The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-11
Building WSports Plant
Great Contribution Here

making the total amount finally x
pended upon the development to
the present time about $240, 900.
Of this amount the federal govern
ment in the Works Progress Admin
~istration program has supplied ap-
proximately $3.50, 900. New Hanover
county has supplied approximately
$50, 600.
This none was taken from sur.
pluses, and justified on the grounds
that it was necessary for each gov
eminent subdivision to supply GER
tain monies in cooperation with the
Presidents relief program. TIL
thought that might be injected here
is that Wilmington and New Han
over county would in all prob
ability have had to give in relief a
great deal more than the above
amount had not the Works Progress
program been in operation. The bal
ance, approximately $4,000 was sup
piled by the Legion Post.
Long before the work neared COM
pletion, the demand on the field had
grown to the point where on many
occasions the workmen had to plan
or shift their work SO that the field
might be used for events Of various
kinds. That demand has grown, and
new needs for the field have become
evident since that time. Giving a
brief summary Of the events and
the approximate attendance for the
last year, will give some idea of the
need that Wilmington had for such.
There was last year more than
60 baseball games with a total at
tendance of about 10000. There were
more than Is football games with a
total attendance of more than 49,
900; a horse show with an attend
ance Of more than 1000; the Coastal
Fairs had an attendance of some
5000; the wrestling matches held
here in the Exhibit building will
show to 1000 its first year.
In addition to these commercial
events, the high school held its
graduating exercises at the field
and this exercise was attended by
more than 1000 people. A county
school musical program showed to
more than 5000. The above totals
run in the neighborhood Of 10000
people using the field in it's first
year since completion.
Now for a few comments on the
field Of some of the individual events.
The Coastal Fairs is attempting to
create among the people of South.
eastern North Carolina a friendlier
feeling, and a greater consciousness
Of the potential values of their agr!-
cultural possibilities. In the first
Horse Show held in Wilmington
horses were shown from nine differ
ent states. Some Of the finest horses
in the entire country were shown at
Wilmington coming from su
states as New York, Connecticut,
Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
and others. This brought to the com
munity and gave the county an op-
portunity to be hosts to folks of
means who can be Of inestimable
value in an advertising way in their
home communities.
It is recognized fact that at the
present time college football has
the power to attract greater crowds
than possibly any other event. This
power is still increasing and the
value to a community from a gath
ering such as attend modern col
lege football runs into many, many
thousands dollars. In 1888 the in
itial college football game was
held at Legion field between N. c.
State college at Raleigh, and the
Citadel, Of Charleston, S. c. The at
tendance Of this game in the rain
vas approximately 1000 people. The
people from out of the city taxed
our eating places and hotel facilities
to the limit. Due to the rainy wealth
err, it was learned afterwards that
every umbrella and raincoat in the
entire town was sold. Looking for
ward to the future, Wilmington now
boasts an athletic plant that for scope
and utility is %unexcelled by any in
the South. On this IS acre tract
there are two complete baseball dia-
monds, one equipped with a lighting
system whose cost is nearly $15, 900;
to football fields, one Of which is
served by the same lighting sys-
tenn that is used for baseball; two
soft ball diamonds used by the in
dustrial plants Of Wilmington for
the use of their employees, four horse
stables Of the latest designs for the
stabling Of race horses and show
horses; a general utility building,
with a floor space Of ~ thousand
square feet used for fair exhibits.
general gatherings. and many other
. akss&;1- T41, q, .Fs-JJ ---l--I