• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

West Haven Voice

West Haven’s only independent news source - By and For West Haven

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Archive
  • Advertise With Us!
  • Classified
  • Announcements
  • Contact Us
  • Web Exclusive
    • Kids Activity Pages

Historian’s corner

June 20, 2018 By whvoice

With World War II raging on two fronts, youngsters still got to play the American game in the West Haven Twilight League. This is a squad from the 1942 season.

The Twilight League

See part two here.
See part three here.

 With thanks to Harry Noyes III and the late Vin DiLauro

In 1959, The Boy lived on Kelsey Avenue; on summer nights, he was allowed to ride his bicycle up to Painter Park each night after dinner, “just as long as you’re home before dark.”  This newfound freedom was exhilarating for the seven year-old, and unthinkable for any parent or child of today’s era.

Once he arrived at the park, The Boy would stop and watch part of the baseball games that seemed to be taking place every night.  To The Boy’s inexperienced eyes, it was clear that this “Twilight League” was a far cry from Little League games that he had seen—these were men, not boys—and for sure they knew exactly what they were doing.

But where did the Twilight League come from and what are they doing today?

It is remarkable in our current age of social networking that somehow the West Haven Twilight League went from concept to reality in just a matter of days.  On May 13, 1933, a group of sportsmen sat on a bench on West Haven Green; they were the Metcalfe brothers Herb, Bob and Ted, Johnny King, Ed Canavanm, Hugh O’Neil and Eddie “Shrimp” Flynn.  A few days later, sports fans met at the West Haven Armory to elect the first slate of officers, and on May 18, 400 fans left West Haven’s old Town Hall and made their way to Painter Park, where they greeted the ball players.  On that day, Flynn’s Collegians faced the North Ends in the league’s first game.  As they played, someone passed the hat; nickels, dimes and even pennies were dropped in, and the League was off and running.

The Twilight League continued to enjoy the enthusiasm of the players and the community all the way into the 1940s, when they suspended play during World War II.  When peacetime returned, so did the Twilight League, for the younger players and fans, as well as returning WWII veterans.

It should be noted that in 1959 the Painter Park ballfield on which they played was named Noyes Field in honor of the man who conceived it, saw it through, and spent his evenings picking stones from the field to make it more worthy of the games and the players who would play there:  that man was Harry Noyes Sr.

 Today, his grandson Harry Noyes III recalls fondly the evenings during the 1930s that grandfather and grandson spent, out there in a town truck, tending the ballfield.

To be continued-

 

Filed Under: 062118, Historian's Corner Tagged With: Twilight League

Primary Sidebar

Seach our site

Follow us on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Historian's Corner ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Historian’s Corner

westhavenvoice.com

Historian’s Corner June 18, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment The Barnacle Restaurant as its stood prior to its closing in 1954, becoming a private home. A menu from the restaurant. By Dan Shine Voice...
2 days ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Editorial ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Editorial

westhavenvoice.com

Editorial June 18, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Congratulations, Grads! Congratulations Class of 2025! For those of you who are ending your collegiate careers, we hope you find a life’s work that...
3 days ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Letters ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Letters

westhavenvoice.com

Letters June 18, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Pride — One woman’s reflection As a proud 75-year-old LGBTQ+ woman in a loving relationship of 42 years — and legally married since 2008, when Co...
3 days ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Dear Felicia ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Dear Felicia

westhavenvoice.com

Dear Felicia June 18, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment It’s the middle o’ the month of June, and with it, the kiddies are outta school for the next 8-10 weeks. It’s a lesson in how fast life can ...
3 days ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

 

 

West Haven’s Calendar

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

tockify.com

Fri 23 Jun, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM [EDT]: Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT Old Grove Park Public · Anyone on or off Facebook West Haven summer concerts are back! Join us in West Haven thi...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Mark Your West Haven Calendar

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/442/1686776400000

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum

tockify.com

Wed 14 Jun, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM [EDT]: Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT West Haven Veterans ...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Added for June 10th & 11th

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/443/1686405600000

West Haven Historical Society Open House
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

West Haven Historical Society Open House

tockify.com

Sat 10 Jun, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM [EDT]:
View Comments
  • likes Like 2
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

Footer

Address

West Haven Voice
840 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT

 

Contact us

Call (203) 934-6397

Contact form

SITE NAVIGATION

HOME
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
ADVERTISE!
CLASSIFIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONTACT US
WEB EXCLUSIVE

FIND US IN PRINT

Our print edition is available each Thursday. Here is a list of locations!

Letters Policy

Information on submitting letters to us.

Our submission deadlines.

Copyright © 2025 West Haven Voice, LLC