The magnificent work of a hearty band of souls who labor diligently to upgrade the historical experience of the Eden Springs Campground and Train Park shines on, and you are invited to be a witness to that history by taking time out to visit not only the campground and train park but the adjacent field where vintage baseball is still very much alive in the heart of Michigan’s Great Southwest.
Retired Herald-Palladium columnist Rick Ast recently reached out to me asking that I share with you the amazing opportunities to capture the slice of history not only from the campground and train rides but also with his team, the House of David Echoes who play vintage baseball there.
Rick tells me that the train park is doing well, but would always like to see more people take advantage of the opportunity to relive history. He says the train park is usually open from noon to 5pm on weekends and holidays, with train rides running $2 each.
Your visit can often coincide with a House of David Echoes vintage baseball game for the simple admission fee of $3. He tells me, “We usually play on the original site of the actual House of David baseball stadium. Visitors can take train rides and see all the astounding work that the volunteers have done on the old House of David Amusement Park site. Talk about a walk down Memory Lane!”
Rick and his colleagues on the Echoes comprise a vintage baseball team which plays ball according to the rules of 1858. Those rules forbid the use of gloves – they knew about them back then, but their use was considered unmanly. There are some other rules differences, but the biggest is that all players were required to behave like gentlemen.
There are a number of area vintage clubs – the Livery Brewers in Benton Harbor, the South Haven Bark Peelers, the Douglas Dutchers, the Northern Indiana Railroaders, the Chicago Salmon, and the Kalamazoo Continentals. Paw Paw has a team named the Corkers, but they were unable to field a team this season.
Here is the remaining schedule for the House of David Echoes vintage baseball team in SW Michigan this summer:
- Sunday, July 16, 2pm CST, at Deep River Grinders, Hobart, Indiana
- Sunday, July 23, at home, 1pm, against the Parole Officers in a benefit game
- Thursday, August 3, at 6pm, versus the Berrien County Bench Beamers, at Lincoln Township Park
- Saturday, August 5, at the Douglas Dutchers, on Beery Field, Douglas. Time TBA
- Wednesday, August 16, 6pm, at the Berrien County Youth Fair, against the Blossomtime Royals
- Sunday, August 20, at home, against the Ludington Mariners, at 1pm
- Sunday, September 3, at 1p, at home, against the Grace Lutheran Hornets
- Thursday, September 14, at 6pm, at the Bangor Cubs
- Sunday, September 17, at home, at 1pm, versus the Chicago Salmon
- Sunday, September 24, at the Livery Brewers. Time TBA
- Saturday, September 30, in the Hop Yard Classic at the Livery Brewers.
