Empire of St. Louis

The 1867 Empire club, the championship belt given to them in 1865 is proudly displayed by two members in the front row

The Empire of St. Louis (also known as the St. Louis Empire) was a team that competed in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), beginning in 1860. They were one of the most dominant clubs in the city of St. Louis, MO in their time and on July 4, 1865 they defeated the Empire of Freeport by a score of 27-20, in what the New York Clipper called the "Championship of the West." The team received a champion belt as a gift from some local fans for this.

The St. Louis Red Stockings, who competed in the later National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1875 were founded in 1873 in part to challenge the Empire.

One of the Empire's key members was first baseman Adam Wirth, who later served as an umpire in the National Association in 1875, and was still appearing in box scores as a player until at least 1876.