Pete Hill Marker: An issue of race?

Ron Hill, of Penns Hill, Pa., supposes there were racist motives behind the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors’ recent vote to delay acknowledgement of his late great uncle – National Baseball Hall of Fame power hitter John Preston “Pete” Hill, who was born in 1882 near Rapidan in Culpeper County the son of former slaves.

County officials say race had nothing to do with the 60-day postponement of a historic marker to Hill at the sports complex. They say the intent was to allow a local citizen claiming Hill is not from Culpeper to have more time to research that contention.

“They know where he came from,” contended Ron Hill of his uncle. “But then they go behind your back and say they are not sure. It is racism at its finest. You have a great man who lived in that area and they don’t want to recognize him.

“They don’t want black people to get credit for what they have done.”

Pete Hill rediscovered

Ron Hill, in collaboration with historic investigator Zann Nelson, of Culpeper, led the drive that resulted in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. recasting Pete Hill’s plaque last year to reflect his given name. He was originally inducted in 2006 as Joseph.

Nelson’s hundreds of hours of research, in addition, caused the baseball institution to correct its library records to reflect Hill’s birthplace as Culpeper; it was originally listed as Pittsburgh.

Pete Hill got his new plaque on Oct. 12 – his birthday – and the Hill family got a sense of closure.

For years, Ron and other relatives had no idea that Joseph Hill, described as “the greatest hitter in black baseball history,” was, in fact, their Uncle Pete.

“I want my relatives and their kids to know that they have a Hall of Famer in their family who came from the south and dealt with all the racism and still became a great ballplayer,” Ron Hill said in early 2010. “No matter your situation, you can make it in the United States. I want that to be the legacy for the Hill family.”

Pete Hill reclaimed

Beginning last year, the Hall of Fame conducted a thorough review of the Hill record, using Nelson’s research as a guide.

“By running a complete duplication of her research efforts, along with its own independent study, the Library staff confirmed Nelson’s conclusions,” according to Jim Gates, librarian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Added HOF spokesman Brad Horn, “Zann Nelson’s excellent research has furthered baseball history and expanded the knowledge of a Hall of Fame legend.”

Earlier this year, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources dedicated a highway marker to Hill in his native Buena, a village settled by African Americans soon after the end of the Civil War. The marker went up outside Cedar Grove Baptist Church, established 1883, where Pete Hill’s uncle was a deacon.

“A lot of homework was done on this … by scholars far and near,” said DHR Director Kathleen Kilpatrick. “Their work was solid. We vetted it and the Baseball Hall of Fame vetted it.”

At the time of the state marker dedication in Buena, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell issued the following statement, “At long last, we welcome Hill home to Buena, the rural community where he was born. It’s a homecoming that’s long overdue, and we have, in particular, Culpeper’s own Zann Nelson to thank for the research that firmly established Hill’s connection to Culpeper.”

Nelson, former director of the Museum of Culpeper History, left no stone unturned in verifying that connection.

Pete Hill research

Documents she used supporting Hill’s name and birthplace and his family’s roots here included more than three dozen census records, ship passenger lists, numerous city directories from the places where Hill later lived, various newspaper archives, war registration forms, library records, death, birth and marriage documents, wills and deeds, Chancery court proceedings, railroad retirement records and family photos.

Nelson interviewed baseball scholars, the Hall of Fame, living descendants from both sides of Hill’s family tree – his mother was Lizzie Seals and his father Reuben Hill – and local residents.

She also tracked down a social security application written in Pete Hill’s own hand listing Rapidan as his birthplace; Rapidan, 2.3 miles from Buena, would have been the nearest post office when he was born. A post office at Buena was established in 1892.

“We find numerous members of Pete’s mother’s family living, dying and getting married in Culpeper,” Nelson said. “By 1880 we have his grandfather living in Buena with all of his uncles. We have a marriage record for one of Pete’s aunts marrying one of the Hill men. We have deeds, wills, etc. all collaborating and supporting the idea that the Hills and Seals lived right here in the Buena area.”

Imagine her surprise then when the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors wavered in its recognition of Hill as a native son by delaying his historic marker.

“I was completely taken off guard because nobody (from the county) called me and asked for any of my documentation,” Nelson said.

It’s been nearly nine months since Hill was re-inducted into the Hall of Fame as being from Culpeper, and yet his native county has not in any official capacity acknowledged it.

Hill marker delayed

A freelance columnist for the Star-Exponent who wrote a three-part series on her findings, Nelson felt strongly that the Pete Hill legacy should be shared with local children at the Culpeper County Sports Complex behind Eastern View High School. That’s why she approached the county about erecting markers there to both of Culpeper’s Hall of Fame baseball players – Eppa Rixey, a white National League ballplayer born in 1891 and Hill.

The marker idea made its way through the building and grounds committee, gaining its support, but when the proposal came before the full board of supervisors last week the Rixey placard was approved and the Hill marker was put off.

Supervisors say they delayed the Hill marker after local historian George Bryson questioned the black ballplayer’s birthplace.

Bryson, addressing the board during the public comment section, said he had not found a single piece of evidence to support Hill was from Culpeper.

