Wade Stadium
Encyclopedia
Wade Stadium is a baseball
field located near the intersection of Grand Avenue and 34th Avenue West in the West Duluth
neighborhood of Duluth, Minnesota
. The stadium was built in 1941 and holds 4,200 people. It is the home of the Duluth Huskies
of the Northwoods League
. "The Wade," as it is sometimes called by fans, was also the home of the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the reincarnated Northern League from 1993 until 2002, and the home of Dukes of the original Northern League from 1941 until 1970. One of a dying breed of Works Progress Administration
(WPA) constructed stadiums, "The Wade" is noted for its short distances (especially from home plate to center field), its high fences, and the cool, damp weather generated by nearby Lake Superior
.
, the U.S. federal government
used the WPA to fund projects to boost employment. One of these projects was the removal of the brick roadbed from Grand Avenue, which was then paved with asphalt. During the fall of 1940, road crews removed 381,000 bricks from the surface of Grand Avenue. Another WPA crew used these bricks to build Wade Stadium.
The decision to build Wade Stadium originated with a 1938 study commissioned by Walter Chantigney, chairman of Duluth's Citywide All-Sports committee. The study found that the Duluth Duke's existing stadium, Athletic Park
, was obsolete. According to the study: Chantigney gathered more than 7,500 signatures to place a construction bond measure on the November, 1938, ballot. After voters approved the bond measure, money was gathered over the next two years from bond sales, the state of Minnesota, and the WPA. The site selected for the new stadium was located directly across Grand Avenue from Athletic Park.
A construction budget totaling $163,232 was set. But, due to cost overruns, the final cost of the stadium was $230,880. During construction, the project received several bailouts. One bailout came from Duluth's newly elected mayor, Edward H. Hatch, who purchased the materials needed to finish construction.
Blues. When the Blues folded in 1955, the Dukes (known as the White Sox during the 1956-59 seasons) became the Duluth-Superior Dukes. The original Dukes played in Wade Stadium from 1941 through the 1970 season. The only break came during the 1943-45 seasons when the Northern League
suspended play due to World War II
.
When television
began carrying Major League Baseball
games in the 1950s, minor league baseball
suffered from a drop in advertising
revenue. Many of the smaller minor leagues around the country folded. The Northern League became one of these casualties when it was announced prior to the 1971 season that it was ceasing operations. After the original Northern League disbanded, the stadium was rarely used over the next twelve years. It was being threatened with demolition when the newly created Northern League awarded Duluth a franchise in 1993. The Stadium has had a tenant every year since. When the Dukes moved out of the Stadium in 2002, the void was filled almost immediately by the Huskies.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field located near the intersection of Grand Avenue and 34th Avenue West in the West Duluth
West Duluth
West Duluth refers to an official neighborhood district in the west-central part of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35 are four of the main arterial routes in the community.-Neighborhoods:...
neighborhood of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. The stadium was built in 1941 and holds 4,200 people. It is the home of the Duluth Huskies
Duluth Huskies
The Duluth Huskies are an amateur baseball team playing in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. They have been operating in Duluth, Minnesota since 2003. The Huskies play home games at Wade Stadium in Duluth, which was built in 1941. The team plays 70 games throughout the...
of the Northwoods League
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate...
. "The Wade," as it is sometimes called by fans, was also the home of the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the reincarnated Northern League from 1993 until 2002, and the home of Dukes of the original Northern League from 1941 until 1970. One of a dying breed of Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) constructed stadiums, "The Wade" is noted for its short distances (especially from home plate to center field), its high fences, and the cool, damp weather generated by nearby Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
.
History
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the U.S. federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
used the WPA to fund projects to boost employment. One of these projects was the removal of the brick roadbed from Grand Avenue, which was then paved with asphalt. During the fall of 1940, road crews removed 381,000 bricks from the surface of Grand Avenue. Another WPA crew used these bricks to build Wade Stadium.
The decision to build Wade Stadium originated with a 1938 study commissioned by Walter Chantigney, chairman of Duluth's Citywide All-Sports committee. The study found that the Duluth Duke's existing stadium, Athletic Park
Athletic Park (Duluth)
Athletic Park is a former American football and baseball stadium located in Duluth, Minnesota. The stadium was home to the Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos of the National Football League from 1923–1926 and Duluth Dukes of the Northern League. It had a capacity of 6,000 spectators. It was eventually...
, was obsolete. According to the study: Chantigney gathered more than 7,500 signatures to place a construction bond measure on the November, 1938, ballot. After voters approved the bond measure, money was gathered over the next two years from bond sales, the state of Minnesota, and the WPA. The site selected for the new stadium was located directly across Grand Avenue from Athletic Park.
A construction budget totaling $163,232 was set. But, due to cost overruns, the final cost of the stadium was $230,880. During construction, the project received several bailouts. One bailout came from Duluth's newly elected mayor, Edward H. Hatch, who purchased the materials needed to finish construction.
Tenancy
The Duluth Dukes played their first game in the new stadium on July 16, 1941. Their first opponent was their local rival, the SuperiorSuperior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
Blues. When the Blues folded in 1955, the Dukes (known as the White Sox during the 1956-59 seasons) became the Duluth-Superior Dukes. The original Dukes played in Wade Stadium from 1941 through the 1970 season. The only break came during the 1943-45 seasons when the Northern League
Northern League (baseball, 1902-71)
This article refers to the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971. For the more recent league, see Northern League ...
suspended play due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
When television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
began carrying Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games in the 1950s, minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
suffered from a drop in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
revenue. Many of the smaller minor leagues around the country folded. The Northern League became one of these casualties when it was announced prior to the 1971 season that it was ceasing operations. After the original Northern League disbanded, the stadium was rarely used over the next twelve years. It was being threatened with demolition when the newly created Northern League awarded Duluth a franchise in 1993. The Stadium has had a tenant every year since. When the Dukes moved out of the Stadium in 2002, the void was filled almost immediately by the Huskies.