The 14th annual Fourth of July Pageant by the Babylon Village Youth Project members will take place Wednesday, July 4, noon on the Conklin House Green, Deer Park Avenue at the railroad overpass.

This year’s production is entitled the Golden Age of Babylon. The pageant is about the days when Babylon was today’s Easthampton for thousands of sweltering New York City dwellers who came out on the newly-completed Long Island Rail Road.

One of the highlights of the pageant is the little-known story of the first black professional baseball team in America, which began in the old Argyle Hotel in Babylon Village.

The baseball team was founded by the head waiter of the Argyle’s dining room. Other members of the team were drawn from the staff of the hotel. In 1887 and again in 1888, the "Cuban Giants," as they were then known, won the title of Eastern Champions.

In 1888, the Indianapolis Freeman sports page reported that "The Cuban Giants...have defeated New York four games out of five and are now virtually the Champions of the World." It must be noted that St. Louis and Chicago refused to play the team, whether because of prejudice or fear of being trounced.

The Argyle Hotel, birthplace of the team, was one of over a dozen hotels in the village area, all brought about by the arrival of the Long Island Railroad in 1867. Now, with easy access, Babylon became the vacation paradise for sweltering New Yorkers.

During its short life, the Argyle was the showplace of Long Island. Unfortunately, it was built at the end of the hotel era and proved a disaster for its investors, including the Duke of Argyle for whom it was named. Depending on which local history you read, either the Duke or his son was once a visitor to Babylon, which must have been the social event of the decade.

Again, the annual July Fourth Pageant takes place, appropriately, on Wednesday Fourth, on the Conklin House Green. The pageant is at noon so it can be fit into other July 4 activities. It has become a popular event for visiting grandchildren. The Committee notes that refreshments will be served and admission is free.