CHANUTE SCHOOL'S ATHLETIC FIELD

            For many years the high school football teams had played home games on the site that is now the ball diamond at Katy Park.  In the 1920's the site had not been raised or drained.  Moderate rains would turn the grounds into a swamp, and in flood times the field would be covered by several feet of water.

            In the fall of 1926 a quickly rising flood swirled over the football field and stood several feet deep in Floral Hall, which was used as a dressing room by the football team.  The suits, footballs and other ewuipment were either buried beneath water or floating about on the surface.  Team members were diving from a boat, retrieving their water-logged suits and pads.

            Games were played on temporary fields on South Santa Fe, and once on the southeast corner of the country club grounds.  Track teams, which used the track oval in the spring, were forced to go through the season without a practice field.

            In September of 1930 it purchased from the Santa Fe Investment Co., the current athletic field north of Lincoln School for $2,000.  Improvement started with the clearing of trees and hedge clumps.  Later the field was leveled, seeded with Bermuda grassed and the area fenced.  At first knock-down bleachers were set up for spectators.  Lighting of the field for night games followed.

            As the game became more popular, a joint project by the W.P.A. and the school board resulted in the building of a 3,000 seat, rock and concrete stadium.  It was built in the winter of 1939-40 under the direction of Ralph Reeves, City Engineer.