Thursday, December 16, 2021

Who Were The Rockford A.C.?

Similar to the Champaign American Legion, Rockford A.C. has little research and information on the team. They played one game against the APFA team in the Decatur Staleys (later to be the Chicago Bears). Rockford A.C. lost the game 0-29 at Kishwuakee Park. Other than this one game Rockford A.C. has no other information like who played for them or who else they played, if they even played any other games. The field where the game was played is now Beyer Stadium. Beyer Stadium, one mile from downtown in Rockford, Illinois, was the home of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's Rockford Peaches from 1943 to 1954.

It was a multi-purpose facility, as contemporary newspaper articles also report high school baseball and football games being played there. Its address in city directories was typically given as 311 15th Avenue. It began as Kishwaukee Park or simply Rockford Base Ball Park in about 1913 when the Rockford club of the Wisconsin-Illinois League moved into it from their previous home, Riverside Park. That club folded after the 1923 season and sold the ballpark to Rockford High School for use as their athletic field. By 1925 the venue was being called Rockford Municipal Stadium or 15th Avenue Stadium. In 1948 it was renamed in honor of Charles Beyer, long-time high school athletics coach.

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