Douglas Park (Rock Island)

Douglas Park was the site of the first ever National Football League contest on September 26, 1920. After the league had formed on September 17, 1920, Douglas Park was the scene when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-member St. Paul Ideals 48-0 in the new league's first contest.[3][4]

A week later, on October 3, 1920, the Independents defeated the Muncie Flyers 45-0 at Douglas Park in the first full week of league play.[5][6]

Douglas Park, 1920. Site of the first contest with an NFL team, September 26, 1920. The football lines are visible as the Rock Island Islanders minor league team played.

After beginning play at Douglas Park in 1907 (with undefeated seasons in 1908, 1910, 1912, 1912, 1918), the Rock Island Independents were an original franchise in the National Football League.[7] Today's National Football League was formed on September 17, 1920 at a meeting in Canton, Ohio with Rock Island Independents representation in attendance.[3] Jim Thorpe was the first League President. First known as the American Professional Football Association, the league would change names to the "National Football league" in 1922. The 14 original 1920 Franchises were the: Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Decatur Staleys, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Dayton Triangles, Hammond Pros, Muncie Flyers, Rock Island Independents, Rochester Jeffersons, Buffalo All-Americans, Columbus Panhandles, and Detroit Heralds. The Green Bay Packers would join the league a year later.[5]

Independents owner (and former player) Walter Flanigan was the driving force in establishing the franchise as an early football professional franchise. Flanigan was present at the September 17, 1920 meeting in Canton and after the formation of the league, Flanigan was named to a committee that created the league's constitution.[8]

The Independents posted records of 6–2–2 (1920), 4-2-1 (1921) and 4-2-1 (1922) in the NFL's first three seasons. Five of their six losses were to the Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears and George Halas. After 2-3-3 (1923), 5-2-2 (1924) and 5-3-3 (1925) records in the next three seasons. The team, now owned by Dale Johnson, fatefully left the NFL after the 1925 season to become a charter member of the short-lived American Football League in 1926. At the same time, Johnson also moved the team's home to Browning Field in neighboring Moline, Illinois. The American Football League and all its teams folded after the 1926 season, ending the Independents existence. The Independents overall NFL record was 26-14-9, with five winning seasons in six years.[5][9][10][11][12][13]

Douglas Park played host to several famous NFL teams including the Chicago Bears and their early franchise, the Decatur Staleys, Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Cardinals. Numerous Pro Football Hall of Fame players played at Douglas Park, including: Jim Thorpe, Curly Lambeau, George Halas, Paddy Driscoll, and George Trafton.[14]

The Rock Island Islanders were a minor league baseball franchise that played at Douglas Park between 1882 and 1937. The ballfield with grandstands was built in 1904.

The Islanders played in the Western League (1934–37), Mississippi Valley League (1922-33), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (Three-I League) (1920–21, 1916–17, 1901–1911), Central Association (1914), Western Association (1894, 1899), Eastern Iowa League (1895) and Illinois–Iowa League (1892).

The Islanders were Class D affiliates of the St. Louis Browns (1932) and Cincinnati Reds (1933). They won league championships in 1907, 1909 and 1932 and had many alumni play in the Major Leagues.

The Moline Plowboys and Davenport Blue Sox were other Quad City teams that were rivals in the same era.[27]

The first college football game in the rivalry between the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois was played at Douglas Park on November 30, 1899. Iowa beat Illinois 58-0.[28]

Douglas Park played host to the ISC World Fastpitch Softball Tournament from 1961 thru 1969, and again in 1973.

In August, 2015 a throwback football game was played at Douglas Park to honor the history of football at the site. Early football rules were used in the game, in which the Rock Island Independents team defeated the Moline Universal Tractors 24-0.[29]

The park is still in use today by Little League Baseball and Rock Island High School's freshman baseball team. The Quad City 76ers Semi-Pro Baseball Club has called Douglas Park home since 1986. Friends of Douglas Park, a group formed in 2007 raised money through donations to remodel the large baseball field. The field was labeled "Phase 1" of a total Douglas Park renovation. On May 9, 2017, the large diamond was re-opened with a high school baseball game between Rock Island Alleman High School and Rock Island high school. A crowd of 450 saw the Rocks defeat the Pioneers 2-0.

Rock Island Islanders players
List of Rock Island Independents players

Douglas Park Photos: Scenectedy Science Museum Presents: Douglas Park - Rock Island Illinois - Former Rock Island Islanders

• Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511913-4.
• Braunwart, Bob & Bob Carroll (1983). "The Rock Island Independents" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 5 (3): 1–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-22.
• Braunwart, Bob & Bob Carroll (1981). "The First NFL Game(s)" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 3 (2): 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-02.
• Baseball-reference: Douglas Park
• Rock Island High School Athletics