Le mystère d'Eugène Vadboncoeur résolu?

Voici un e-mail de Peter Morris, auteur de A Game of Inches

Hi Alexandre,

Many thanks for providing so much valuable information about Eugene
Vadeboncoeur. I've passed on the information about the 1891 death in
Haverhill to a couple of SABR researchers in Massachusetts for follow-up and
will let you know what they find. I've also passed along the birth
information to SABR Biographical Committee Chairman Bill Carle and assume he
will update the date and place of birth. We did have this birth information
at one time, but there was considerable confusion because the ballplayer
never used the middle name Onesime, going instead by Eugene F. Vadeboncoeur.
But I agree with you that the September 1859 birth is definitely the
ballplayer's. I feel less sure about the spelling of the surname -- did the
family not use the spelling with the first e at the time? Certainly the
documents I've seen always spell the name with two Es. Maybe that is a
typographical error?

People have been researching Vadeboncoeur for a long time but his death has
been elusive. He was last known to be in Denver in 1890. In the 1960s Lee
Allen of the Hall of Fame contacted the ballplayer's nephew, who said that
Gene died of pneumonia at a YMCA while still playing baseball.
Unfortunately, he didn't know the town. Bob Richardson found an article in
the Lawrence (Mass) Tribune on September 6, 1912, on the whereabouts of the
1885 Lawrence team. It stated that Vadeboncoeur had died in Providence
"about nine years ago." This seemed very promising, but I checked
Providence death records from 1880-1920 and there was nothing even close.
But maybe the 1891 death will prove correct.

Here are some more notes that we've gathered:

Port Huron Tribune 3/24/83 Eugene F. Vadeboncoeur signed to complete the
[local] team. Port Huron Times 4/12/83 E. J. Vadeboncoeur, 22, played for
Syracuse in 1881 and 1882 and Grand Rapids in 1882. Port Huron Tribune
8/4/83 After several notes that Vady can't get along with Frank J.
Beck/Hengstebeck, Vady is released and signs with Peoria. Grand Rapids
Eagle 5/10/84 Vadeboncoeur of this city signs with Akron. SL Vol 1 #18 Union
Club of Chicago signs Eugene F Vadeboncoeur. Grand Rapids Eagle 7/16/84
Vadeboncoeur of this city is catching for Philadelphia of the National
League. S Life 8/27/84 Eugene Vadeboncoeur was released by Philadelphia and
signed with York. He plays with York, Pa. in the Eastern League from
8/23/84-9/20/84 and spent that winter in York. SL 11/25/85 Haverhills sign
catcher Vadeboncoeur. 12/30/85 SL E. F. Vadeboncoeur, one of Harry Wright's
experiments in 1884, with the Haverhills. SL 3/10/86 E. F. Vadeboncoeur
with Haverhill. OBR 8/25/86 Vadeboncoeur signs with St. Paul. SL 12 14 87
Eugene Vadeboncoeur wintering in Lawrence, Mass, but not in Lawrence CDs.
Eugene Vadeboncoeur with Easton, Pa 1888, was catcher with Rutland, Vt in
1887. SL 6/13/89 Vadeboncoeur is catching for a Lawrence, Mass semi pro club
(not in Lawrence CDs). Early 1890 Catcher E F Vadeboncoeur is disengaged,
residing in Pascoag, RI. 12 4 89 SL Providence RI The prominent catchers of
the Rhode Island State Lg E Vadeboncoeur.

There was a list of players 2 5 90 SL who would agree to play for the
National Lg in the future (there was this big Players Lg problem) and though
they didn't list the info they filled out a form that included age and ht
and wt: John A Sterling E F Vadyboncoeur A F Donoghue Thomas Bristow.
1890 Syracuse note from Sporting News Eugene Vadeboncoeur, a Syracuse boy
who has been playing in New England for a number of seasons, visited his
parents last month. He is now in Denver. I have a note that Eugene was born
in Louisville, Quebec, which is where the Haverhill guy was born, so they're
probably cousins. Grand Rapids Herald, June 4, 1911: "A catcher named
Vandeboncoeur [sic] and a pitcher and outfielder yclept Blackburn, both from
Otsego, were probably the first of the army of mercenaries which has in the
interval of thirty years accepted Grand Rapids money for diamond feats.
They were given soft jobs in the furniture factory on days when there were
no games, to keep them in training, doubtless."

