Soon after the first professional baseball league in the United States was organized in 1871, Evansville could boast of its own minor league team, which was a member of the Northwestern League. The ball park pictured here, built in 1895, served local teams for two decades. Located on Louisiana Street between Baker Avenue and Read Street, it was adjacent to the Evansville Union Stockyards. Although bleachers and a grandstand provided seating, fans could often be seen watching from the roof of the stockyard’s hotel. The last professional game was played at the park on June 16, 1915; on the following day, the more spacious and modern Bosse Field was dedicated before a large, enthusiastic crowd.
