A community ballpark
josephville ballpark history
about
In 1948, Alphonse (Barney) Wilmes and his brother Alois Wilmes, together with Alois Orf, prepared a ballfield off of Wilmes Rd. in the town of Josephville which became the first Josephville baseball diamond. A few years later, the ballpark was moved just up the road to Fritz Tochtrop's property.
In 1951, Edwin Rothermich sold acreage to the Josephville Athletic Association with the stipulation that the ground would be used for a ballpark for use by the Men's Missouri Baseball Association. The East Missouri Baseball Association was well known for many years throughout St. Charles, Warren, and Lincoln counties. Claude Taylor, who was a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, sent many ball players from Josephville to try out for the Cardinals, but none made the team. Unfortunately, the Josephville ball team left the EMBA in the 1980's.
In 1971, the Khoury League was brought to Josephville, and the area children began playing ball on the field. The Khoury League was later disbanded and now the children play in conjunction with other towns in the area through local leagues.
For many area residents, this ballpark is where many summer nights were spent with friends while enjoying the game of baseball. The Josephville Athletic Association continues to do its best to make sure memories continue to be made at the Josephville Ballpark for all area children and make improvements to the park so it can remain a staple of our community that we can all be proud of.
Photo Credit: Gene Wilmes