Edward J Walsh Memorial Stadium

[brianstl]

Does anyone know more about the history of this?

This was the former home of Billiken football at 5200 Oakland Ave.  It was owned by the university and made possible by a donation from the widow of the stadium's namesake.  Built in 1930 and demolished in 1956. It held 15,000, but supposedly plans were to increase capacity to 40,000 by completing a bowl structure.  

The Walsh family is definition of old money in St. Louis.  They are direct descendants of the Laclede/Chouteau family. You can't get anymore old money St. Louis than that.  They have been generous donors through the years think Walsh Plaza and Walsh Hall.

One of the things to take place at the stadium outside of football was auto racing.  My guess is that happened because Edward Walsh's son Edward Jr was a talented driver and even founded a car manufacturing company that would construct cars that won the Indianapolis 500.

Here is a link to an illustration of the stadium.

http://web.nationalbuildingarts.org/recovery-projects/stadiums/walsh/

 

 

[cheeseman]

20 minutes ago, brianstl said:

Does anyone know more about the history of this?

This was the former home of Billiken football at 5200 Oakland Ave.  It was owned by the university and made possible by a donation from the widow of the stadium's namesake.  Built in 1930 and demolished in 1956. It held 15,000, but supposedly plans were to increase capacity to 40,000 by completing a bowl structure.  

The Walsh family is definition of old money in St. Louis.  They are direct descendants of the Laclede/Chouteau family. You can't get anymore old money St. Louis than that.  They have been generous donors through the years think Walsh Plaza and Walsh Hall.

One of the things to take place at the stadium outside of football was auto racing.  My guess is that happened because Edward Walsh's son Edward Jr was a talented driver and even founded a car manufacturing company that would construct cars that won the Indianapolis 500.

Here is a link to an illustration of the stadium.

http://web.nationalbuildingarts.org/recovery-projects/stadiums/walsh/

 

 

Is that where SLUH stadium is?

[brianstl]

2 minutes ago, cheeseman said:

Is that where SLUH stadium is?

It is where Paraquad and Horner Shiffrin are just east of Forest Park CC.

[Billiken Rich]

only lasted 26 years?

[brianstl]

2 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

only lasted 26 years?

That appears to be the case.  I assume the school saw no need for it after they canceled the football program in 1949.

[Billiken Rich]

1 minute ago, brianstl said:

That appears to be the case.  I assume the school saw no need for it after they canceled the football program in 1949.

sad.....

[Brighton]

The Green Bay Packers played an exhibition game there in 1939.

October 15th 1939 - Green Bay 31, St. Louis 0 (Exhibition) (packershistory.net)

 

[dennis_w]

My dad talked of watching the races at walsh stadium, told a story about a brawl in the grandstand over which driver was the best.

 

[cheeseman]

13 hours ago, brianstl said:

It is where Paraquad and Horner Shiffrin are just east of Forest Park CC.

Thanks

[BJK]

So cool! That strip of Oakland would have been this stadium... then the Highlands amusement park, then the Arena. Now we get a community college and a bunch of condos... 

[Box and Won]

There weren't many photos of it in the Missouri Historical Society's archives, but here are a couple to give you an idea of what it looked like.

The caption is "MILITARY CIRCUS AT WALSH STADIUM, PROBABLY FEATURING ROTC STUDENTS FROM CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (CBC)."

[papal]

i think I remember going to a rodeo there.  I thought it was where the science center is.

[RUBillsFan]

3 hours ago, BJK said:

So cool! That strip of Oakland would have been this stadium... then the Highlands amusement park, then the Arena. Now we get a community college and a bunch of condos... 

These places were / are all in the same general area, but they weren't on exactly the same ground because some co-existed for a while:

Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park: 1896 - 1963 -> now site of Forest Park Community College 1967 - present

Edward J. Walsh Stadium: 1930 - 1956 -> nowParaquad, Horner Shiffri, and Bloom Cafe

St. Louis Arena: 1929 - 1999 - I think this is where the condos and office buildings are now, right?

Science Center Expanded across the highway in 1991 that land according to Wikipedia was formerly the Falstaff brewing headquarters.  

At some point between 1946- 1949, you could theoretically grab some beer at Falstaff (I know that's not how it works, but humor me), stumble over to Walsh Stadium for a Billikens football game, take a spin through the amusement park, and then watch a St. Louis Bombers NBA game at the Arena.  All within a few blocks of each other.

[Billiken Rich]

1 hour ago, RUBillsFan said:

These places were / are all in the same general area, but they weren't on exactly the same ground because some co-existed for a while:

Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park: 1896 - 1963 -> now site of Forest Park Community College 1967 - present

Edward J. Walsh Stadium: 1930 - 1956 -> nowParaquad, Horner Shiffri, and Bloom Cafe

St. Louis Arena: 1929 - 1999 - I think this is where the condos and office buildings are now, right?

