by Larry Chowning –
Last week, centenarian Norton Hurd of Deltaville recalled a story that reflects the notion of how strong the rivalry was between Urbanna and Deltaville baseball teams.
After a game in Urbanna, the late John Street, who was employed to deliver block ice house-to-house in a wheelbarrow in town, approached Hurd and congratulated him on his performance in a game.
Street, a soft-spoken man, had earlier for the first time attended a game between Urbanna and Deltaville in Deltaville. Hurd said that Mr. Street said that he was surprised Deltaville fans did not bother him because he was rooting for the Urbanna team.
The distance of 17-miles between Urbanna and Deltaville does not seem so far away today, but in John Street’s time, born in the late 19th century and never owning an automobile, a trip to Deltaville by land was quite a barrier. The game of baseball helped lift barriers between the two communities and encouraged a more positive “getting to know one another” understanding between the people of Deltaville and Urbanna.
