Entry from
March 09, 2005
Beantown (summary)
"Beantown" (or "Bean Town") dates from the 1880s. The "bean" came before the "big apple," at least in terms of city nicknames.
The Boston Globe newspaper has been digitized from 1872 and was examined. The Boston baseball team was called the "Hubbites" (or variations on Boston's "Hub" nickname) and the "Bean-Eaters." This "Bean-Eaters" team later became the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, not the Red Sox.
(Historical Dictionary of American Slang)
Beantown n. Boston, Mass.
1901 "J. Flynt" World of Graft: Throughout the Under World, Chicago is known by the nickname "Chi."...Other cities have similar nicknames....Boston, "Bean-Town."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League.
(...)
Founded: 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association. The club became a charter member of the National League in 1876 and has remained in the league without a break since then. The Braves are the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North American sports. Arguably, they can trace their ancestry to the original Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869-1970, baseball's first openly professional team. When the N.A. formed, the best players from that team re-formed in Boston and took the nickname with them.
Formerly known as: Boston Braves (1912-1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965). Prior to 1912, the Boston team had several unofficial nicknames: "Red Stockings" in the 1870s and 1880s; "Beaneaters" in the 1890s and early 1900s
The Dickson Baseball Dictionary
by Paul Dickson
New York: Facts on File
1989
Pg. 48:
Bean Eaters arch. Nickname for various professional teams from Boston.
1ST 1880 (Chicago Inter Ocean, June 29, EJN)
28 July 1880, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 4:
The Buckeye Boys Get Away
with the Bean-Eaters.
5 September 1880, Chicago Daily Tribune, pg. 6:
BOSTON VS. TROY
(...)
The Bean-Eaters tallied their runs on errors of Gillespie, Connors, Ferguson, and Keefe, and muffed flies by Trott, Burdock, and Foley enabled the Trojans to cross the home-plate.
10 September 1881, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 4:
Gotham's Favorites Capture
the Bean-Eaters.
18 February 1883, Washington Post, pg. 5:
Solid old Boston is delighted with the new play, and if Beantown enthuses over anything it is a big go in every other place.
15 May 1884, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 8:
BOSTON, 4; CHICAGO, 2.
But the Trouble is, New York
Keeps Winning, Too.
Manager Bancroft's Team of Grays Dust the
Diamond with Detroit.
Beantown Unions Too Much for the
Porkopolitan Unions.
4 March 1888, Washington Post, pg. 1:
Carroll and Gilligan have been offered in exchange for him, and the Boston magnates have gone home to Bean Town to think the matter over.
The Boston Globe newspaper has been digitized from 1872 and was examined. The Boston baseball team was called the "Hubbites" (or variations on Boston's "Hub" nickname) and the "Bean-Eaters." This "Bean-Eaters" team later became the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, not the Red Sox.
(Historical Dictionary of American Slang)
Beantown n. Boston, Mass.
1901 "J. Flynt" World of Graft: Throughout the Under World, Chicago is known by the nickname "Chi."...Other cities have similar nicknames....Boston, "Bean-Town."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are in the Eastern Division of the National League.
(...)
Founded: 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association. The club became a charter member of the National League in 1876 and has remained in the league without a break since then. The Braves are the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North American sports. Arguably, they can trace their ancestry to the original Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869-1970, baseball's first openly professional team. When the N.A. formed, the best players from that team re-formed in Boston and took the nickname with them.
Formerly known as: Boston Braves (1912-1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965). Prior to 1912, the Boston team had several unofficial nicknames: "Red Stockings" in the 1870s and 1880s; "Beaneaters" in the 1890s and early 1900s
The Dickson Baseball Dictionary
by Paul Dickson
New York: Facts on File
1989
Pg. 48:
Bean Eaters arch. Nickname for various professional teams from Boston.
1ST 1880 (Chicago Inter Ocean, June 29, EJN)
28 July 1880, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 4:
The Buckeye Boys Get Away
with the Bean-Eaters.
5 September 1880, Chicago Daily Tribune, pg. 6:
BOSTON VS. TROY
(...)
The Bean-Eaters tallied their runs on errors of Gillespie, Connors, Ferguson, and Keefe, and muffed flies by Trott, Burdock, and Foley enabled the Trojans to cross the home-plate.
10 September 1881, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 4:
Gotham's Favorites Capture
the Bean-Eaters.
18 February 1883, Washington Post, pg. 5:
Solid old Boston is delighted with the new play, and if Beantown enthuses over anything it is a big go in every other place.
15 May 1884, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 8:
BOSTON, 4; CHICAGO, 2.
But the Trouble is, New York
Keeps Winning, Too.
Manager Bancroft's Team of Grays Dust the
Diamond with Detroit.
Beantown Unions Too Much for the
Porkopolitan Unions.
4 March 1888, Washington Post, pg. 1:
Carroll and Gilligan have been offered in exchange for him, and the Boston magnates have gone home to Bean Town to think the matter over.
Posted by Barry Popik
Nicknames of Other Places • Beantown (Boston nickname) • (0) Comments • Wednesday, March 09, 2005 • Permalink
Nicknames of Other Places • Beantown (Boston nickname) • (0) Comments • Wednesday, March 09, 2005 • Permalink