The ground was home to the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the Federal League in 1914. The park was constructed in 1913 and subsequently demolished in 1916 after failure of the league.

If any readers are interested, the “Federal League Base Ball Park” is shown in the 1914 Sanborn™ fire insurance map set for Indianapolis. It’s in Volume 1. However, it is split with part on sheet number 1 and the remainder in an inset on sheet number 57. These map sheets can be viewed online by visiting the IU Libraries Union List of Sanborn Maps (http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=1002181). Just go to the main page, click on the “G-I” link at the top of the list. Then scroll down to the Indianapolis 1914 Volume listing and click on map numbers 1 and 57. For a broader view of that area, click on the “key” map.

I was actually looking for something else and happened to see the ballpark on these sheets. It reminded me of this article here at HI. Access to the ballpark was via Oliver Avenue (River Avenue). The park was on the north side of this street, west of Kentucky Avenue. There was a cemetery north and west of the park and a slaughterhouse northwest. An interesting neighborhood!

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