Science Center Expanded across the highway in 1991 that land according to Wikipedia was formerly the Falstaff brewing headquarters.  

At some point between 1946- 1949, you could theoretically grab some beer at Falstaff (I know that's not how it works, but humor me), stumble over to Walsh Stadium for a Billikens football game, take a spin through the amusement park, and then watch a St. Louis Bombers NBA game at the Arena.  All within a few blocks of each other.

Almost like a real city!

[Box and Won]

1 hour ago, RUBillsFan said:

These places were / are all in the same general area, but they weren't on exactly the same ground because some co-existed for a while:

Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park: 1896 - 1963 -> now site of Forest Park Community College 1967 - present

Edward J. Walsh Stadium: 1930 - 1956 -> nowParaquad, Horner Shiffri, and Bloom Cafe

St. Louis Arena: 1929 - 1999 - I think this is where the condos and office buildings are now, right?

Science Center Expanded across the highway in 1991 that land according to Wikipedia was formerly the Falstaff brewing headquarters.  

At some point between 1946- 1949, you could theoretically grab some beer at Falstaff (I know that's not how it works, but humor me), stumble over to Walsh Stadium for a Billikens football game, take a spin through the amusement park, and then watch a St. Louis Bombers NBA game at the Arena.  All within a few blocks of each other.

Correct on the Arena site.

Falstaff's HQ was a mid-century modern office building.  My dad actually worked there for a few years early in his career - they apparently had beer taps throughout the office, so I guess you could get a beer there!  This was late in the Mad Men era.  The Science Center purchased the building and was using it - I guess as office space - before they tore it down for the big expansion.

Next door to it was a mid-century building that was home to Stan Musial and Biggie's restaurant.  It was also torn down for the Science Center expansion.  Late in the building's life was a weird/sleazy night club that had a Miami Vice look to it.  I think it was called 64 West.  I remember walking by it on the way to football practice.

And before the Science Center built its bridge, there was also a catwalk over Highway 40 connecting Oakland Avenue to Forest Park.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

What a cool stadium, thanks for sharing! No clue this ever existed. Impressive resume for the architect, Osborn Engineering Co.:

• League Park, 1909
• Forbes Field, 1909
• Comiskey Park, 1910
• Griffith Stadium, 1911
• Polo Grounds, 1911
• Fenway Park, 1912
• Tiger Stadium, 1912
• Braves Field, 1915
• Sportsman’s Park, 1922 renovations
• Kansas City Municipal Stadium, 1923
• Yankee Stadium, 1923
• Dill Field, 1925
• Notre Dame Stadium, 1929
• Edward J. Walsh Memorial Stadium, 1930
• Milwaukee County Stadium, 1951
• Metropolitan Stadium, 1955
• RFK Stadium, 1959
• Three Rivers Stadium, 1970
• Ohio Stadium, 1999-2000 renovations

 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

8 minutes ago, Box and Won said:

Correct on the Arena site.

Falstaff's HQ was a mid-century modern office building.  My dad actually worked there for a few years early in his career - they apparently had beer taps throughout the office, so I guess you could get a beer there!  This was late in the Mad Men era.  The Science Center purchased the building and was using it - I guess as office space - before they tore it down for the big expansion.

Next door to it was a mid-century building that was home to Stan Musial and Biggie's restaurant.  It was also torn down for the Science Center expansion.  Late in the building's life was a weird/sleazy night club that had a Miami Vice look to it.  I think it was called 64 West.  I remember walking by it on the way to football practice.

And before the Science Center built its bridge, there was also a catwalk over Highway 40 connecting Oakland Avenue to Forest Park.

I'd give anything to get drunk at Stan Musial & Biggies right now...

[almaman]

1 hour ago, RUBillsFan said:

These places were / are all in the same general area, but they weren't on exactly the same ground because some co-existed for a while:

Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park: 1896 - 1963 -> now site of Forest Park Community College 1967 - present

Edward J. Walsh Stadium: 1930 - 1956 -> nowParaquad, Horner Shiffri, and Bloom Cafe

St. Louis Arena: 1929 - 1999 - I think this is where the condos and office buildings are now, right?

Science Center Expanded across the highway in 1991 that land according to Wikipedia was formerly the Falstaff brewing headquarters.  

At some point between 1946- 1949, you could theoretically grab some beer at Falstaff (I know that's not how it works, but humor me), stumble over to Walsh Stadium for a Billikens football game, take a spin through the amusement park, and then watch a St. Louis Bombers NBA game at the Arena.  All within a few blocks of each other.

a little bowling @ Arena Bowl I think they were overlapping historically.