“Pete Hill was a great ballplayer, but saying he was born in Culpeper County … I think deserves to be proven out before ya’ll go putting (a marker) up,” he said. “When we are dealing with history, it should be as close as being right as possible. It needs to be verified – not just saying this is a good story.”

Supervisor Steve Nixon made the motion to approve the Rixey marker but delay the other “since there is some controversy about whether Pete Hill was or was not born in Culpeper.”

“Maybe we can move forward with the Eppa Rixey memorial and just hold off on the Pete Hill to give George 60 days to research and come back to us,” he said.

Supervisors Sue Hansohn and Tom Underwood opposed the motion because they felt taxpayer money should not be spent to erect the markers and that a private campaign should fund the effort. Underwood said he “agreed completely” with Bryson in that “we need to ensure” the markers are accurate “if they are going on county property.”

County: we are not racist

Culpeper County Administrator Frank Bossio told the Star-Exponent Thursday that the county is not questioning Pete Hill’s ties to Culpeper.

“George Bryson is questioning it. That should be very clear,” he said last week.

Bossio said the board’s decision to delay action on the Hill marker until its September meeting was not racially oriented. The issues were accuracy and funding, he said.

Bossio said he had no doubt the Hall of Fame and DHR were correct in their assertions that Hill is from Culpeper.

“Those are great leaps forward,” he said. “On the other hand, I don’t think that another couple of (months) will make a difference. The bottom line is that the question was asked.”

Asked about the county’s overall failure to acknowledge Pete Hill, Bossio said, “That is what this process is – all about that acknowledgement.”

From the chairman

Bill Chase, longtime chairman of the board of supervisors, acknowledged Bryson at the recent meeting, asking if he wanted to speak about Pete Hill and instructing him to, “Go ahead.” Contacted Thursday, Chase said he did not ask Bryson to voice his doubt about Hill being born in Culpeper, but that Bryson had voiced his concern about it to him.

Chase said Bryson was one of the county’s best genealogists.

“He questioned whether Pete Hill was actually born in Culpeper or lived here. He lost track of the family so … we decided to delay (the marker) for 60 days so George can finish his research,” Chase said.

The chairman said he was not aware of the Hill research conducted by the Hall of Fame, Nelson or the DHR. Chase said he did not know about the state marker erected to Hill in Buena earlier this year.

“I don’t know that. I know whatever George comes up with will be very accurate,” he said.

As for Ron Hill’s assertions that the board’s motives were racist, Chase said that’s ridiculous.

“Racism doesn’t enter into my world,” he said. “Being a Vietnam veteran I don’t see black or white – just people.”

Bryson, reached Friday, echoed Chase’s comments on the race issue.

“That never entered into it. There was nothing racially motivated about it,” Bryson said. “The question is, where was he born? If Pete Hill is from Culpeper, that’s fine, but I couldn’t find him in Culpeper.”

He said he was working on putting together his documentation to present to the county board in September.

Move it on

County Supervisor Larry Aylor, whose district includes Rapidan and Buena, said the motive behind the vote to delay the marker to Hill was the chairman’s desire to be responsive to a local citizen’s question.

Aylor attended the state marker dedication to the ballplayer in Buena and was familiar with Nelson’s work and the Hall of Fame action to correct his birthplace as Culpeper.

“I told George … the Baseball Hall of Fame changed their documentation based on this information,” Aylor said, adding he believed Hill was from Buena. “I wanted to move it on,” he said of approving both county markers.

Told about Ron Hill’s claims of racism, the supervisor said, “I don’t blame him one bit, but it has nothing to do with color. All it is about is an individual who prides himself on Culpeper history stood up and questioned the documentation,” Aylor said. “Since there was a question there is no harm in delaying it 60 days to prove he is wrong. I personally want to just do both of the plaques and move this forward. Both men accomplished great things in their time and are local heroes.”

Two great men

Nelson failed to understand why Bryson waited for months after her research was vetted, published and verified to bring his questions before the board.

“It goes to the motive,” she said.

Ron Hill is still waiting for Culpeper County to recognize his ancestor. He repeated his earlier assertion that the motive for not approving the marker at the sports complex was racist.

“It would be balanced out,” he said of a Hill marker next to the Rixey marker. “You have one white fellow that is great and one black fellow that is great. They are taking away from Pete Hill and Afro American history. His mother came out of slavery and he became a Hall of Famer. The state has recognized him but the county people … if they would have passed that marker he would have got his just due.”

An outfielder for the Philadelphia Giants, Leland Giants and Chicago American Giants, Hill was a “giant among Giants,” the Hall of Fame described – “one of the greatest line-drive hitters of his era.”

As captain of the legendary Leland Giants, he helped lead them to a record of 123-6. With Philadelphia, he participated in two major league championships. In 1919, Hill hit 28 homeruns for the Detroit Stars – the same year Babe Ruth hit 29 in more games.

Hill also starred in the Cuban Winter League, playing against Major League clubs, including the Detroit Tigers and Ty Cobb. Pete Hill “could do anything a white player can do,” the Chicago Defender wrote in 1910. “He can hit, run, throw and is what is termed a wise, heady ballplayer.”

Hill ended his baseball career in 1925 as manager/player with the Baltimore Black Sox with a career batting average of .326.