Company

Boston American League Base Ball Club.   This team, of course, became know as the Boston Red Sox in 1908. The corporation was founded in 1901 when the team joined the new American League. From then till 1911, they played home games at the famed Huntington Avenue Grounds. The venue hosted the first AL-NL World Series in 1903 and first modern era perfect game in 1904 (By Cy Young).

An interesting note, there seems to be some debate to weather the team had a nick name or not. It's generally accepted that they where called the "American's" before 1901 and then changed there name to the "Pilgrims" after joining the new league. However, Baseball Almanac has changed their own references to the Pilgrims based on this article.

In either case, the team was bought by Boston Globe owner General Charles Henry Taylor, a Civil War veteran, for his son John I. Taylor in 1904.

When difficulties occurred with leasing the Huntington Ave Grounds, Taylor decided to build a new stadium and plans where drawn up. Reclaimed land (smelly and otherwise undeveloped) was purchased for $300,000 from the "Fenway Realty Company", a company of which the General was a major shareholder. And construction began on Fenway park. The city added trolly service thus enhancing the value of all the surrounding land (most still held by the Reality Company). This was a sweet deal all around for the Taylor's.

By 1911, with Fenway due to open the following year, John Taylor decided he would rather be a landlord than President of the Red Sox. He sold half his interest in the team for $150,000 to James McAleer (manager of the Washington Senators) and Robert McRoy (Secretary for league president Ban Johnson). Taylor stayed on as vice president but effectively control had passed to McAleer and Johnson.

Certificate(s)

Stock. Issued in 1901. #30. This certificate represents shares that passed from Taylor to McAleer and Ban Johnson (through his Secretary, Robert McRoy) as described above.

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