Frank Hart (athlete) facts for kids
Hart circa 1880
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Black Dan, The Negro Wonder |
| Born | 1856 |
| Died | 1908 (aged 52) |
| Sport | |
| Country | USA |
| Sport | Pedestrianism, Baseball |
Frank Hart (1856 – 1908) was an amazing American athlete. He was the first African-American to set a world record in a sport called pedestrianism. This was a popular sport in the 1800s where people walked or ran very long distances.
His biggest win was in an 1879 6 Day Race at Madison Square Garden. Hart walked an incredible 565 miles! He won a huge prize of $21,567, which was a lot of money back then. Later in his life, Hart also played on "colored" baseball teams. Even though pedestrianism isn't popular today, Frank Hart was one of the first nationally famous Black athletes in America.
Frank Hart's Early Life and Rise to Fame
Frank Hart was born in 1856 as Fred Hichborn. He moved to Boston from Haiti when he was a teenager. He first worked as a grocery store clerk. Soon, he started joining races to earn extra money.
He chose "Frank Hart" as his stage name for his athletic career. People also called him "The Negro Wonder" or "Black Dan." This last nickname came from his mentor and promoter, Dan O'Leary. Hart competed in at least 63 six-day walking races. He won 16 of these tough competitions between 1879 and 1902. Hart became one of the first Black sports celebrities in America.
Frank Hart was also the first Black athlete to appear on a sports card. This was a trading card or tobacco card from 1880. His card was part of Thomas H. Hall’s Between the Acts & Bravo Cigarettes set. This set featured nine other walkers and two rowers. The cards were first announced in a newspaper called The Tobacco Leaf in September 1879.
Hart's Baseball Career and Later Years
Later in his life, Frank Hart played baseball. He was a shortstop and second baseman for "colored" baseball teams. In 1883, he played for the Boston Vendome Hotel B.B.C. team. From 1883 to 1884, he played for Saratoga Spring's Leonidas B.B.C.
A book called The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues mentions that Hart was recruited for the St. Louis Black Stockings. While we don't have his exact stats for that team, a newspaper reported his play. In May 1884, The Washington Bee wrote that the "colored pedestrian plays shortstop for a colored baseball club known as the St. Louis Black Stockings." Hart eventually signed with Chicago's Illinois Gordon B.B.C. team.
When Hart passed away in 1908, the Cleveland Gazette newspaper wrote about him. They noted that he spent his money freely. He reportedly relied on the kindness of friends in his final years.
See also
