This Day in Henrico History: October 21 – Pioneering baseball figure Henry Boschen dies in Glen Allen
On Oct. 21, 1898, Henry Boschen, a figure in Richmond's early professional baseball history, died at his residence in Glen Allen.
Boschen was associated with baseball during an era when the sport was rapidly developing into a professional enterprise. Richmond had briefly hosted a major-league baseball team, the Richmond Virginians, in 1884 and 1885.
The Virginians competed in the American Association, then considered a major league. The club's time at the highest level of professional baseball lasted only about five months. Despite success on the field, attendance declined, financial difficulties mounted, and the team folded in September 1885.
The history of the Virginians offers a glimpse into Richmond's early enthusiasm for organized baseball and the challenges of sustaining professional teams during the sport's formative years.
Boschen died in Glen Allen 13 years after the Virginians ceased operations. He was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
