Charles Follis

From Wayne County, Ohio Online Resource Center
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Charles W. Follis
CharlesFollis photo.jpg
Born (1879-02-03)February 3, 1879
Died April 5, 1910(1910-04-05) (aged 31)
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Cause of death
 Pneumonia
Resting place
 Wooster Cemetery
Residence Wooster, Ohio, Shelby, Ohio and Cleveland, Ohio
Nationality American
Ethnicity Black
Education High school graduate
Alma mater Wooster High School
Occupation Played for the Cuban Giants Baseball Team, Shelby Blues Football Team
Known for Inducted in the College of Wooster Hall of Fame in 2013
Parents James Henry and Catherine (Anderson) Follis
Awards Wooster High School Football Field (Follis Field) named for him

Spelling Variations

No spelling variations found.

Given Names or Nicknames

  • "Black Cyclone"
  • "Follis the Speedy"

Biographical Sketches

Charles W. Follis was born in Cloverdale, Botetourt County, Virginia on February 3rd, 1879. He was the son of James H. Follis and Catherine Anderson Follis. He was the 3rd child and the 1st son born to his parents.

Family

  • Parents:
    • James Henry Follis (11 May 1849 - 28 Sep 1910)
    • Catherine Matilda Anderson (15 Jun 1848 - 13 Feb 1922)
  • Siblings:
    • Lelia M. Follis (26 Oct 1876 - 18 Apr 1950)
    • Cora Belle Follis (1877 - 13 Dec 1947)
    • Alice Bane Follis (30 May 1880 - 11 Feb 1931), married Peter William Woods
    • Curtis W. Follis (11 Dec 1884 - 25 Mar 1903)
    • Walter Joseph Follis (3 Jan 1888 - 6 Sep 1965), married Florence Evans
    • Lucy Jane Follis (4 Mar 1890 - 26 Mar 1971)
  • Nephews and Nieces:
    • Laura (Follis) Jackson (Oct 23rd 1908- 12 Sept 2004)
    • Helen Lucille (Woods) Hayes (6 Jun 1918 - 11 Mar 1964)
    • Vernon Woods (25 June 1920- 8 Feb 1994)

Vital Records

Birth

  • Feb 3rd 1879 in Cloverdale, Virginia. [1]

Marriage

  • never married

Death

Burial

  • Wooster Cemetery

Early Career

Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Wooster, Ohio in 1885 where he attended school, and that is where his athletic career began. He organized and was elected to be captain for the High School’s first football team. Later, he switched gears as he graduated High School in 1900. He played baseball for the College of Wooster team (then University of Wooster) in 1901 and 1902. Although, he played football at the same time for the Wooster Athletic Association. He gained the nickname “Black Cyclone” by playing in WAA. In a match between WAA and the Shelby Athletic Club, Frank C. Schiffer, the manager of Shelby was so impressed by Follis’s performance that he recruited him right away. [3] He got him a job at the Seltzer’s Hardware store in Shelby, Ohio, so he could also play for the Shelby Blues which was a semi-professional team at that time. With that, Follis left Wooster to live in Shelby in 1902. [4]

Professional Career

With his recruitment in Shelby Blues, Follis became the first professional black football player, playing from 1902 to 1906. [5] Although it was unclear if he was compensated for the 1902 and 1903 seasons, there are records of him signing a contract with the Shelby Blues for 1904. [6] Unfortunately, his football career had to end because of an injury in a thanksgiving game in 1906. Then, not forgetting his roots, he contributed to baseball by becoming a catcher for the Cuban giants from 1906-1910. [7]

Racial Discrimination

Like other black players, Follis was no stranger to discrimination. Players of the opposite teams specifically targeted Follis with rough play which resulted in injuries. For example, a newspaper reported that in a game against the Marion in 1903, “Marion’s quarterback started dirty work on Follis”. Although he was called out by one of Follis’s teammates, Follis still ended up with ligament injuries. [8] Fans constantly used racial slurs against him. In a game against the Toledo in 1905, the Toledo captain spoke up for Follis against the audience, “Don’t call Follis a nigger. He is a gentleman and a clean player, and please don’t call him that!” Even though he played in an integrated football team, he had to play in an all-black team for his baseball career. [9]

Death

Unfortunately, Follis had a short life as he contracted Pneumonia and died on April 5th 1910, at the age of 31. The Follis family lost two of their members that year, both Charles and his father, James Follis. Charles was buried in Wooster Cemetery.

