Superior Municipal Stadium (destroyed by fire) – Superior WI

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Superior Municipal Stadium, costing a total of $78,000. Construction started in 1937 and finished in 1938. Modeled after Yankee Stadium in New York City, the stadium housed the Superior Blues. As the first of its kind in the Twin Ports area, community members flocked to the stadium in droves to enjoy the national pastime of baseball.

Superior mayor, Bryn Ostby, and a larger committee organized a dedication ceremony for the stadium on Wednesday, July 27th, 1938. Then-Senator F. Ryan Duffy delivered an address, and celebrations included a parade with local musical organizations. On August 15th, the first official game at the Superior Municipal Stadium attracted over 7,000 people, setting a city and league attendance record. The stadium’s creation brought onlookers to Superior and instilled pride in a struggling community.

Just 23 years after its completion, a fire marked the end of the Superior Municipal Stadium. On Wednesday, October 11th, 1961, children playing with matches near the stadium started a fire. There were no plans to rebuild the stadium, as Superior State College, now the University of Wisconsin-Superior, had acquired the land. This marked the end of baseball in Superior, as the team moved to play in the WPA-constructed Wade Stadium in West Duluth.