Owl Ballpark was one of 3 baseball stadiums used for Minor League Baseball in Topeka
Kansas from 1904 until 1963. Owl Ballpark (also called Riley Park, Community
Park and Hicks Park) would be built in 1939 and replaced their original facilities...
Western Association Park (aka Baseball Grounds, Western League Park, Topeka
Ballpark) which was used for professional baseball from 1904 until 1926 *Kansas
Historical Society... and Freefair Park (Fair Park) which was utilized from
1927 until 1938 *Gord Brown-SABR Ontario. Owl Ballpark was never much more
than simple slat bleachers with a covered roof. You could see right through to
the outside of the ballpark through the seating areas which had to be replaced
over and over again with the wear and tear of the season. Despite that (and maybe
because it was such a simply built baseball park), this stadium would last for
a total of 24 years and be home to 13 Class C Western Association teams, 3 Class
A Western League teams and 3 Class B Triple-I League (Illinois-Indiana-Iowa
League) teams. Nearly all of the photographs of the actual grandstand were taken
during the flood to show how high the Kansas River had flowed over its banks
so unfortunately there are very few pictures that showcase the grandstand itself
without a flood (except behind some team photos) and a few shots showing a
small section of the grandstand behind a player or dugout shot. |