TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO BASE BALL’S BEGINNINGS WITH A FREE 1867 BASE BALL GAME, BRASS BAND CONCERT, AND HISTORIC WEAPONS DEMONSTRATION PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT FORT VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE JULY 21st

Vintage Base Ball

News Release Date: July 18, 2012

Contact: Kimm Fox-Middleton, 360-816-6243

VANCOUVER, WA - On July 21^st, travel back in time to 1867 to experience a vintage base ball game, brass band concert, and historic weapons firing on the Parade Ground of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

The National Park Service offers Vintage Base Ball - a fun, free, and fantastic opportunity to delve into US Army history at Vancouver Barracks amidst the excitement of an 1867 base ball game. The game - complete with costumed players, a charismatic umpire calling only in historic phrases, well-dressed reenactors playing 1867 croquet, and the Whiskey Flats Brass Band filling the field with 1867 music between innings - is truly a step back in time. Come cheer for your favorite team, but beware - the umpire can fine the audience for ungentlemanly or unladylike behavior!

Long before multi-million dollar salaries and artificial turf, base ball (then two words) was the gloveless game that was "decidedly on the fly." Continuing a tradition of summertime Vintage Base Ball and celebrating the 145^th anniversary of organized base ball in Vancouver, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site provides this year's game on July 21^st at 6:00pm on the Parade Ground near the bandstand.

The public is invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and cold picnic suppers, but cooking and barbeques are prohibited. A hotdog/hamburger meal will also be available for purchase from The Grant House Restaurant.

In addition to the game, the public is also invited to play croquet and other historic games from 5:30 p.m. to the end of the game, enjoy a pre-game concert by the Whiskey Flats Brass Band from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and celebrate the start of the game with a historic weapons demonstration on the field at 6:00 p.m.

To learn about early base ball history in Vancouver before the game, please download "The National Game is Decidedly 'On the Fly'": The Rise of Organized Base Ball in the Portland and Vancouver Area in 1867: A Historic Resource Study for Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the Vancouver National Historic Reserve" by Gregory P. Shine for free at [link]

Cost: Free.

Where: Parade Ground, by bandstand and near Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Visitor Center, 1501 E Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661.

When: Saturday, July 21, 2012. Pre-game activity and concert begin at 5:30 p.m. Game starts at 6:00 p.m.

Background: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, is at the heart of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. The Vancouver National Historic Reserve brings together a national park, a premier archaeological site, the region's first military post, an international fur trade emporium, one of the oldest operating airfields, the first national historic site west of the Mississippi River, and a waterfront trail and environmental center on the banks of the Columbia River. The partners of the Reserve teach visitors about the fur trade, early military life, natural history, and pioneers in aviation, all within the context of Vancouver's role in regional and national development. The Reserve's vast array of public programs -- including living history events, festivals, cultural demonstrations, exhibits, active archaeology, and other special activities -- create a dynamic, fun, and unique tourist destination for people of all ages.