Located just off Lion Parkway in Maury County Park is our football stadium. The planning for the stadium began in 1958. Although, many of us have grown up attending ball games there, we really do not know how much effort was exerted on the part of our community and our leaders to complete the stadium. Through intensive labor and generous donations the stadium was ready to use in 1959.  The stadium was finished before the 1960s Central High School Building.

A quote from a brochure about the stadium stated:  “Now, at last, Columbia is to have a really fine stadium and field house as citizens join in building a football plant second to none in this area.”

Before this stadium was built and completed the Central High School football team played at Pillow Park in Riverside which is now a part of Riverwalk Park.

The new stadium was to be situated between the barns that were left by the Experiment Station and the train tracks. Architects, Marr and Holman, drew the plans that would carve the stadium out of a ridge creating a horseshoe shape which would provide clear views of the field. 

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Rough excavation was done at no cost because generous businessmen connected with the excavation and dirt moving industry supplied the machinery and expertise. Many of these men were connected with the phosphate industry. Site preparation required moving 40,000 cubic feet of earth. The stadium was made larger because these busy men worked long hours to make a contribution to the future.   

The original seating capacity was 5,500. A proposal promised that the curve of the horse shoe could add 4,500 seats. In the original stadium there were wooden seats which have been replaced with aluminum seats. The original lights were replaced with LED lighting in 2018.

There was to be a field house with showers and restrooms. That building is now used for the visiting team, and referees. The Lions have a dressing room in the circle near the end zone and enter the field through a tunnel. The concession stand and press box were also planned. The original press box was not in the middle of the field because planners did not include the end zones in their calculation. Both the concessions stand and the press box have been replaced.  Also modern restrooms were constructed joining the concession stand.

The original ticket booth was so small that when six Central teachers were selling tickets there was barely room to move. The new ticket booths are much nicer, and there is room to work.

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Although much of the labor was donated there was still a fund raising effort. Everyone was urged to contribute, and even the smaller amounts would be appreciated. The invitation reads: Think big!  Give big! Get the best! There was even an opportunity to give on the installment plan.

            How the money would be spent:

            Stadium (concrete work, seats, drainage and engineering                 $34,450

The cyclone fence which is original was installed by the Columbia Kiwanis Club.  Kiwanians remember contributing funds, man hours, and many blisters to build the stadium.

Reserved tickets for 10 years would be sold at $100 each at the stadium completion in 1959. All reserved seats were in located in midfield. The 10-year tickets were transferable. 

There were three stadium committees:  planning board, construction committee, finance committee, and publicity committee.

The Planning Board members were James Burcham, Lewis Amis, John Harris, Ralph Matthews, Clyde Medford, Ralph Neubert, Horace Rainey, Jr., Ulna Swann, Bob Vise, Alison Webster, L.S. White, T.S. Willis and DeWitt Viar.

Construction Committee members were L.S. White, Hardin Hill, William G. Allen, James Campbell, Oscar Damron, John Farmer, Ralph Matthews, Harry Pressnell, Don Richardson, Smiser Smith, Malcom West, Stanley Williams and T.S. Willis.

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The Finance Committee members were Wally Beasley, Sr., Moscow Wright, Raymond Brown, Wade K. Dickens, James H. Dowdy, James H. Dowling, Aubrey George, Percy Haynes, Marshall Ledbetter, James McGrew, Fisher Oakes, Jr., Frank Sowell and C.A. Whelchel.

The Publicity Committee members were Lew Amis, Jack Dealy, Wm. E. Fraser, and Wm. J. Harris, Jr. All of these men were Maury Countains that were known for supporting worthy causes.  

The permanent control board that was established consisted of Mr. W. J. Field, Central High School principal; William M. Ross, president of the Columbia-Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce; Dewitt Viar, chairman of the Maury County Park Commission. 

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After completion of the stadium the maintenance would be administered by the Central High School Athletic Committee:  W. J. Field, Ralph Matthews, and Robert Vice, who was the coach.  Central High School’s football team was to have the priority use of the field.  It would be available for other teams if Central was not playing. Over the years the responsibility for the field has been transferred to Maury County Park. 

According to Maury County Parks’ website the seating capacity is presently 3,700. The stadium not only hosts football games, but soccer games, and band contests. No one could have imagined how many young people and fans would enjoy the planning and vision of our community leaders 64 years ago.

In next week’s column, I will give the history of the people who had the stadium, press box and field named after them.