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Baseball in Independence Kansas Page-2
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On March 21, 2014 there was a meeting of some locals that are interested in preserving the history of our unique baseball heritage. Mark Metcalf arranged this meeting with Mel and Luke Borst, of the Kansas Preservation Alliance and the School Officials that are renovating the Riverside Park Football Field. I was invited for the tour of the ballpark as the officials examined the structure of the Original Baseball Grandstand.
We were assured in 2014 that only a five foot portion of the stadium would be changed. In the summer of 2015 the politicians held true to their nature of deception as the entire structure is now gone.
Click on some images for 2 to 3 meg high resolution photos. (they may take a minute to load)
We chatted for a bit, and found that the School Board members were very negative on preservation of any portion of the Stadium Grandstands or any other historical relic. This interfered with their "plans" that have already been approved by the City Board Committee. This exclusive committee was assembled from 9 people; 3 each from the City, the School, and the College. Their criteria for review was that the people had no knowledge of the historical value or heritage of the site. Then they were asked to vote and approve a budget for the renovation plans
It is my personal opinion that the unique landmarks should be preserved. Not necessarily restored or renovated, for that can be an everlasting burden, but preserved as a one of a kind relic. An example is the coliseum in Rome and castles throughout Europe, they do not destroy them if they fall in disrepair, they just keep them from vandals until sometime a later generation has the funding to restore for use. If they were destroyed when every down cycle of economy let one fall between owners, we would have no relics of history. If the structure is truly unique, as the Shulthis Stadium is; then we should at least give the opportunity to future generations to hold on to this one piece of worldwide fame in this city.
Here are two shots from the northwest corner looking south. This new construction pad is scheduled to be a dressing room.
The group is scattered, looking and talking, getting a feel for the scope of this facility.
Mel and Luke toured the upper areas of the Grandstand and found it to be very sound structurally, with only surface weathering on the concrete. This place is strong enough for a major storm shelter. The worst looking things on the site were the torn wire fence and the plywood team logo from the College.
I ran a tape measure out 60 feet to where the first base would have been in 1930. It came to about 3 feet south and 4 feet east of the southwest corner of the football field markings.
Mel Borst, from the Kansas Preservation Alliance, was very thorough in his investigation and records over each area of the Grandstands. He said that only the lower west side sections had problems of weather pitting, but even those were not major repairs.
These are the worst of all the areas, and I found none of these pits were more than one inch depth. I could resurface them with redimix mortar for $100 myself, but that would not feed big money contracts to fund our politicians. It would certainly be better than our road patches on Main Street.
This is truly a massive amount of seating for this facility. Yet they want it torn down to build a new entryway and bathrooms that will encroach upon about 5 feet of the northwest corner of the Grandstands. All for a measly 2.5 million this year and the same next year, and 100k per year for upkeep.
The renovated facilities are currently locked out of public use by the school. Here are some of the light fixtures that they removed from the towers. They have 13 fixtures, and Mel said that we should get them inside the Grandstand rooms, for storage until a determination can be reached on the true value of these items. They probably still work, but look like they are headed for public auction.
The lights had clear lenses and frosted lenses for each lamp assembly.
The discussions went on for over an hour and maybe two hours. There are definitely opposing views, and the destruction team has City Hall in their favor. All current plans are to eliminate this site and rebuild new facilities. (our sales taxes are already 9.3%)
It is a pity that the public is unaware of the decisions behind their backs with no outside discussions. These officials will get their way if we cannot convince them of the value of history, and have them overturn their decisions.
Here is an entryway on the west side of the Grandstands.
Looking in the grillwork, we can see where the changing rooms are for the visiting teams. As stated before, there is no structural damage to this historic facility other than the surface weathering that was shown. But as we know, you can't get a big retirement contract if you don't destroy and rebuild.
Watching a baseball game here would be a pleasure. And no other facility in the nation has any historical baseball site accessed by the local schools.
Here are the School and City members that said we should drop the matter and let them build something new. They need convincing that we can not rebuild the heritage of devastated landmarks. Can you name another sports site in this city or county or state with world notoriety?
This is the very worst end of the chipping. As Mel stated, we could sweep it up and make it look so much better. The surface marring does not go through the structure. There are no leaks or cracks in the dressing rooms below these seats and walkways.
We have at least 6 active baseball fields in this city, and none of them can compare with this original site. Help us with City Management interaction to preserve this historic landmark before they destroy it completely. The people that are knowledgeable and willing to work on repairs are locked out of the private meetings of the City Councils. Only a public landslide can reopen their meetings that have made these fatal decisions. Once it is gone, we have lost world renowned history of the American Heritage, and it is right here in our home town of Independence, Kansas at Riverside Park.
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We had some great discussions of baseball history that happened right here where these photos were taken. Famous players like Mickey Mantel, Satchel Paige, Cassey Stengle, and many others known as legends played here in games or exhibitions. Even Ruth, DeMagio, and many others were said to have played a nation wide barnstorming tour here. There were stories floating around from the local elders like a spin from a great movie. These people lived it right here, not just in the big cities, we have our own landmark, and the old timers can talk all day and never cover the same story twice. This place made it happen first. Our Mayor of Independence in 1930 insisted that we would make history at lighting this stadium, and he did it! They all did it, and no other place can claim that first.
For more detailed information contact Mark Metcalf of Independence, Kansas.
Please submit your own interesting information to the author or to Mark Metcalf to improve the value of this story.
We need to keep our landmarks, like the historical Baseball Stadium in Riverside Park in Independence. I see in many of our downtown businesses, that there is a pride to the style and character of the Pennsylvania Avenue buildings. This is a look of a heritage that is not discarded, but maintained and appreciated. Like London or Athens and many other more ancient landmarks, they never got their recognition from modernizing. If you want a modern style, there is plenty of room somewhere else. But the heritage is built in and appreciated by many who will not allow such disregard as is shown in vain renovations of classic sites.
Our City council is now seeing a boom from the Pipeline contracts that started early last year. Before that time, we had nearly half of downtown empty. Those contracts will end in August 2014, and when the foreign wars end, you will have many thousands of troops unemployed and headed to their hometowns across the nation. Our downtown stores are now booming, but watch for the major changes at the end of this year. Times might get tough again, and we are saddled with a tax burden for trivial fluff that squanders our money for the education system that wants everything new. Demand that aspect of everything new for the downtown buildings and see what people think.
There are several contact points on this webpage that can use your help, and most of what they need are voices to our public leaders that have locked their doors to keep their secrets. We have higher local taxes than Miami Beach Florida, yet our primary roads are not much better than the dirt roads I used to live on. The millions from taxes going into these schools is not for education, it is for contractors and planners. There are some brilliant students in this town, but there are a high quantity of the other students that can not read this page.
The Shulthis Stadium was designed for Baseball and built during the Depression Era, on private land and by donated funds and local workers, then donated to our City for upkeep. All this Stadium Grandstand desperately needs is to be left alone and a touch of TLC. The restoration and maintenance can be done by volunteers that are willing to donate the funds, but we cannot pull it out from the rubble of a bulldozer. The committees that authorized these atrocities of destruction are tightly organized and viciously protective of their own decisions. They do not want our input, except for our tax money. If you have time, verify these findings and statements. Examine other cities that love their famous landmarks and promote them with astonishing public assemblies. We have such a unique opportunity to preserve history that generations will rejoice to see and use. Don't treat it like trash, it will never return.
Steven C. Buren ...
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