[almaman]

Didn't the F office building house a short lived nightclub in the 80's? Featured valet parking! 

[MusicCityBilliken]

18 hours ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

I'd give anything to get drunk at Stan Musial & Biggies right now...

I came to SLU from back East. When I graduated back in May, '74 I took my parents and some realtives to Stan Musial & Biggies as a kind of a graduation reception. My dad got the biggest kick with all the Musiel memorabilia. Does the restaurant still exist or did it move?

[White Pelican]

32 minutes ago, tarheelbilliken said:

I came to SLU from back East. When I graduated back in May, '74 I took my parents and some realtives to Stan Musial & Biggies as a kind of a graduation reception. My dad got the biggest kick with all the Musiel memorabilia. Does the restaurant still exist or did it move?

No longer in business. According to an article on the web, last day was New Years Eve 1986. 

[almaman]

1 hour ago, White Pelican said:

No longer in business. According to an article on the web, last day was New Years Eve 1986. 

The Man lasted a lot longer

[brianstl]

  

I have found some info on the stadium that I am currently going through.  It appears that all of the land along Oakland from the high school up to the Highlands was owned by the university when the stadium went up.  The university acquired it as part of the gift than Anna Backer made that created SLUH.  So that whole track was SLU's to do what they wanted to with.  The stadium was pretty modern for the time.  It had practice fields, locker rooms, showers, training rooms, offices for the football staff, etc.. The cost was $350,000 compared to Notre Dame Stadium's $750,000 the year before, but it was less than a third of the original capacity of Notre Dame stadium.  So this wasn't done on the cheap.  It was a quality stadium that was built with plans to expand it.  Also, the preliminary plans called for the addition of a separate baseball facility, a separate track and a tennis facility.  Those were to be built at the school's convenience.  

Here is the announcement of the stadium in the December 1929 Alumni News,  the Backer Memorial High School referenced is SLUH:
 

Quote

 

Memorial Stadium Gjven by Mrs. Julia Maffitt Walsh
Fall of 1930 Will See Inauguration of University's New Athletic Amphitheatre

The fall of 1930 will see the inauguration of the long anticipated St. Louis University stadium.  This fact has been assured by the recent donation of Mrs. Julia Maffitt Walsh, mother of the late Edward J. Walsh. The stadium will be erected on Oakland avenue near the Backer Memorial High school of the University, according to present plans.

Through long years St. Louis University has felt the need of a stadium. The development of the athletics of the University demands a stadium at the present time. The Backer Memorial High school now stands in what was once the St. Loui University campus, as it was called in former days. Since the High school took over this property St. Louis University has no place for athletics which she could call her own.  Handlan's park at Grand and Laclede served well for practice and early practice games. Sportsman's park was leased yearly for all important games, but this arrangement proved unsatisfactory both from the standpoint of playing games and of practice.

The arrangement of the playing field made viewing the game rather difficult, and the long distance to be traveled each afternoon made practice short and costly financially. A substitute practice field was fitted up last summer on Forest Park boulevard, west of Spring avenue. This attempt to solve the difficulty failed signally, as coaches and players complained bitterly of the inconveniences arising from the condition of the ground and narrowness of the field. The situation became acute. St. Louis University must have a playing field of her own, must have a stadium or give up athletic .  No University builds its own stadium. Why should St. Louis University be alone in this regard? And how could St. Louis University finance such an undertaking?  Where could be found one who would be financially able and willing to come to the rescue and save athletics for St. Louis University? Mrs. Julia Maffitt Walsh apprised of the acute situation.   She responded at once and most willingly.

Years before, her son, Edward J. Walsh, confided to his mother his future plan regarding a stadium  for St. Louis University.  No man in St. Louis was more vitally interested in the welfare of St. Louis University than Edward J . Walsh. He had served on the athletic board of control besides being a member of the board of trustees of the University.  Through his generosity and encouragement the Alumni Association of St. Louis University began to function after fifteen years of inactivity. There are now 1130 active members of the St. Louis University Alumni association.

Mrs. Walsh knew well what her son Edward would do for St. Louis University in such a crisis. She waited not a day to. inform the president of the University of her desire to help. Her gift was generous and next fall Mrs. Walsh will see the realization of the hopes of her son-a stadium for his Alma Mater. The stadium most fittingly will be known as the Edward J. Wal h Memorial Stadium.

The alumni of the University are proud of their fellow alumnus, Edward J. Walsh; they are grateful to Mrs. Julia Maffitt Walsh. 

 

 

[Cowboy]

-brianstl thank you for this history lesson, great find, it seems reading this the Walsh name should have more prominence around The U

 

[almaman]

Weird all that & we invent coolest play in team sports and then we drop football as a sport!