Felton Little Park
Encyclopedia
Felton Little Park is a municipal park in Auburn
, Alabama
, United States
. Felton Little Park is the oldest park in Auburn. From 1949 until 1968, the park was the home stadium of the Auburn High School Tigers
football
team, and from 1949 through 1967, the Auburn High School baseball team. Today, Felton Little Park has three softball
fields for youth leagues. The park is named for Felton Little, an Auburn city councilman who donated the land for the park.
. The nearest property suitable for such a park to downtown was owned by Felton Little, who donated the land to the city in September 1947. On September 30, 1949, the park was dedicated as Auburn City Park as the Auburn High football team played Tuskegee High School. As the football field was equipped with outdoor lights, this was the first night football game to be played in Auburn.
In 1955, the park was renamed "Felton Little Park" after its benefactor. In 1967, the Auburn High baseball team moved from the park to a new facility on the high school campus (today Sam Welborn Field), and on October 4, 1968 the football team played its final game at Felton Little before inaugurating its new stadium, Duck Samford Stadium
. In the early 1970s, the park was converted to house three youth-league baseball fields, and in 2003 the park underwent a major renovation which converted the three fields to softball fields.
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Felton Little Park is the oldest park in Auburn. From 1949 until 1968, the park was the home stadium of the Auburn High School Tigers
Auburn High School Tigers
The Auburn High School Tigers are the athletic teams which represent Auburn High School in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn High School's athletics program fields twenty-one varsity teams as a member of the large-school classification of the Alabama High School Athletic Association...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, and from 1949 through 1967, the Auburn High School baseball team. Today, Felton Little Park has three softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields for youth leagues. The park is named for Felton Little, an Auburn city councilman who donated the land for the park.
History
In the late 1940s the city of Auburn decided that the town needed a centrally-located park and football and baseball facilities for Auburn High School, which had previously been playing home matches at nearby Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. The nearest property suitable for such a park to downtown was owned by Felton Little, who donated the land to the city in September 1947. On September 30, 1949, the park was dedicated as Auburn City Park as the Auburn High football team played Tuskegee High School. As the football field was equipped with outdoor lights, this was the first night football game to be played in Auburn.
In 1955, the park was renamed "Felton Little Park" after its benefactor. In 1967, the Auburn High baseball team moved from the park to a new facility on the high school campus (today Sam Welborn Field), and on October 4, 1968 the football team played its final game at Felton Little before inaugurating its new stadium, Duck Samford Stadium
Duck Samford Stadium
Duck Samford Stadium is a stadium in Auburn, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football and soccer, and is the home field of the Auburn High School Tigers. Duck Samford Stadium was constructed in 1968, and seats 8,310 spectators...
. In the early 1970s, the park was converted to house three youth-league baseball fields, and in 2003 the park underwent a major renovation which converted the three fields to softball fields.
Records
Auburn High School's football team played 20 seasons at Felton Little, compiling a 42—42—8 record.See also
- Felton Little Park - official site