Charlie Culver

Born November 17, 1892 in Buffalo, N.Y., Culver was an African-American who grew up in New York City. While barnstorming in Canada, he established himself in Montreal, playing for local semi-pro teams. When the Eastern Canada League was founded as a Class B league in 1922, he was recruited by the Montreal team and became one of the top players in local leagues for the rest of the decade. Culver also played for Chappie Johnson’s barnstorming African American team from 1930 to 1935, a team which was based in Quebec before moving to upstate New York. He returned to Quebec in 1936 to manage the Provincial League’s Black Panthers. He remained in Montreal as a player-manager for various local teams, pitching well into his fifties. He later became a respected manager in the strong Montreal Royal Junior League, where he helped Ray Daviault to a major league career. He passed away on January 4, 1970 in Montreal, Que.