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Pynchon Park

{{short description|Sports venue in Springfield, Massachusetts}}

{{Infobox stadium

| stadium_name = Pynchon Park

| nickname =

| image = Springfield Bicycle Club-Bicycle Camp-Exhibition & Tournament, Springfield, Mass, U.S.A., Sept. 18, 19, 20, 1883 - lith. of Milton Bradley, & Co., Springfield, Mass. LCCN99400146.jpg

| caption = A poster promoting a Springfield Bicycle Club event in September 1883 when the stadium was known as Hampden Park

| location = Springfield, Massachusetts

| coordinates = {{Coord|42.1102|-72.6103|display=inline,title}}

| owner =

| broke_ground =

| opened = 1853

| closed = 1966

| demolished =

| operator =

| surface =

| construction_cost =

| architect =

| tenants = Springfield Bicycle Club
Springfield Giants
Springfield Acorns

| seating_capacity =

| dimensions =

}}

Pynchon Park, also known as Hampden Park and League Park, was a sports venue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1853 by the Hampden Agricultural Society and was destroyed by fire in 1966.{{cite book|last=Strahan|first=Derek|title=Lost Springfield, Massachusetts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpOPDQAAQBAJ|year=2017|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-1-4671-3666-2|pages=131–137}}

The venue hosted various events, including horse racing, bicycle racing, and college football (including several editions of the Harvard–Yale football rivalry). It also served as home grounds for the minor-league baseball team primarily known as the Springfield Ponies.

Hampden Park

In 1853, the Hampden Agricultural Society paid $15,405 for the land on the site with the intention of creating a venue for the National Trotting Organization to hold its meetings.{{cite web |last1=Healey |first1=Paul |title=Pynchon Park |url=http://www.projectballpark.org/history/na/alt/pynchon.html |website=www.projectballpark.org |publisher=Paul Healey |access-date=30 May 2023}} The facilities were also used for a broader range of recreational activities. With the advent of the American Civil War, Hampden Park was used as a muster point for the 10th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The 46th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was primarily recruited in Hampden County

In 1885 and 1896, cycling's hour record was unofficially broken multiple times at Hampden Park.{{cite news |last1=McKay |first1=Feargal |title=The Penny Hour - The Last Hour Record Set On A High-Wheeled Bicycle |url=https://www.podiumcafe.com/book-corner/2018/1/30/16951728/penny-farthing-hour-record |accessdate=26 May 2019 |work=Podium Cafe |publisher=Vox Media |date=30 January 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526151628/https://www.podiumcafe.com/book-corner/2018/1/30/16951728/penny-farthing-hour-record |archivedate=26 May 2019}}

Renamed in 1940 for early settler William Pynchon, the park came down in a blaze in 1966.

=College football=

class="wikitable" align=center style="margin-left:15px; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;"
style="text-align:center;"|Date

!style="text-align:center;"|Winning team

!style="text-align:center;"|Result

!style="text-align:center;"|Losing team

!style="text-align:center;"|References

November 24, 1881

|Amherst

|0–0

|Dartmouth

|{{cite news |author= |title=Amherst Vs. Dartmouth—Game Unfinished |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97964278/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 25, 1881 |page=2 |access-date=March 19, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

October 30, 1889

|{{cfb link|year=1889|team=Wesleyan Methodists|title=Wesleyan}}

|20–17

|{{cfb link|year=1889|team=Williams Ephs|title=Williams}}

|

November 9, 1889

|Harvard

|67–2

|Wesleyan

|{{cite news|title=Harvard Defeats Wesleyan|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 10, 1889|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15326129/harvard_defeats_wesleyan/|via=Newspapers.com}}

November 16, 1889Yale52–0Wesleyan{{cite news|title=Yale, 52; Wesleyan, 0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 17, 1889|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16347378/yale_52_wesleyan_0/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |title=Yale, 52; Wesleyan, 0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98403601/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 17, 1889 |page=4 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
November 22, 1889

|Lehigh

|11–11

|Wesleyan

|{{cite news |author= |title=A Tie Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98445780/the-morning-journal-courier/ |newspaper=The Meriden Daily Journal |location=Meriden, Connecticut |date=November 23, 1889 |page=3 |access-date=March 26, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

November 23, 1889

|Dartmouth

|20–9

|Williams

|{{cite news |author= |title=Dartmouth Beats Williams |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98084010/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 24, 1889 |page=7 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

