Vanceboro’s Legion Field was enviable. Located down on the flats, off what’s now called Salmon Brook Road, the field boasted a pristine infield and a beautiful view of the river. The field was used both by the high school and the town team, which traveled around the eastern part of the county and New Brunswick as part of the St. Croix League.

“Dear Friend: This picture was the one that Mrs. Cummings took, and, as Chet and I have been making some postals lately, I thought perhaps you would like one. It is overly good, as it is among our first work. Hoping that this will find you in good health and spirits, I remain your friend, Ardie Goodwin.”

This postcard of the Vanceboro town team was sent to Ora Wallis Brown (center back row in bow tie) on April 5, 1906, after he transferred to Lowelltown. Born in Milford, Ora pitched for Vanceboro after he joined the customs office as a stenographer.

1905 Vanceboro Ball Club

When Dan McIver played ball for Vanceboro in the 1920s, the team travelled a circuit, three or four cars together, sometimes to Codyville, Topsfield, Danforth and Houlton, sometimes to Princeton and Woodland, and sometimes to towns across the border. Dan’s daughter recalled how they “left home in Vanceboro early in the morning and made the circuit to Houlton then over to Woodstock, N.B. down to Pokiok N.B and finally got home at 9PM.”

As this August 1931 newspaper clipping shows, border towns Vanceboro and McAdam combined efforts to field a winning team. Team manager Perlie Blanchard, also the leader of the Vanceboro town band and enterprising volunteer, put out the public challenge to area teams.

After the war, Vanceboro men played New Brunswick Senior Baseball for the St. Croix League’s McAdam Legionaires. In 1949, catcher Raymond “Fuzzy” Beers was selected as the league’s best player. Word had it they had a pitcher who threw so hard Fuzzy put a piece of beefsteak inside his catcher’s mitt for padding. Power hitters Aub Keef and Lindy Brown supported Beers at the plate. Brown hit the longest home run in McAdam history. As some of the old guys told it, “the ball flew right out of the field and bounced off Allie MacMillan’s roof.”

Baseball was popular in Vanceboro through the years. Coach Lance Bird, also Reverend of the Vanceboro Methodists Church, fielded quite a 1960s “Pee Wee” or Little League team, the Vanceboro Blue Jays.