Douglas Park (Rock Island)

Douglas Park
Site of First NFL Game, 1920
Map
Location18th Avenue and 10th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, 61201
Coordinates41°29′42.3″N 90°35′07.0″W / 41.495083°N 90.585278°W / 41.495083; -90.585278
Public transitQuad Cities MetroLINK
OwnerCity of Rock Island, Illinois
OperatorRock Island Park and Recreation Department
Capacity5,000 (1925)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1904
Opened1905
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.

Rock Island Independents team photo, 1919. The Independents were a charter member of the NFL in 1920. The Independents hosted the first-ever NFL game at Douglas Park on September 26, 1920.
  1. ^ "Rock Island, IL - Official Website". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  2. ^ "Douglas Park Neighborhood | Rock Island, IL - Official Website".
  3. ^ 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.