November 23, 1889Yale6–0Harvard{{cite news|title=Yale Wins From Harvard|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 24, 1889|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16347555/yale_wins_from_harvard/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |title=Leather Chasing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98403163/the-brooklyn-citizen/ |newspaper=Brooklyn Citizen |location=Brooklyn, New York |date=November 24, 1889 |page=3 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
November 12, 1890

|Harvard

|64–0

|Amherst

|{{cite news|title=Rush, Run and Punt: Harvard Science Against Amherst Beef|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 13, 1890|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51766597/rush-run-and-punt/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |title=Harvard And Yale—The Crimson Eleven Shown Yesterday at Springfield in the Amherst Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98444428/the-journal/ |newspaper=The Meriden Daily Journal |location=Meriden, Connecticut |date=November 13, 1890 |page=2 |access-date=March 26, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

November 21, 1890

|{{cfb link|year=1890|team=Wesleyan Methodists|title=Wesleyan}}

|34–6

|Brown

|{{cite news |author= |title=Wesleyan, 34; Brown, 6 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97044816/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 22, 1890 |page=5 |access-date=March 6, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

November 22, 1890Harvard12–6Yale{{cite news|title=Crimson: Even Ladies, Who Blushed|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 23, 1890|pages=1, 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28721231/the_boston_globe/}}{{cite news|title=Coming of the Thousands|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 23, 1890|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51766019/harvard-yale/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Harvard's Jubilee: Her Team Defeats Yale in the Great Football Game at Springfield|newspaper=New York Tribune|date=November 23, 1890|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16350824/harvards_jubilee/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |title=Yale Whipped By Harvard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98441212/the-sun/ |newspaper=The Sun |location=New York, New York |date=November 23, 1890 |page=8 |access-date=March 26, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
November 21, 1891Yale10–0Harvard{{cite news|title=Yale 10, Harvard 0: And The Great Match Is Over|newspaper=The Evening World|date=November 21, 1891|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15344666/yale_10_harvard_0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
October 26, 1892Yale50–0{{cfb link|year=1892|team=Springfield YMCA|title=Springfield YMCA}}{{cite news|title=Yale Won, As Usual: A 50 to 0 Victory Over the Springfield Eleven|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|date=October 27, 1892|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43775953/yale_won_as_usual_a_50_to_0_victory/|via=Newspapers.com}}
November 19, 1892Yale6–0Harvard{{cite news|title=Yale's Narrow Victory: Harvard Defeated at Football in a Magnificent Game|newspaper=New York Tribune|date=November 20, 1892|pages=1, 2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43702006/yales_narrow_victory_harvard_defeated/|via=Newspapers.com}}
November 25, 1893Yale6–0Harvard
October 17, 1894Yale34–0Dartmouth{{cite news |author= |title=Yale 34, Dartmouth 0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98128545/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=October 18, 1894 |page=4 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Yales Wins Over Dartmouth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98128592/boston-evening-transcript/ |newspaper=Boston Evening Transcript |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=October 18, 1894 |page=5 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
November 24, 1894

|Brown

|20-4

|Dartmouth

|{{cite news |author= |title=Dartmouth vs. Brown Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97219928/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 24, 1894 |page=10 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Dartmouth "Not In It." |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97220112/the-boston-globe/ |newspaper=The Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Massachusetts |date=November 25, 1894 |page=22 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

November 24, 1894Yale12–4Harvard
November 25, 1905

|Dartmouth

|24–6

|Brown

|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79913146/tricks-win-for-old-dartmouth/|work=The Boston Globe|title=Tricks win for old Dartmouth|date=November 26, 1905|accessdate=June 19, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

October 27, 1906

|Dartmouth

|0–0

|{{cfb link|year=1906|team=Williams Ephs|title=Williams}}

|

November 24, 1906

|Brown

|23–0

|Dartmouth

|

=The Hampden Park Blood Bath=

Hampden Park provided a neutral venue between Cambridge and New Haven suitable for the annual Harvard-Yale game between 1889 and 1894,{{cite web |last1=Strahan |first1=Derek |title=Hampden Park, Springfield, Mass - Lost New England |url=https://lostnewengland.com/2014/03/hampden-park-springfield-mass/ |website=Lost New England |access-date=28 May 2023 |date=24 March 2014}} but the 1894 edition led to such violence and injury that the match was suspended for two years. It subsequently became known as the Hampden Park Blood Bath, also known as the Springfield Massacre.{{cite news |last1=Sahlberg |first1=Jacqueline |title=Memorable Games in Harvard-Yale history |url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2011/11/18/memorable-games-in-harvard-yale-history/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |work=Yale Daily News |issue=18 November 2011 |date=2011 |language=en}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Category:College baseball venues in the United States

Category:Defunct baseball venues in Massachusetts

Category:Sports venues in Springfield, Massachusetts

Category:Velodromes in the United States

Category:Defunct minor league baseball venues

Category:Baseball in Springfield, Massachusetts

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