Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
RAFFERTY FIELD
RAFFERTY FIELD. Rafferty Field, land reclaimed from RAFFERTY SLOUGH, was located on Locust at the foot of Kerrigan Road and used for baseball and softball games. (1) In 1949 the Dubuque Recreation Commission asked for an informal poll of public opinion before investing in establishing an ice skating rink at the park. Projected plans called for supervised ice stating rinks at COMISKEY PARK in the northern part of the city, Rafferty Park serving the south, and ALLISON-HENDERSON PARK for the hill area. Each supervised rink would be lighted and, if funding allowed, warming houses would be constructed at Allison-Henderson and Rafferty parks. Comiskey already had a building. (2) Improvements in Rafferty Field came in 1948 as work on a sidewalk on the west and south edes at Railroad Avenue and S. Locust began. The Dubuque Safety Council had several times requested the work to protect those who would otherwise have to cross the Locust Street highway and places with no crosswalks or traffic lights. (3) Foul line fences and temporary toilet facilities were approved by the city council in May, 1949. (4)
The Recreation Commission under the leadership of Nicholas SUTTON had eleven priorities including the relocation of the city softball fields from Rafferty Field to the industrial park. (5)
On November 1, 1959 Mayor Charles KINTZINGER on behalf of the city accepted a check for $255,923 from Les Harney, manager of the local SEARS ROEBUCK AND COMPANY, for the field which was purchased from the city for a new department store. (6)
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Source:
1. Hogstrom, Erik, "Parks of the Past," Telegraph Herald, January 20, 1919, p. 1C
2. "Three Ice Skating Rinks Planned by City," Telegraph-Herald, November 4, 1949, p. 9
3. "City Starts Sidewalk for Rafferty Field," Telegraph-Herald, November 29, 1949, p. 14
4. Zimmerman, Hy, "Softball Fee Lowered," Telegraph-Herald, May 19, 1949, p. 16
5. Lagerstrom, Hal, "Sports," Telegraph Herald, April 5, 1970, p. 58
5. "City is Enriched by Quarter of a Million," Telegraph Herald, November 1, 1959, p. 1