FOURTH STREET BASEBALL FIELD

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FOURTH STREET BASEBALL FIELD. In 1930 night baseball came to Dubuque. (1) The Fourth Street Baseball Field, the first municipally-owned field in the United States, was said to have the best lighting system, paid for by Fred LEISER of its day and five years before lighted baseball came to the major leagues. The improved lighting, however, did not improve attendance. At the end of the 1931 season, organized baseball left Dubuque.

On October 30, 1958 the city council and the Recreation Commission approved a $9,600 combined restroom and shower room would be constructed out of the $12,500 baseball appropriation given to the Recreation Commission for 1958-1959. Based on the decision, Dubuque Baseball Inc. proceeded with getting another baseball team. The Chicago White Sox ended its working relationship with the Dubuque Packers in September due to inadequate facilities at the park. Also proposed for future action were: (2)

            1. Calling a city election in the summer of 1959 
               on the question of building a new baseball field    
               through a special bond issue or

            2. A council appropriation of $17,563 for re-aligning 
               the field, extending fences and re-grading the playing 
               surface, if the bond issued failed to be approved.

The proposal originally submitted by Dubuque Baseball for new stands and field realignment was scrapped at the meeting when Ken Cullen, the city engineer, reported that the suggested improvements would cost $147,428 instead of the $65,00 estimated by Dubuque Baseball. If a new ball park in a new location was approved by voters, the new facilities would not be wasted since the Fourth Street Ball Park would become a playground for youth. (3)

In 1960 Dubuque Baseball Inc. was given the field for the token receipt of one dollar. The ball club assumed full maintenance responsibilities on the 63 days games were scheduled. The Dubuque Recreation Commission had previously charged the club $2,500 annually. Recreation Direction Nicholas SUTTON explained that the fee was usually wiped out by maintenance costs paid by the city. A spokesperson for the club said that members of the painters' union were planning to immediately paint the buildings with paint supplied by the city. (4)

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Source:

1. "Dubuque Will Keep Franchise," Telegraph-Herald, July 22, 1910, p. 78

2. "Ball Park Improvements Approved," Telegraph-Herald, October 31, 1958, p. 1

2. "Baseball Club Gets Park for Token Rental," Telegraph Herald, April 12, 1960, p. 1

See: BASEBALL