A group of all-Black men began playing baseball together in 1932 at Stirling Park in the east-side of Chatham and in later years had players join from Walpole Island First Nations and the local white community. In 1933, Archie Stirling, a Chatham business man in Chatham's east-side and local representative for the OBAA noticed the skills and talent of the team and helped get them into the city's baseball league where they played against the white teams of the city.

The Chatham Coloured All-Stars rapidly gained popularity and the attention of local newspaper reports, who found the team to be highly skilled, dedicated and thrilling to watch. In 1934, during the All-Stars' second year in the league, they won the provincial championship in the Intermediate B Division. They played the Penetang Shipbuilders from Penetanguishene, Ontario in the final series and beat them 13 to 7 making them the first all-Black team to win an OBAA title.

The road to victory wasn't one that was easy for the team. After all this was the 1930's in Canada and segregation and racism was a part of the daily life of Canada's Black citizens. The men on this team regularly had to eat at out of the way spots, often being served food out the back door of restaurants and were regularly denied accommodations. Those in attendance at games were also known to hurl racial slurs at the team.

Throughout the years players, coaches and managers came and went but one thing was for certain, the Chatham Coloured All-Stars were a team to watch for in the Ontario baseball scene.

The team continued to play together until 1940. After the war many of these players were seen playing on other teams throughout the area including the Panthers and Taylor A.C.’s. 

 
1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars Team Photo 
Front Left: Stanton Robbins, Jack Robinson and Len Harding. Middle Left: Hyle Robbins, Earl “Flat” Chase, King Terrell, Don Washington, Don Tabron, Ross Talbot and Cliff Olbey. Back Left: Louis Pryor, Gouy Ladd, Sagasta Harding, Wilfred “Boomer” Harding and Percy Parker. 
Source: CK Black Historical Society Archive


  1935 Chatham Coloured All-Stars Team Photo via The Windsor Star
Top Left: Flat Chase, Don Washington, Gouy Ladd, Willie Shognosh, Wilfred “Boomer” Harding and Les Hyatt. Bottom Left: Robbins, Len Harding, Ferg Jenkins, Jack Robinson, Don Tabron and King Terrell. 
Source: CK Black Historical Society Archive

1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars Players (in various other team uniforms).
Top left: Louis Pryor, Percy Parker, Wilfred "Boomer" Harding, King Terrell, Ross Talbot, Earl "Flat" Chase, Bottom left: Abie Scott, Ferguson Jenkins Sr., Gouy Ladd, Ben Talbot, Andy Harding
Source: Chase Family Scrapbook

Archie Stirling 

Stirling Park named after Archie Stirling and his family was originally part of the Stirling Family farm. The park initially not only housed a baseball diamond but it had a wading and swimming pool and playground. It was also flooded in the winter to have a skating rink for the community. The baseball diamond also had dugouts, a scoreboard and bleachers to sit up to 600 people that are long gone today. 

Archie Stirling was instrumental in forming the first minor baseball league in the city and helped to expand baseball in the province. Because of his involvement in all things baseball in the city it earned him the nickname “Mr. Baseball” and his many involvements in city government including being mayor of Chatham gave him the nickname “Mr. Chatham”. 

Archie Stirling was instrumental in getting the Chatham Coloured All-Stars signed up to join the city league. After seeing their talent at the baseball diamond that donned his family name, Archie helped the team with the paperwork and support they needed to join the OBAA. The players were worried about joining the league and if they would be accepted because of the colour of their skin, but Archie was not worried and got the team signed up at the Chatham All-Stars. 

Black Baseball in Chatham Before and After the All-Stars 

In 1871 one of the first all-Black baseball teams in Chatham-Kent took to the field at the Barrack Grounds (usually used for cricket at the time). Chatham’s Royal Oak Club lost against the Detroit Unexpected Base Ball Club 34 to 30 on June 27th. 

A decade before the Chatham Coloured All-Stars hit the diamonds in the 1930’s there was the Chatham Giants, an all-Black baseball team that in the 1924 season won 11 of their 12 games in the South Western Ontario League. Players on the team included: Clarence Crosby, Casper Parker, Roy Ward, Duncan Williams, Percy Parker, Herbert Crosby, Charles Terrell, Herbert Wilson and managed by Joseph Parker. Many of these surnames you would see throughout the years on the Chatham Coloured All-Stars. 

When the All-Stars disbanded it wasn’t the end for many of those players. By the 1940’s the teams were becoming integrated and many of the All-Star players could be found on other teams in the city. Some of those teams included: The Chatham Arcades, The Chatham Shermans, The Chatham Crystals, The Taylor ACs and the Kent Panthers to name a few. 

The Taylor AC’s was named after the JG Taylor Community centre that was on King Street East in Chatham and offered many sports programs for the community. When the Taylor AC’s formed the newspaper announced on 12 June 1946 “Chatham Coloured Stars Return Under New Name” but did feature many previous players including Earl “Flat” Chase, Andy Harding, Gouy Ladd and King Terrell and was managed by Wilfred “Boomer” Harding. 

The Kent Panthers would follow the Taylor AC’s in the 1950’s and was managed by Alan Wright. By this time, you’d start to see some of the sons of the Chatham Coloured All-Stars joining baseball including Earl Chase Jr and Horace Chase sons of Flat Chase and Lloyd Pryor son of Louis Pryor. The Panthers would win back-to-back Western Counties Baseball Association Championships in 1957 and 1958. 

  Taylor AC’s Players King Terrell and Earl “Flat” Chase
Source: Chase Family Scrapbook 

The Chatham Crystals Players Fergie Jenkins Sr., Andy Harding and Ross Talbot
Source: Chase Family Scrapbook 

  Kent Panthers
Source: CK Black Historical Society Archive

Plaque Location

Stirling Park, Chatham 

 
First Choice: In between/around these trees, where people will see it while walking into the park to check out the baseball diamond, head to their baseball games or watch a game. Wouldn’t want it to the right of the front tree as that is a pathway used to walk to the diamond and to the left of the trees it looks like that space is used to bring equipment, lawnmowers, etc. in and out of the park.  

 
Second Choice: Beside the Stirling Park Sign, to the right. Not ideal because it’s not as close to the baseball diamond, but it would also work as a location to be closer to the sidewalk area. 

Team Roster

From 1932 until 1939

The following list was compiled using team rosters, newspaper clippings and other historical documentation from the time.

It is not necessarily a full and complete list of all players, coaches and managers over their seasons together. There could also be errors in spelling and omissions. While most of the men were from the Black Community some hail from the Indigenous and white communities as well.

Please remember that some players/coaches on this list would have been substitute and stand-ins throughout their seasons together not only in the 1930s but during their reunion game in the 1950s. Some listed below may not necessarily be regular players on the roster. However, that does not take away from the historical significance of these men both in their community and their rightful place in history.