WILMINGTON — The Clinton County History Center has added a show-stopping new text to their gift shop selections in time for Father’s Day — the new book “Charlie Murphy: The Iconoclastic Showman behind the Chicago Cubs.”
Readers will get to know the real Charles Webb Murphy — builder and namesake of the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington.
Author Jason Cannon “recounts Murphy’s rise from the son of Irish immigrants to sports reporter to Cubs president, charting his legacy as one of the most important but overlooked figures in the National League’s long history. Cannon explores how Murphy’s difficult teenage years shaped his love for baseball; his relationship with the Tafts, one of America’s early twentieth‐century dynastic families; his successful and tumultuous years as a National League executive; his last years as an owner before the National League Board of Directors ousted him in 1914; and, finally, Murphy’s attempt to rewrite his legacy through the construction of the Murphy Theatre in his hometown of Wilmington, Ohio.”
The hardcover book will be released online June 1, but you can get your physical copy early at the History Center’s Gift Shop for $36.95. Shop hours are Wednesday-Friday 9-11 a.m. or 1-4 p.m.; and Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
When purchasing locally from the Center, you will also be supporting their mission of Clinton County history and genealogy. All active members enjoy 10 percent off items, including Cannon’s new book.
The Center can also ship copies to those outside the community. Please call 937-382-4684 with questions.
