Abner Powell
A 19th-century baseball pioneer whose promotional genius and practical innovations forever changed how the game is experienced by fans.
1860–1953 (age 93)·American baseball player·Birthday: December 15·The Gilded Age
Biography
Abner Powell was a baseball man through and through, but his legacy isn't found in his modest playing stats. After a brief major league stint in the 1880s, he turned to managing and club ownership in the minor leagues, particularly in the South. It was here that his inventive mind left an indelible mark. Faced with the problem of rainouts losing money, Powell is widely credited with creating the first canvas tarpaulin to protect the infield—a simple idea that became a ballpark staple. He was also a master showman, introducing Ladies' Day to draw crowds and allegedly staging pre-game parachute jumps. As owner of the New Orleans Pelicans for years, he blended shrewd business with a flair for spectacle, helping to cement baseball's place in American summer culture.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Abner was born in 1860, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Abner Was Born
The biggest hits of 1860
Abner's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1860Born
1865Started school
President: Andrew Johnson
1873Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1876Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Could vote
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Turned 21
President: Chester A. Arthur
1890Turned 30
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Turned 40
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1910Turned 50
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 60
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 70
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 80
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1953Died at 93
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
Key Achievements
- Credited with inventing and using the first canvas tarpaulin to cover a baseball infield, revolutionizing rain delay management.
- Popularized the concept of 'Ladies' Day' with free or discounted admission for women to increase attendance.
- Owned and managed the minor league New Orleans Pelicans for nearly two decades, shaping Southern baseball.
Did You Know?
He once had a player, Charlie Abbey, hide a small, rubber ball in his glove to pretend to make miraculous catches as a publicity stunt.
Before a game in 1887, he arranged for a man to parachute from a hot-air balloon onto the field.
He played Major League Baseball as a pitcher and outfielder for three different teams in the 1880s.
“I invented the rain check to protect the fans from the weather.”
