Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

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goose 5
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Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by goose 5 »

In a June 20, 1909 interview with the Pittsburgh Post, Ketchel stated that he was born in Butte, Montana on 9-14-1887 and not in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1886 as the record books say. Do any of the historians here have any clue as to why he would say this ?
John
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by John »

Bad journalism :maybe:
goose 5
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by goose 5 »

Are you saying the quote attributed to Ketchel was manufactured ?
John
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by John »

The use of shorthand by journalists in the USA had peaked by 1890. It could have been badly written notes, a badly remembered interview, hastily sub edited, clumsily typeset etc etc etc
goose 5
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by goose 5 »

very interesting, thanks.
Bob
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by Bob »

Just a quick FYI...the 1900 US Census for Grand Rapids lists:
Thomas Ketchel (b. Germany) - father
Julia (b. Michigan) - mother
Stanly (b. Michigan) - son (born October 1886)
John (b. Michigan) - son
Alexander (b. Michigan) - son
Leonard (b. Michigan) - son
goose 5
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by goose 5 »

According to Ketchel's death certificate, his father was born in Poland.
John
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Re: Stanley Ketchel's place of birth and date of birth

Post by John »

Sulmierzyce was German when he was born there, at that time it was called Sulmirschütz and has a large Prussian / German population.
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