Vaughn Street Park
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Vaughn Street Park was a
The site, in the Slabtown area, is presently an industrial property with no traces of the stadium except for a plaque.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5a/Vaughn_Street_Park_Portland_OR_1908_Sanborn_map.jpg/220px-Vaughn_Street_Park_Portland_OR_1908_Sanborn_map.jpg)
Built 123 years ago in 1901, it was financed by E. I. Fuller and C. F. Swigert, two owners of
The two financiers hoped to profit from professional baseball, both at the box office and via fares from their trolley lines. In 1896, Portland's former professional baseball team had folded; a new team, the Portland Webfoots, debuted in 1901. This team would go on to win the Pacific Northwest League title that year. The following year, the league merged with the California League to become the Pacific Coast League; the Webfooters, after several name changes, settled on naming the team the Portland Beavers.
Initially, the stadium had a single 3,000-seat grandstand behind home plate; seating was expanded to 6,000 seats in 1905. That year, Portland hosted the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, and the stadium was used for the National Track and Field championships, held concurrently. During that event, baseball was temporarily played on the grounds of the Portland Athletic Club (later the Multnomah Athletic Club), on a field that is now the site of Providence Park. With the construction of additional seating in 1912, Vaughn Street Park's capacity grew to 12,000 spectators.
1920s–30s
In 1926, the stadium received its first serious local competition when the larger and more modern
Vaughn Street Park occasionally hosted other events besides baseball; several prizefights were held there.[2]
Among the notable players to play at Vaughn Street, either for the home team or for the visitors, are Satchel Paige, Joe Tinker, Jim Thorpe, and Ted Williams.
1940s–50s
The stadium also became, however briefly, the home of the
In 1947, the center field bleachers burned in an early-morning fire on September 21, blamed on a smoldering cigarette;[4][5] the stadium had recently been condemned by fire inspectors.[6][7] The center field bleachers were rebuilt, smaller than their predecessors and disconnected from the left field bleachers.
In 1955, the stadium was bought by new owners, who later announced that they would tear it down; the Beavers moved to
Dimensions
The dimensions were hitter-friendly:[1]
- Left field – 331 feet (101 m), wall 20 feet (6 m) high
- Center field – 368 feet (112 m), wall 20 feet (6 m) high
- Right field – 315 feet (96 m), wall 30 feet (9 m) high
References
Specific references:
- ^ a b "A History of Baseball in Oregon". Oregon Stadium Campaign. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- boxrec.com. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ BookRags. February 10, 2005. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ "Fire destroys Portland seats". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. September 22, 1947. p. 9.
- ^ "Baseball stands razed by blaze". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. September 22, 1947. p. 15.
- ^ "Beaver stands damaged by fire". Bend Bulletin. Oregon. United Press. September 22, 1947. p. 3.
- ^ "Portland officials may close Vaughn St. after Sunday's fire". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. September 23, 1947. p. 14.
- ^ "Beavers to use stadium in 1956". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 4, 1955. p. 3B.
General references:
- Portland Baseball from PDXHistory.com
- Vaughn Street Park – Pacific Coast League from the Portland State History Department, including a 1955 aerial photo (Oregon Historical Society OrHi 5908)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Oregon Encyclopedia – Vaughn Street Park
- Sanborn map showing ballpark, 1908
- Sanborn map showing ballpark, 1950