The Early Innings of the Museum of Nebraska
Major League Baseball
St. Paul, Nebraska

by Mick McDowell

In about 1990, area baseball enthusiast and promoter Duane Alstatadt approached a local chamber member Ben Wieser about promoting one of our local heroes in Chamber Member stores. He offered to write a summary of Grover Cleveland Alexander's career and attach a replica baseball card to the write-up for use by the chamber as a give away item. This would be done to get patrons into Chamber member stores as well as posthumously promote a local celebrity.

In 1991 in an effort to create a local celebration and establish a community's identity, a group of local volunteers under the leadership of Chamber President, Pam Baker, organized a local celebration in honor of "Ole Pete". It was thought this celebration would be established as an annual event. Group volunteers included President-Pam Baker, Loren Studley, Carolyn (Meyer) Scarbourgh, Paul and Marie Glause, Anita Jepsen and others. Their rally point centered around Grover Cleveland Alexander and thus they created Grover Cleveland Alexander Days or as locals know it, GCA Days. GCA Days has been held the first full weekend following the 4th of July each year since.

Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the Baseball Worlds greatest pitchers to have ever thrown a ball. Grover set many records during his professional Baseball career and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938. Grover was born in the neighboring town of Elba, NE. He retired in St. Paul where he died in his apartment in the upper southwest room of the Nevrivy boarding house which still stands on the corner at 617 6th Street, St. Paul. Grover was buried in Elmwood Cemetery south of St. Paul with full military honors having served in the," war to end all wars", World War I.

As part of the committee's effort to preserve his memory and honor his accomplishments, the committee hired Jerry Clark and Martha Webb, owners of "Making Memories," in Omaha, NE, to build a display depicting Grovers Major League Baseball career. Throughout the process assistance of a true fan of baseball Duane Altstadt of Burwell was utilized. Duane travels as part of his work and is always finding memorabilia for the display. The display was put up for display in the American Legion Club and dedicated during the first GCA Days celebration in 1991.

The following year, Making Memories was hired to complete another display on a Hall of Fame Player from Nebraska, Bob Gibson from Omaha. As part of the 1992 celebration the Grover Cleveland display was moved from the Legion Club, into the Gruber House as part of a cooperation effort with the local Historical Society. Eventually all five Nebraska Hall of Fame players would be housed here until 1999. In 1993 a display for Wahoo, NE native, Sam Crawford was constructed, 1994 Hastings, NE native Dazzy Vance. In 1995 Tilden, NE native son Richie Ashburn was inducted into the National Hall of Fame just in time for his display to be constructed and dedicated the same year.

In 1992 the committee began a cooperative housing effort with the local Howard County Historical Society. The Historical Society loaned the use of part of it's historic Gruber house to house the displays. The museum was open Sunday afternoons Memorial Day through Labor Day and by appointment the rest of the year.

In 1999 Chamber President Mick McDowell formulated a plan to have the museum open more hours for fans to visit. The proposed plan called for the expansion of the museum to include more players from Nebraska who have made an impact in the Major Leagues of American Baseball. The plan called for the formation of a new committee which would be responsible for the operation and expansion of the museum, thus freeing GCA committee members to concentrate on the ever expanding celebration which had developed into a 12 month volunteer effort.

The museum expansion plan outlined reasons for renting part of the Masonic Lodge building, then vacant in downtown St. Paul. The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors were asked to approve the plan which would include a move of the Chamber office from space provided by the City at no charge to a space which required renovation, renting and operating of the facilities at 619 Howard Avenue. The part-time Chamber Secretary would serve as museum host during normal business hours, four hours per day, five days per week, 52 weeks of the year. This would give fans of Nebraska baseball as well as national baseball fans greater opportunity to visit the artifacts and work their way through the stories depicting Nebraskan's in the Majors.

The Chamber Board approved the plan when a local main street Law Firm donated two years rent for the building. The GCA committee placed members on the Baseball Museum Committee as did the St Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and there you have the museum structure as we know it today.

Since that time, over 140 major league baseball players with Nebraska ties have been identified. Their careers have been summarized and printed on a 8½ x 11 inch wall plaque and are mounted on the Wall of Fame. Another 30 to 35 player have been identified as having exceptional careers in the Major's but not in the hall of fame. These 35 players have been selected for expanded displays depicting their accomplishments. Artifacts and photos are sought as donations to the museum as part of the expansion effort, (see mission statement).

The museum is proud of the boys of summer with Nebraska ties. Local volunteers thoroughly enjoy the development of displays depicting their careers. We hope you'll come to see what we have and enjoy it as much as we do!