Fairground and baseball field in Rockford, Illinois
Agricultural Society Fair Grounds was a fairground on the west side of Rockford, Illinois. It served as the grounds for the Winnebago County Agricultural Society. It was used as a baseball grounds by the Rockford Forest Citys baseball club of the National Association during the 1871 season, so it is considered a major league ballpark by those who consider the NA to have been a major league. The Forest Citys had played their home games at the Fair Grounds beginning in 1866, and continued to call it home for the 1871 season.
The Forest Citys had been a strong team during their amateur / semi-professional years, but before the 1871 season began, their star pitcher Al Spalding had signed with the Boston Red Stockings. The Forest Citys played only 6 home games during the 1871 season, and finished in last place in the new league. The rest of their star players, including Cap Anson and Bob Addy, signed with other teams for 1872, and the Rockford Forest Citys disbanded.
Contemporary and historical accounts describe the park during the 1866-1871 period as woefully inadequate for organized baseball, with trees blocking much of foul ground, and third base being uphill from the rest of the diamond.
By the 1890s the property was called Fair Grounds Park and was an occasional home field for Rockford's minor league clubs. The Winnebago County Fair, after some 50 years at this location, temporarily folded in 1903 and the fairgrounds were sold to the city of Rockford. The fair was revived a few years later, moving into rural land. In modern times the old fairgrounds is neither a fairgrounds nor a ballpark, but Fairgrounds Park (as it is now spelled) still exists, as a part of the Rockford Park District.
The original boundaries of the fairgrounds, as shown on contemporary maps, were Oak (now Acorn) Street (north); Pecatonica Street and Cherry Street (northeast); buildings and Horsman Street (east); Mulberry Street (south); and Kent Creek and railroad tracks (west).
The current footprint of the park is somewhat smaller than it originally was, with the boundaries being the Harkins Aquatic Center and Acorn Street (north); Kilburn Avenue, buildings and Horsman Street (east); West Jefferson Street aka Business US-20 (south); and Mulberry Street, Kent Creek and railroad tracks (west). The street address now 900 West Jefferson.
and 26 Related for: Agricultural Society Fair Grounds information
AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds was a fairground on the west side of Rockford, Illinois. It served as the grounds for the Winnebago County Agricultural...
clubs to pay players. Rockford played their home games at the AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds, most of which still exists as Fairgrounds Park. Rockford...
and State Fair Police provides safety and security services to the Exposition. The California legislature created the State AgriculturalSociety to promote...
fair of the State AgriculturalSociety". Sacramento Daily Union. September 13, 1859. Retrieved 14 June 2023. "City Intelligence: Selection of Grounds"...
Minnesota State Fair is a state government-related entity that is operated by the Minnesota State AgriculturalSociety. The management of the fair is handled...
Midwest League. The 1871 Rockford Forest Citys played at the AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds.The ballpark had no outfield fences, only trees that surrounded...
games, which was most likely due to Rockford's home park, the AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds, being unlevel.[citation needed] Baseball Reference v t e...
Colonization Road. Behind the racetrack is the Rainy River Valley AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds. The track is located 30 km west of Fort Frances, and 52 km...
a plot for a tent to stay on the Fairgrounds during the week. The Fairgrounds are not used exclusively for the Fair and are maintained for spring, fall...
fair Royalty Show, which consist of the Little Sir, Little Miss, Junior Ambassador and Ambassador competitions. The Spencerville AgriculturalSociety...
18, 1873, when the Reno County AgriculturalSociety was created. On September 23–24, 1873, the society hosted a fair which was held in a small wooden...
Park is policed by the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department. In 1891, the Wisconsin AgriculturalSociety purchased almost 100 acres (40 ha) of farmland...
and oldest state fairs in the United States. The North Carolina State AgriculturalSociety organized the first North Carolina State Fair in 1853 at a 16...
hosted by the Scarborough AgriculturalSociety, founded on January 1, 1844. The first fair was held on October 18, 1844 on the grounds of Joshua Sisley's Hotel...
the State Agricultural and Mechanical Society of South Carolina was created to sponsor a state fair. Held on the pre-war state fairgrounds on Elmwood...
other county groups and became the Oregon State AgriculturalSociety, who held the first official fair in 1861 in the Gladstone/Oregon City area. It was...
Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society organized the first Fair and continued to organize and sponsor the Fairs until 1907. The first fair, then...
The Harrow Fair is an agricultural festival that takes place in Harrow, Ontario. The fair is held annually spanning over four days on Labour Day weekend...
hosted by the Fenelon Falls AgriculturalSociety. The Fenelon Falls AgriculturalSociety also hosts other events at the fairgrounds annually over the summer...
State Fair was held in 1851 in Janesville, with approximately 13,000 to 18,000 people in attendance. Sponsored by the state's AgriculturalSociety, it was...
League National Association of Professional Base Ball Players Ballpark AgriculturalSocietyFairGrounds City Rockford, Illinois Managers Scott Hastings...
The former Deerfield Valley AgriculturalSociety Fairgrounds or Charlemont Fairgrounds, now known as Memorial Park, is a public park in Charlemont, Massachusetts...
Pioneers' Society was given permission by the FairSociety to erect a log cabin on the grounds. Originally the grounds were the first Saanich Fair, which...
Delaware State Fair was moved to Fairview Park FairGrounds in Dover and held September 24–27. The opening speaker of the 1878 Delaware State Fair was Daniel...