Senator Hassan Visits Black Heritage Trail Marker at Holman Stadium in Nashua

NASHUA – In advance of Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and local leaders visited the Black Heritage Trail marker at Holman Stadium in Nashua to recognize the Nashua Dodgers' role in the history of racial integration in sports.

JerriAnne Boggis, Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, led a discussion of the history of the stadium, the Nashua Dodgers, and the significance of the trail marker. Senator Hassan along with leaders of the Nashua NAACP and Black Heritage Trail then toured the historic Holman Stadium. The tour was led by Jon Creedon Jr., President and Owner of the Nashua Silver Knights, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays at the stadium.

“In 1946, the Nashua Dodgers made history when Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe joined the Nashua Dodgers, becoming the first integrated professional baseball team in the United States,” said Senator Hassan. “It was great to hear more about the history of the Nashua Dodgers and tour where they played at Holman Stadium. I am grateful for the work that Granite Staters are doing to highlight New Hampshire’s Black history.”

“The story of Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella breaking the color barriers in baseball, reveals not just their remarkable talent but also the profound courage it took to challenge racism,” said JerriAnne Boggis. “Their story is also about Nashua, NH, a small, predominantly white town that rallied behind them in support. This is not just Black history, it is American history. Telling our interwoven stories is crucial to reconciling our troubled past. And what an honor it was to share this story with Senator Hassan just days before Juneteenth, a holiday that highlights our complex history and the challenges we continue to face today.”

"The story of Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella's groundbreaking achievement playing for the Nashua Dodgers at Holman Stadium is bigger than baseball and one that cannot be told enough,” said John Creedon. “As stewards of the national pastime at Historic Holman Stadium, the Silver Knights ballclub is humbled and privileged to honor these two icons' legacy today and everyday. At the start of each Silver Knights' season, we recount to our players and staff the story of Newcombe and Campanella and instill in them that Holman Stadium is truly hallowed grounds. Our players and staff come to appreciate that they are standing on the shoulders of historic giants each time they take the field and we host a ballgame. Thanks to Newcombe and Campanella's courage and grace in 1946, Holman Stadium is an historic gem that should be preserved and celebrated for generations to come."

The Nashua Dodgers, a minor league baseball team that played at Holman Stadium, were the first racially integrated baseball team in the United States. The team was racially integrated in 1946, a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the major leagues by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Holman Stadium was added as a stop on the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire last year to celebrate the team’s historic integration. Senator Hassan recognized JerriAnne Boggis as Granite Stater of the Month in February 2020 for her work bringing New Hampshire’s too often forgotten Black history to light.

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