With the collapse of the South Dakota league in 1923, the thought of a Tri-State league was resurrected. The hope was to attract enough franchises from larger cities to acquire class "C" status. Lincoln returned to the class "A" Western League in 1924 and Fairbury was dropped. Sioux City, which lost their Western League franchise to Lincoln and Sioux Falls of the defunct South Dakota League joined the four holdovers from the Nebraska State League to form the Tri-State League.

The opening games were played in cold and wet weather. It was so cold in Beatrice that Judge Fred Messmore served formal and legal papers to Fred Wertz, one of the directors of the Beatrice club, that required the team to provide cobs for the grandstand heaters or he, the judge, would withdraw his support until the weather was warmer.

By early July, the Sioux City franchise was in deep financial trouble. Sioux City had financial problems in the Western League the two years before which resulted in Lincoln acquiring their class "A" Western League franchise. George Seagrist, who had been with the Fairbury clan in 1922 had tried to make a go of it in Sioux City but threw in the towel in early July. He disbanded the club and released all of his players. Many of them were owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and it was up to the parent club to find homes for the baseball orphans.

A last ditch effort to place a franchise in Aberdeen was unsuccessful and the league folded with Beatrice and Sioux Falls in a tie for first place.

Many of the better players were quickly acquired by other clubs. Pid Purdy and Anderson from Beatrice went to Lincoln and Robert Beall went to Wichita.

Pid Purdy Photo Postcard

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