The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will unveil its first-ever historic marker in the city of Concord honoring legendary baseball player William Penn “Bill” Thompson.
Thompson is believed to be one of the first African Americans to play on an integrated team in an organized league. He moved to Concord in 1890 and played catcher in the Concord Sunset League, which hosted many games at White Park.
At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the organization will present the marker on the home field of Concord’s Sunset League, in partnership with Ryan Cutting and the City of Concord. The marker will be placed near the State of New Hampshire Historic Marker, the classic moss green placard indicating the history of the park.
Representatives from the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and the City of Concord will give brief remarks. The event is free and open to the public.
Thompson had a long career in baseball, starting out with prominent Black teams, including the Cuban Giants and the Philadelphia Colored Giants.
He was known for kicking off the Concord Sunset League season by dressing formally in a white suit, top hat and cane to lead the parade to the park’s flagpole for the first game of the season. He always carried the same catcher’s mitt and wooden bat he used through the end of his career.
The league, established in 1909, is the oldest after-supper amateur baseball league in the United States. Thompson was beloved in the community, and in 1961, the Concord Board of Aldermen named a local park in his memory: William Thompson Playground, located at 37 North Spring Street.