Barnes & Noble to Host Book Signing for Baseball in Northwest Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - April 12, 2017 - PRLog -- Barnes & Noble to Host Book Signing for Baseball in Northwest Iowa

Local author Joan Wendl Thomas will be available to sign copies of book

While new railroad tracks cut through Northwestern Iowa in the mid-19th century, hardy pioneers cultivated the fertile soil, and the burgeoning sport of baseball took root and flourished. An integral element of the developing culture, it promoted community pride. Eight Northwestern Iowa towns supported professional teams by 1912, the first being Sioux City in 1888. Over time, that city's clubs produced hall-of-fame shortstop Dave Bancroft and initiated the still-existing American League. Homegrown talent from an abundance of professional, semiprofessional, and amateur clubs throughout the area's 19 counties yielded 38 major-league players before 1960 and more since.

Highlights from book include:

·         In addition to Sioux City, minor league teams sponsored by Estherville, Emmetsburg, Fort Dodge, Le Mars, Primghar, Rock Rapids and Sheldon are described.

·         Photos and stories of Negro League stars, including now-Hall-of-Famers Hilton Smith and Satchel Paige, competing in games in places like Rock Valley, are included.

·         Photos, maps and descriptions of former and still-existing historic baseball parks, such as Bancroft Memorial Park, enhance the captivating history related in the book.

Join the author for a signing:

Where:  Barnes & Noble

4400 Sergeant Road, Unit 550

Sioux City, IA 51106

When:  Saturday, April 22nd, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.

The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com