The Founding Era (1870-1892)
From the ashes of the Great Fire to the first National League champions.
The Chicago Cubs began as the Chicago White Stockings, a charter member of the National League in 1876, and are the only franchise to play continuously in the same city since the league's formation. The Atlanta Braves franchise traces back to 1871 as a professional team, making them the earliest formed continuously professional club in North America; the Cubs' 1870 founding was as an amateur/proto-professional club.
Quick Facts
- First pennant
- 1876
- Key figure early
- Cap Anson
- Status
- Historical Foundation
Lore & Background
The team was originally known as the Chicago White Stockings, a name given by sportswriters after their white uniforms. They won the National League's first championship in 1876. Under Cap Anson, they won pennants in 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, and 1886. The club was also called the White Stockings, Colts, and Orphans by the press before officially becoming the Cubs in 1903.
Reader's Guide
The franchise's early history includes playing at Union Base-Ball Grounds, which was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After a hiatus, the team revived in 1874 and moved to the 23rd Street Grounds. Key figures include William Hulbert, who founded the National League, and players like Albert Spalding and Cap Anson.
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