Site of First NFL Game, 1920 | |
 | |
| Location | 18th Avenue and 10th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, 61201 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°29′42.3″N 90°35′07.0″W / 41.495083°N 90.585278°W |
| Public transit | Quad Cities MetroLINK |
| Owner | City of Rock Island, Illinois |
| Operator | Rock Island Park and Recreation Department |
| Capacity | 5,000 (1925) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1904 |
| Opened | 1905 |
| Tenants | |
| National Football League Rock Island Independents (1907–1925) Minor League Baseball Rock Island Islanders (1905–1937) | |
Douglas Park is a public park located at 18th Avenue and 10th Street in Rock Island, Illinois.[1] A former National Football League venue, Douglas Park was the site of the first-ever National Football League game on September 26, 1920. The Rock Island neighborhood that is today called Douglas Park dates back to the 1830s,[2] with the athletic park being constructed in 1904 to 1905 and utilized for football beginning in 1907.[3]
The stadium was home to the Rock Island Independents from 1907 until 1925, one of the original franchises of the National Football League (1920–1925). Douglas Park was also used as a minor league baseball stadium for the Rock Island Islanders teams between 1905 and 1937, replacing Twelfth Street Park (also called Rock Island Baseball Park), which had been the Islanders' home from 1898 to 1904.[3] Numerous Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, including NFL legends George Halas, Curly Lambeau and Jim Thorpe, performed at Douglas Park.
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- ^ "Rock Island, IL - Official Website". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- ^ "Douglas Park Neighborhood | Rock Island, IL - Official Website".
- ^ a b "As a Ball Town, Rock Island Argus". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Lib. of Congress. May 16, 1905. p. 7. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29.