Dwight, IL

Dwight is in central Illinois, 20 miles west of Kankakee, IL.

While Dwight has never fielded a minor league team, between the 1890s and 1910s it was host to a strong semi-pro team, the "Dwight R&S", later renamed the "Frank L. Smiths". In both cases, they were named for their main sponsor, local bigwig Frank L. Smith, a politician who served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate and for Governor of Illinois. The team played exhibition games against all three Chicago-based major league clubs during the period, and against top Negro League teams as well, all to provide publicity to boost its sponsor's political aspirations.

Educational institutions located here

• Dwight Township High School

Further Reading

• Bill Pearch: "Boodle and Barnstorming: When Politics and the National Pastime Convened in Dwight, Illinois", The National Pastime, SABR, 51, 2023, pp. 22-26.