Anniversary Field link
Holyoke Community Field
As for Community Field, it was the hope of the city to develop this land into the sports complex of Holyoke. Most of Community Field was purchased before 1923 and was called that name.
In 1926 Day Brook was placed underground. Thus Elmwood Park would lose its brook and its rustic feel. Now the Elmwood Park would become and desirable location for the sports complex. It was closer to the schools downtown.
Since Community Field was placed onto the backburner, the land was not developed for a while due to lack of funds. The park had been dedicated on October 31, 1925 but it had to wait to be developed.
There was an attempt at a large baseball stadium in the mid to late 1920s and work was done on the grading around the perimeter. But money was hard to come by for this organization. On October 7 1929 they sold the grounds to the city. In the years after that the parks were considered for many other uses: a city golf course, a new high school, a road that circled the park and more.
WPA Project
Wading Pool
It was finally developed into a recreational area in 1934. For example a wading pool was added that year and in the wintertime that pool transformed into an ice rink. This was done by the Works Progress Administration.
On July 1, 1953, the 1934 wading pool is replaced with a new one that is 125 feet long and oval. It is 20 inches deep at maximum. It could hold 120 children.
Later Works
In 1936 and 1937 a gravel road was added to the top of Anniversary Hill Park. (The road had been started in 1932 but did not go very far.)
In 1936 one hundred trees are added. 500 feet of cinder walks are put in. n 1939 a shelter house and a baseball diamond were added.
Ice skating would happen in the winter at Community Field.
Playground
The playground at the Community Field was drastically changed in 1989. The Kelly Constant Playground was dedicated on June 22 1989.
Dinosaur Tracks
Landscaping of the grounds around the dinosaur tracks is done.
Vandalism
Crystal Springs
The wading pool has water from Day Brook. Day Brook passed near to the Jarvis Avenue landfill. In 1953 a new wading pool was added. In 1954 the roadway was drastically improved and the name was changed to Community Park. In 1956 hiking trails are added. In 1958 a new softball field is added.
In 1961 the parks department offers Holyoke Junior Community College 45 acres within Community Field. (Obviously, never taken up.)
Sledding and Tobogganing at Community
Ralph Sacks Recreation Area
[Sanborn map analysis do not help on these parks.]
Mystery stone wall near the interstate.
