The Moorhead Barmaids, based in Moorhead, Minnesota, won the 1897 Red River Valley League and took their name from the business that set the town apart from its neighbor. Fargo sat directly across the Red River in North Dakota and had gone dry in 1889. Moorhead had not, and as Jeff Bozovsky documents in his history of the league, the town became the area's default hub of liquor consumption, with saloon owners running so-called "jag wagons" across the river to carry thirsty Fargoans over and back.
The pairing was deliberate on both sides. The Fargo club in the same four-team league was called the Divorcees, after the ninety-day residency law that made Fargo a national destination for people seeking a quick end to a marriage. Two border towns, two vices, two ball clubs named for them. Bozovsky notes that the Moorhead club also answered to the Sheriffs, after manager William J. Bodkin, who was the sitting Clay County sheriff, which in turn made the players the deputies in some accounts, and occasionally to the Maroons, for the color of their uniforms.
Moorhead was the class of the league. The Barmaids were 32-13 and ten and a half games clear of the second-place Grand Forks Senators when the circuit disbanded on August 8, 1897, only weeks into the second half of its schedule. The Wahpeton-Breckenridge Methodists and Fargo filled out the standings. Play had opened May 26 with salaries capped at forty dollars a month, and the Class F league was the first in the Dakotas to operate within organized baseball.
Andy Anderson pitched and played second base for the Barmaids that summer and later turned up with the Portland Webfoots of the Pacific Northwest League in 1902. Moorhead, a town of just over two thousand in 1890 that nearly doubled by 1900, has not hosted a professional club of its own since, though the city was a partner in the Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers from 1914 and in the Fargo-Moorhead Twins from 1933.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our standard tees are classic, heavyweight t-shirts that are durable and thick. They are looser fitting and run true to size.
Size Guide: True to size
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: 5000
- Made with medium fabric (5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²)) consisting of 100% cotton for year-round comfort that is sustainable and highly durable.
- The classic fit of this shirt ensures a comfy, relaxed wear while the crew neckline adds that neat, timeless look that can blend into any occasion, casual or semi-formal.
- The tear-away label means a scratch-free experience with no irritation or discomfort whatsoever.
- Made using 100% US cotton that is ethically grown and harvested. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. This blank tee is certified by Oeko-Tex for safety and quality assurance.
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Do not iron; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Tumble dry: low heat.