Eugene's father Onesime Vadeboncoeur (bds 68 Green) first appears in the
Syracuse cd in 1868. In 1870 he's listed as a carpenter living at 96 Green.
The 1870 census shows Onesime, 44 Canada, carpenter; wife Angela 40 Canada;
son Danna 16 Canada; son Ferdinand 14 Canada; son Eugene 10 Canada; son
Edward 8 Canada; son Philip 3 Canada; daughter Delia 1 New York. So
obviously the Vadeboncoeurs moved to Syracuse from Canada around 1868.

The Vadeboncoeurs remain at 96 Green for the next decade with the city
directory showing: 1871/2 Onesime carpenter; 1872/3 Dannie student,
Ferdinand medical student, Onesime carpenter; 1873/4 Dannie student,
Ferdinand medical student, Onesime carpenter; 1874/5 Dannie teacher,
Ferdinand student, Onesime carpenter; 1875 Antoine physician, Dannie
teacher, Onesime carpenter; 1876 A Ferdinand physician, J Dannie instructor,
J Onesine carpenter; 1877/8 A F physician, G O builder, Joseph D tailor;
1878/9 Dan tailor, Eugene Woodcutter, Onesime grinder; 1879/80 A F
physician, Eugene F bookkeeper, Joseph D tailor, Joseph O carpenter; 1880/81
A F physician, Joseph O carpenter. The 1880 census lists John 53 Canada
[this must be Onesime - Joseph Onesime, John Onesime?] carpenter; wife
Angela 52 Canada; son Firdina 23 Canada doctor; son Edward F 18 Canada
clerk; son Philip 12 Canada; daughter Delia 10 NY; son David 7 NY. So Eugene
was living in Syracuse 1868 to 1879. Joseph D was Joseph Daniel, Joseph O
could be Joseph Onesime, though there was Onesime and Joseph O mixed in a
few times.

The 1880 Census indicates that he was born in 1861 in New York and is a 19
year old boarder with the Wesley family in Otsego, Allegan co., MI.

Continuing with the Syracuse cds: 1882/3 Antoine F physician 96 Green,
Edward moulder, Joseph D tailor, Joseph O carpenter; 1883/4 Antoine F
physician, Edward L moulder, Joseph D tailor, Joseph O carpenter, Philip F
tailor; 1884/5 Antoine F, Edward L, Joseph D merchant tailor, Joseph O
carpenter, Napoleon carp 68 Green with Severe carp, Onesime carp 96 Green;
1885/6 A Ferdinand physician, Edward L, Joseph D tailor, Onesime builder 96
Green, Napoleon, Severe, Charles 68 Green; 1886/7 Antoine F, Edward L,
Joseph D, Joseph O, Onesine 96 Green, Napoleon segarmaker, Severe carpenter;
1887/8 Ferdinand A physician, Joseph D, Joseph O 98 Green, Severe 68 Green;
1888/9 Antoine F physician, Edward L, Joseph D, Phillip F; 1892/3 Onesine J
354 Green with David E; 1893/4 Onesine J 354 Green, Antoine F, Joseph O,
David E; 1894/5 Antonio F 354 Green David E salesman, Joseph A real estate,
Joseph D tailor 204 Pattison; 1895/6 Antonio F 354 Green, David E lab,
Joseph O real estate, Joseph D tailor 204 Pattison; 1896/7 Antoine F 354
Green, David E, Joseph O, Joseph D tailor 200 Orange; 1897/8 Antoine F 354
Green, David E, Joseph O, Joseph D tailor 110 N State; 1898/9 Antoine F, 354
Green, David E collector, Joseph O, Joseph D merchant tailor 12 Fry block;
1899/1900 same plus J O real estate.

The 1900 NY census has Antonio F Vadeboncoeur, May 1857 Canada (French),
parents born French Canada, at 354 Green with brother David E Dec 1872 NY
bill Collector, sister-in-law Maude J Nov 1878 NY, nephew Franklin D Mar
1899 NY. Living alone at 100 N State is the ballplayer's brother Joseph
Denis, single, painter, born Jan 1855 French Canada. Both these listings
said the family immigrated in 1870 but we know it was 1869 or 1868. Antoine
and David continue to be listed in the Syracuse directory - at 307 James and
119 Alice respectively - through 1907.

I'll let you know what we find about the 1891 death.

Thanks again,

Peter