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Jack Williams Stadium Jack Williams Stadium has long been considered one of the finest American Legion baseball stadiums in the country. In fact, the Fargo park neighboring the Red River of the North is one of few Legion-owned and -operated stadiums of such quality in the entire United States. Built exclusively for American Legion baseball, Jack Williams Stadium received rave reviews when Fargo Post 2 first hosted the American Legion Baseball World Series in 1983. Legion officials and fans were awestruck again in 1992 when nearly $100,000 worth of improvements and additions could be seen at Fargo's second World Series. The stadium has permanent seating for 2,291 fans, and with additional bleacher seating and extensive standing room, the park has seen beyond-capacity crowds of more than 5,000 for the World Series. Needless to say, national tournaments aren't the only ones to be hosted at Jack Williams Stadium. The park has hosted several postseason tournaments at all amateur levels. The stadium even served as the temporary home for professional baseball's Northern League in 1996 when the expansion Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks moved in for more than 10 games as construction wrapped up at their permanent home on the North Dakota State University campus. Floods from the nearby river ravage the playing feel seemingly every year, but when the water stays away, Jack Williams Stadium provides one of the best playing surfaces in the Central Plains. Fans appreciate a non-restricted view over an 8-foot concrete backstop wall from the permanent chairback seats along both baselines. And for those seeking shade on hot, sunny days at the yard, there's plenty of cool spots along the right field foul line. An air-conditioned press box with multiple phone lines towers above home plate, and a similar press box and spacious media workroom rest atop the team clubhouse on the first base side. About 100 games are played in the months of June and July at Jack Williams Stadium, including anywhere from two to five tournaments, but not including full practice schedules for both Fargo American Legion teams. Without a Home When the lights first turned on in June 1966, it marked a new era of baseball in Fargo, thanks in large part to Gilbert C. Grafton Post No. 2, the Fargo American Legion post that played the lead role in construction of the facility. Barnett Field, former home of the Fargo-Moorhead Twins of the Northern League, was used by Post 2 baseball teams and by the Fargo Park League until 1963 when it was razed to provide room for Fargo North High School. As a result, Fargo's American Legion team moved to an afternoon and twilight schedule, playing its games on the North Dakota State University diamond where there was no seating the first year and only minimum accommodations thereafter. The Park League played on any field it could find -- most of them inadequate. The situation was untenable and called for action. Legionnaire Lyle Huseby, a Fargo attorney and former Cass County state's attorney, called a meeting at the Fargo Elks Club during which an organization known as Baseball For Youth was formed. The Fargo American Legion post agreed to spearhead the drive for funds, but a number of those who attended the initial meeting lost interest when finances were brought up. Despite the loss of people, committees for lighting and land design were formed. Obstacles were encountered in the procurement of a site, but were overcome when the Fargo Park Board made available a plot of seldom-used land near the Red River in then northeast Fargo. The proposed park included a football gridiron across the outfield. Funding the Beginning In mid-February 1965, a fund drive aimed at raising $75,000 for construction of the new ballpark was kicked off with a 10-percent down payment from American Legion groups in Fargo. Preliminary work in 1965 was delayed, but before winter set in, a reinforced concrete grandstand to seat 1,000 along with the dugouts, infield and outfield turf were in place. Late in May 1966, work on restrooms, a press box and concession stand got underway, and shortly after that the light poles were fitted into place. The lighting system was finished in June 1966 in time for dedication of the facility on June 19 during the department Legion convention. The Drum and Bugle Corps was there to perform as a crowd of more than 3,000 people watched. The stadium was named that day for veteran North Dakota American Legion Department Adjutant Jack Williams, a manager of amateur baseball teams prior to his service during World War I, and one of the originators and great supporters of American Legion Baseball. He died a year later in June 1967. Building a Dream Construction of the new athletic complex, originally planned to provide a lighted home football field for Shanley and Oak Grove high schools, in addition to the baseball field, was not a simple undertaking. Problems developed because of the necessity of cutting back a big hill into which the grandstand was fitted. A total of 16,000 cubic yards of dirt had to be excavated and leveled just to accomplish this facet of the work. Although football was played on the field for several seasons following construction, it was found to be unsuitable. Necessary goalpost placement resulted in one being so near the Red River that too many point-after-touchdown kicks left the football floating northward. Plus, the grandstand was so far removed from the sideline that separate bleachers had to be erected each fall. Oak Grove subsequently built its own field, and Shanley and the Fargo public high schools arranged to play at NDSU's Dacotah Field. Volunteers hauled and laid 18,000 square yards of sod under the direction of co-chairmen Robert W. Smith and Glen Rott during the summer of 1965. That project also included laying 1,970 feet of drain tile under the baseball diamond. A 5-foot-high chain-link fence with five access gates was constructed around the field in addition to an 18-by-100-foot chain-link backstop. Ready for National Attention Already boasting a fine facility before being awarded hosting rights for the 1992 and 1995 Legion World Series, the Post No. 2 baseball committee went back to work. Co-chairmen Joe Parmer and Jim McLaughlin headed a series of upgrades that included $35,000 for additional stadium lights and $50,000 to add a second level to the team clubhouse prior to the 1992 Series. The lights, still carried on 10 wood poles, boosted on-field lighting to the standards required by cable television network ESPN, which broadcasted the Legion World Series championship games in 1992 and 1995. The clubhouse addition provided several stations for the working media members covering the Series, as well as a spacious media workroom for tournament staff and assistants. The stadium's current foul poles were installed down both lines prior to the '92 Series, and the stadium parking lot was also paved and marked. Rebuilding and Replacing There wasn't much left to do prior to hosting the 1995 World Series, but horrifying spring floods in 1997 and 2001 -- both submersing the entire field in more than 9 feet of water -- carved incredible damage into Jack Williams Stadium. Nearly $20,000 worth of sod was laid after the 2001 flood to cover outfield areas that were buried with inches of heavy silt or left uncovered from construction projects that started in the fall of 2000. In fact, the completion of several projects started in 2000 has brought Jack Williams Stadium into the 21st century with a significantly new look. Midway through the 2001 season, a radio-controlled electronic scoreboard was installed above the right-center field fence. It replaced a 20-year-old model and is only the third scoreboard used at the park. The chain-link fence around the playing field was completely replaced and anchored to stronger, wider posts to withstand fierce wind and water. The fence stands 8 feet tall in the outfield with dimensions of 300 feet down the lines, 340 to the alleys, 385 to the gaps, and 390 to straightaway center. The backstop pads were replaced prior to the 2001 season and the chain-link backstop was replaced with a weather-treated net for easier viewing. The net also solved a recurring problem with the chain-link stopper, which had to be bent back into shape in consecutive years after being pushed over by ice from severe winter storms in 1999 and 2000. Other updates to the stadium include the relocation of the home team's bullpen and the resurrection of the automatic sprinkler system. Three rows of bleachers were removed and a retaining wall built to accommodate the single mound setup just beyond the infield on the right field side. Late in 2002, workers wrapped up nearly $5,000 worth of repairs to the underground watering system, which was non-functioning for the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons. It is the same irrigation system that was installed in the 1960s.
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