During a time of segregated activities, logging contractor Elmer Simmons organized the Jasper Steers, an African American baseball team. In the 1940s, he bought bleachers, lighting, dressing rooms, and concession stands from a defunct Louisiana baseball team, had them shipped and reassembled as Steer Stadium east of Jasper, and hired African American players for his barnstorming team. The Steers traveled around the country, showcasing the players' talent, and the players claimed they were capable of playing any professional team. They were one of many independent black semi-professional baseball teams in the United States at the time, and local white baseball teams sometimes played practice games against them. In 1954-55, Steer Stadium also hosted home games for the Jasper High School Bulldogs, the town's baseball team for white students, who had no home field of their own. Simmons offered a spot on the Steers roster to one of the high school pitchers, who spent a year traveling around the United States and Canada with the now-integrated team. The Steers played their last game in 1961. By then, the color barrier had been broken in professional baseball, creating more opportunities for African American players to enter professional leagues. Many who made the roster later served their communities as teachers, authors, ministers, school administrators, coaches, businessmen, leaders, and even major league baseball players. The team gave players a way to showcase their talents, while its games provided community entertainment and created role models for African American youth.