Census Records

  • 1880 US Census for Amsterdam, Botetourt County, Virginia [10]
    • James Follis, 30, VA, farm laborer
    • Cathrine Follis, 35, VA, keeping house
    • Lellia Follis, 4, VA
    • Cora Follis, 3, VA
    • Charles Follis, 1, VA
  • 1900 US Census for Wooster, Ward 2, Wayne County, Ohio
    • James H. Follis, 51, VA, day labor (married for 26 years)
    • Catharine M. Follis, 51, VA (married for 26 years; 9 children born, 8 living)
    • Charles W. Follis, 21, VA, at school
    • Curtis W. Follis, 16, VA, at school
    • Walter Follis, 12, OH, at school
    • Lucy Jane Follis, 10, OH, at school

Places of Residence

  • Botetourt County, Virginia (1880)
  • Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio (1900)
  • Shelby, Richland County, Ohio (1902)
  • Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (1910)

Immigration and Naturalization Records

  • not applicable

Court Records

  • unknown

Tax Records

  • unknown

Land Records

  • none

Denomination Affiliations

  • unknown

Military

  • none

Occupations

  • Played for the Wooster Trolley league baseball team, catcher
  • Played for the Wooster University Baseball team, 1901-1902
  • Played for the Shelby Blues Football Team from 1902-1906
  • Played for the Cuban Giants Baseball Team

Community Involvement

  • unknown

Educational Services

Graduated from Wooster High School, was enrolled into Wooster University (although as an athlete)

Awards and Recognition

  • Captain of Wooster High School football team, 1899
  • 1st black to to sign a pro contract in 1904 [11]
  • Inducted into Wooster High School Hall of Fame, 1989 [12]
  • The Wooster High School Football Stadium was dedicated in honor of him in 1994. [13]
  • Inducted into College of Wooster Hall of Fame, 2013. [14]
  • A street in Shelby, Ohio is named after him. [15]

Notes

  • none

Newspaper Citations

  • Wooster Republican Nov 29, 1899, p. 3, col. 7
  • Wooster Republican Dec 6, 1899, p. 1
  • Wooster Republican Mar 28, 1900, p. 4, col. 4
  • Wayne County Herald Apr 15, 1900 p.1 col. 5
  • Wayne County Herald Jun 14, 1900 p. 5
  • Wooster Republican Aug 8, 1900 p. 1 col. 7
  • Wayne County Democrat Apr 6, 1910 p. 3 - obit
  • The Daily Record, Jan 23, 2014.

Gallery

  • Charles Follis Obit
    WCD 6 Apr 1910 p. 3

  • 1900 US Census, Wooster, Ohio

External Links

References

What Links Here

  1. ↑ There are few other possible birthdates such as Jan 26 1878 (Familysearch) and Jan 1879 (Ancestry Library)
  2. ↑ "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953", index with images. FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org): Accessed 6 Jul 2012.
  3. ↑ “Charles Follis.” Accessed December 25, 2021. https://www.woosterathletics.com/w_association/files/follis.html
  4. ↑ The Daily Record, Jan 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia.
  6. ↑ “Charles W. Follis - Ohio History Central.” Accessed December 25, 2021. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Charles_W._Follis
  7. ↑ Wikipedia.
  8. ↑ Black Sports, Nov 1975.
  9. ↑ Essington, Amy. “Charles W. Follis (1879-1910) •,” February 24, 2009. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/follis-charles-w-1879-1910/.
  10. ↑ 1880 U.S. Census. Amsterdam, Botetourt County, Virginia.
  11. ↑ article dated 24 Feb 1995, located in Follis family papers at the Wayne County Public Library, Wooster.
  12. ↑ article dated 24 Feb 1995, located in Follis family papers at the Wayne County Public Library, Wooster.
  13. ↑ Daily Record 15 October 1994, p. 1
  14. ↑ Wikipedia.
  15. ↑ Wikipedia.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.wcpl.info/w/index.php?title=Charles_Follis&oldid=297014"