Plaque honoring former Williamstown resident and National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Frank Grant.
Williamstown - Marion Grant Royston stood on a Spring Street veranda and gazed out at about 40 spectators gathered to pay homage to her great-uncle, 2006 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ulysses Franklin "Frank" Grant.
"[The Hall of Fame ceremony] was something to have witnessed and shared," Royston said.
Grant was born in Pittsfield on Aug. 1 1865 and he and his family moved to Williamstown in 1871. Grant forged a 20-year career in baseball and became known as one of the greatest black baseball players - many believe he was the greatest black player- of the 19th century. He was inducted into the Cooperstown, N.Y. Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Grant and his family lived on Spring Street, and although it is not certain precisely where on the street the family lived, a plaque honoring Grant has been installed at 84 Spring St.. The building hosting the plaque is owned by Williams College.
The Hall of Fame inclusion honors Grant's career accomplishments and the town plaque acknowledges his youth, said Royston.
"I'm sure that he played [baseball] somewhere in these fields," she said. "This completes the circle."
Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent attended the event. Vincent is a part-time resident of town and a member of the Williams College Class of 1960.
"This is a great day for those of us who think black baseball players, especially in the 19th century, got the short stick," Vincent said. Vincent also noted that acknowledging Grant's boyhood community has special meaning because Grant is buried in an unmarked grave.
Black baseball players faced segregation beginning during the mid- to late 1800s. Segreation continued until 1947, when Jackie Robinson played for the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers. Also that year, Larry Doby joined the Cleveland Indians and became the first black American League player.
Grant was able to play in integrated leagues for six years before segregation. He played all baseball positions and his agility and speed earned him notoriety as a second baseman. His 5' 7 1/2'' height did nothing to limit his hitting abilities; Grant batted over .300 every year in the minors, including three seasons with Buffalo of the International League. Grant played for the Cuban Giants, an all-black team, during the 1890s and ended his baseball career in 1903.
National Baseball Hall of Fame Chairwoman Jane Clark, the granddaughter of National Hall of Fame and Museum, Fenimore Museum and Farmer's Museum founder Stephen Clark, National Baseball Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey and Dale Overmyer, a baseball historian who was instrumental in bringing Grant's story to the public, participated during the ceremony. Town Selectmen's Chairman John "Jack" Madden and Town Manager Peter Fohlin attended the event as well.
The ceremony followed a morning "Clark Cup Challenge" five-inning softball game between the "Sterlings" [Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute founded by Stephen Clark's brother Sterling Clark], and the "Stephens," a team whose players included staff members of the museums founded by Stephen Clark.
The game was played at the Mount Greylcok Regional High School.
The "Stephens" claimed a 17-6 victory and the large "Clark Cup," which will be kept at the National baseball Hall of Fame and Museum until, or if, the "Sterlings" can win the cup and bring it home to the Clark Art Institute.
The "Sterlings" have been invited to compete against the "Stephens" in Cooperstown.
Petroskey said the game was "well-played' by both teams.
"We've had a great time," he said. "This is a beautiful town and we have to come back."
The "Stephens" had a bit of an advantage, said Michael Conforti, director of the art institute. Each team could draw players from entities founded by Sterling Clark or Stephen Clark; Sterling Clark did not launch anything particularly athletic, he noted.
"If Sterling had founded something with sports....," he said.
The softball game was "great fun" and brought those associated with the Clark brothers "together as family," Conforti said.
The softball event was part of a series of events commemorating the Clark's summer exhibition "The Clark Brothers Collect:Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings". The exhibit includes art collected by
Sterling Clark and Stephen Clark and also examines the rivalry between the brothers. Heirs to the Singer Sewing fortune, the brothers often consulted each other during their early years of art collecting but by the 1920s, the brothers quarreled over the family estate and never spoke to each other again throughout their lives.
For additional information about the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute or the current exhibit, call 413-458-2303 or visit a www.clarkart.edu Internet web site.
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
BHS Urgent Care Opening Third Location in North Berkshire
Staff Reports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) today announced the opening of a third Urgent Care location, with a new facility being developed at 197 Adams Road, Williamstown, inside the Williamstown Medical facility.
Berkshire Health Urgent Care North will open on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, and will be open weekdays from 11:00am to 7:00pm and weekends from 8:00am to noon.
"We are thrilled to officially open Berkshire Health Urgent Care North to patients seeking care for minor illnesses and injuries, complimenting the services provided at our highly successful Pittsfield and Lenox locations," said Darlene Rodowicz, BHS President and CEO. "The opening of Berkshire Health Urgent Care North serves as a demonstration of BHS’s commitment to providing accessible care and services for patients across North County and Southern Vermont, keeping care close to home."
Berkshire Health Urgent Care North will provide convenient, accessible care for minor illness and injuries, as well as on-site X-ray services and testing for common illnesses. Like its counterparts in Pittsfield and Lenox, the North site will also provide patients with access to BHS’s coordinated system of care, fostering collaboration across each patient’s team of providers.
"Berkshire Health Systems has consistently supported the healthcare needs of North Berkshire, from opening key services after the 2014 closing of North Adams Regional Hospital to reopening our community hospital in 2024 and now expanding access to urgent care," said Jennifer Macksey, Mayor of North Adams. "This is great news for residents across North Berkshire."
Berkshire Health Urgent Care North will accept a variety of health insurance plans, including private commercial coverage, Medicare, and MassHealth through the Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative, all of which are also accepted at the Pittsfield and Lenox Berkshire Health Urgent Care locations.
Berkshire Health Urgent Care in Pittsfield opened in September of 2015, and in Lenox earlier this year, providing care for minor illness and injury to thousands of Berkshire area residents and visitors.
The group planning a new skate park for a town-owned site on Stetson Road hopes to get construction underway in the spring — if it can raise a little more than $500,000 needed to reach its goal. click for more
From couture to canines and from crochet to carols, Williamstown Holiday Walk has you covered if you want to get into the spirit of the season this weekend. click for more
The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce reflected on this past year's success and the launch of a new coupon sales promotion at its annual meeting last week at Greylock Works.
click for more
