General Discussion Forgotten Chicago Forum
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abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
crowamonghens
(---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: January 28, 2010 06:32PM
while googling around, i noticed what appeared to be an abandoned, overgrown park with two faint baseball diamonds, at around 72nd and Kostner. the diamonds are barely visible in the current sattelite imagery. it is right in the middle of the industrial area behind Ford City, by Solo Cup. streetview shows a small wooden structure, possibly a fieldhouse, that appears to date back to the 50's. it doesn't show up as a park on a current street map, but my suspicions were confirmed by looking at historicaerials.com. as you go further back, the baseball diamonds become clearer, and then disappear altogether before the 1972 aerials. does anyone know anything about this park? was it built just for employees of Solo Cup or the old Dodge engine plant?
somehow it always fascinates me when i look at satellite imagery and find these overgrown baseball diamonds in disused, out-of-the-way urban areas.
edit: i originally mentioned a "park 33" showing up on a 1938 map, but i realize now that was further south along 79th st, what is now Rainey Park. disregard that.
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2010 08:28PM by crowamonghens.
somehow it always fascinates me when i look at satellite imagery and find these overgrown baseball diamonds in disused, out-of-the-way urban areas.
edit: i originally mentioned a "park 33" showing up on a 1938 map, but i realize now that was further south along 79th st, what is now Rainey Park. disregard that.
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2010 08:28PM by crowamonghens.
Re: abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
bwalsh
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 29, 2010 12:54AM
That's where the Ford City little league played their games. Although I thought that they used those fields more recently than 1972 - up until the 80s at least - could be wrong on that though. But yes, all the neighborhood little leagues played back there until Daley College kicked them out eventually. I suppose when they started to expand the school beyond the original expandables that were used they needed the land.
Re: abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
crowamonghens
(---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: January 29, 2010 01:25AM
thanks, bwalsh! yeah, the point at which the ballfields look the newest and most "in-use" are on the 80's historicaerials. before '72 it's just empty land.
Re: abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
jak378
(---.dyn.embarqhsd.net)
Date: May 23, 2011 07:10PM
Those are the Ford City Little League fields. I coached a rival league team there 2 or 3 years in a row in 89 and 90, in District playoffs.
Re: abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
wow1029
(---.hsd1.tn.comcast.net)
Date: July 28, 2011 07:38PM
Ford City Little League played @ 76th Pulaski/Ford City.Dr(Daley college) as did Bogan Youth Baseball Association.Ford City got kicked out of Daley College & merged with Scottsdale Little League which started where Goldblatt's was then moved behind 83rd Cicero in Burbank.Scottsdale Durkin played @ Durkin Park with Crestline Little League briefly which had been kicked out of Rainey Park.Bogan Baseball went out in the early/mid 80's.Solo Cup donated extra land & the Scottsdale Ford City(SFC) league was born before going out due to changes in the racial makeup of the area & Solo Cup moving was a factor.That building was part storage & part concession stand.
Re: abandoned park behind ford city
Posted by:
gmiller1984
(208.35.40.---)
Date: August 04, 2011 07:22PM
Does anyone know who currently owns the park. I have been intrested in buying it, and fixing it up to start another little league. May an adult league as well because I noticed that there are two fields there. If anyone knows anything please let me know.
