the Atlanta Crackers of Negro League Baseball”.
Online from www.findagrave.com and Wikipedia “Atlanta Black Crackers”. A newspaper article of an interview with A.W. Young.