406 West Conway Street

While conducting my research on Babe Ruth, I was always on the look out for old photos of his father's saloons especially on Camden Street and Conway Street, but never ran across any.

Recently I came across the attached photo looking down at Camden Station from the Bromo Seltzer Tower.  I contacted the B&O Museum (the source for the photo) and was sent a digital copy.  I also understand this photo is on display near the 8th floor elevators of the warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

What interested me, were the buildings west of the warehouse (today the outfield bleachers and playing field of the Orioles). Ruth's Conway Street saloon can be seen about a third of the way from the bottom of the photo along the right edge.

I copied an image from a 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map and inserted it next to an enlarged section of the photo showing the saloon.  I placed it upside down to aid comparison between the photo and map. One can easily identify the unusually shaped warehouses across from the saloon on both map and photo.  One of the buildings is identified as a Paper Warehouse on the map, and the word "Paper" is visible on a painted sign in the photo at the same location.

Although the saloon appears to be directly across the 4 story tall building on the map, not the back of the 6 story paper warehouse as shown in the photo - the photo was taken from the Bromo Seltzer Tower at the northeast corner of Lombard and Eutaw Street, skewing the angle.

A store and dwelling on Conway Street east of the saloon can also be identified on both the photo and map.

Although it is not the clearest image; it is taken from above; and it shows the side of the saloon along Little Paca Street, not the front on Conway Street; the building circled is definitely Ruth's Conway Street saloon.

Ten New Babe Ruth Facts

Since the following narrative is a bit long, I am presenting these ten bullet points highlighting new facts about Babe Ruth's early life in Baltimore: Babe Ruth's grandfather was an inventor who held five patents.

Babe Ruth's first home was on the outskirts of Baltimore not in the vicinity of Camden Yards.

Babe Ruth did not grow up living over a saloon from birth; his father first owned a saloon when he was six years old.

The Baltimore branch of Jacob Ruppert's Brewery was seven doors from Babe Ruth's father's saloon on Camden Street [The Ruppert family owned the New York Yankees from from 1915-1945].

Babe Ruth was the product of a broken home; his parents divorced in 1906 when he was eleven years old.

Babe Ruth's mother, Katie, had a drinking problem; she may have been an alcoholic.

Babe Ruth's father, George, appears to have cared more about running a bar than caring for his family.

Babe Ruth's name first appears in the Baltimore Sun as a participant in a minstrel show at Saint Mary's Industrial School when he was thirteen years old.

Babe Ruth is listed in the 1915 Baltimore City Directory as a ballplayer living at 552 West Conway Street.

The bar fight that led to Babe Ruth's father's death may have been related to an earlier dope selling incident at his father's saloon.

Preface

     One hundred years ago Babe Ruth became a professional baseball player.  In February 1914, he left Baltimore’s Saint Mary’s Industrial School to join the Baltimore Orioles of the International League.  That year he pitched for the Orioles, Providence Grays and the major league Boston Red Sox.  Although he was an excellent pitcher, Babe Ruth is best known as a home run hitter especially during the years he played for the New York Yankees from 1920-1934.  He was the greatest power hitter and the highest paid baseball player of his era, when baseball was truly America's pastime.  In 1936, Babe Ruth was one of five players elected as a charter members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

     As a local Baltimore historian and baseball fan, I have long been interested in Babe Ruth’s early years in Baltimore.  Although dozens of Babe Ruth biographies have been published, his life prior to 1914 has not been well-documented.  Within the past few years, the historical Baltimore Sun has been indexed on ProQuest (available online to local public library card holders).  This great resource has provided new information on Babe Ruth’s Baltimore family.  Through newspaper articles, court records and other resources, I have been able to uncover new facts about Babe Ruth’s early life in Baltimore. 

     Just in time for the 100^th anniversary of the start of Babe Ruth’s professional baseball career, I am presenting my research on this blog – making it available for all.  My title for this project is:  A Broken Home at Camden Yards:  Babe Ruth’s Early Life in Baltimore.  It is presented in ten parts, after a brief introduction.  I have provided references for my research and have also produced some illustrations highlighting Baltimore places linked to Babe Ruth and his family. 

     Readers should be aware that some of Babe Ruth’s story is adult in nature and at times presents negative aspects of his family.   In order to understand the man Babe Ruth became, I feel it is necessary to explore the circumstances of his childhood and the past he overcame to become a great ballplayer and famous American. 

     One biographer, Leigh Montville, calls Babe Ruth “the patron saint of American possibility.”  I hope that youngsters today living in unfortunate circumstances can be inspired by Babe Ruth’s accomplishments overcoming a troubled youth.

     Thank you for taking the time to time to read this blog. 

     Fred B. Shoken
     Baltimore, Maryland