Detroit Michigan Burroughs Adding Machine Company Baseball Team 1910 Real Photo Postcard
The Burroughs Adding Machine Company, founded in 1886 by William S. Burroughs, became a significant manufacturing concern based in Detroit, Michigan. Typical of major industrial firms in the early 20th century, Burroughs sponsored employee athletic teams, with baseball being a particularly popular choice for fostering morale, team spirit, and a sense of corporate community among its workforce. This practice reflected a broader trend of companies investing in employee welfare and recreation during a period of rapid industrial growth.
Industrial league baseball flourished across the United States from the late 19th century through the 1920s and beyond, often serving as a stepping stone for talented players and generating considerable local interest. These company-sponsored teams provided a structured recreational outlet for workers, contributing to the professionalization of amateur sports and solidifying baseball's role as America's national pastime long before widespread professional leagues dominated public attention.
Industrial league baseball flourished across the United States from the late 19th century through the 1920s and beyond, often serving as a stepping stone for talented players and generating considerable local interest. These company-sponsored teams provided a structured recreational outlet for workers, contributing to the professionalization of amateur sports and solidifying baseball's role as America's national pastime long before widespread professional leagues dominated public attention.
