Editor’s note: This is part 1 of a two-part column written by Larry Ebsch, a local historian and former editor of the Marinette Eagle-Star.
As the days of summer race to the awaiting arms of high school football in August, the ghosts of a community landmark take their final victory lap. There may have been some setbacks during the 100-years plus life of Walton Blesch Field, but the happy memories far outdistance the unhappy blots in the journals of local history.
Even the powerful jaws of a wrecking machine biting into the concrete walls of this now doomed stadium can’t erase the pleasantries etched in this fortress.
Walton Blesch is undergoing a remake under the guidance and direction of the determined Walton Blesch Stadium Legacy Foundation. The $750,000 project is expected to be ready for the 2024 season.
Originally constructed in 1920 for high school boys and girls physical education classes, football and track and field events, the hallowed grounds were utilized for many other activities. Graduation ceremonies were conducted. How can I forget my class of 1949 that marched from the old high school and through the gate on the west side of the field. A local aviator was retained to fly over the stadium and drop lilacs along the cinder path leading to the midfield section for the ceremonies. He failed to account for the light breeze floating over the field and the lilacs cleared the stadium walls.
Holy Spirit Catholic Church held an anniversary Mass at the stadium. The field was home to the famous Northernaires Drum and Bugle team for its thrilling concerts. The American Legion conducted a boxing show at the stadium during one of its well-attended Upper Peninsula conventions.
The initial Grade School Football program, introduced by Coach Francis J. McCormick in the late 1940s, was baptized at the field. Freshmen and junior varsity football and the middle school weight team program (Blues, Reds, Greens and Oranges) played their games at the legendary field. The M&M Hornets, a well-groomed semi-professional team in the old Wisconsin State League, played at Blesch in the early 1950s. The Menominee Buckskins, comprised of local talent, planted its cleats at Blesch.
One of the all-time feature outings was the appearance of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Freshmen squad that battled Menominee’s former Jordan College (site of M&M YMCA) in the 1930s.
Another unforgettable activity was the infantry-style course built in the field during the World War II era of the early 1940s. Paul Prather, physical education teacher, believed in military training drills and implemented them into his student curriculum. They were testy drills that included running on top of the wall.
Different generations will have different remembrances of Walton Blesh.
Graduates and visitors will recall scores of football games that thrilled generations. The spirit of the 1929 point-a-minute team is still a talking point 95 years later. The bright lights of glory will forever shine upon the grounds that lifted thousands of athletes to stirring performances.
The stadium was more than a place to showcase football and track. The colorful marching bands that paraded on the field, the bouncy cheerleaders that excited the fans no matter the look of the scoreboard, concession stand workers, ticket takers, program sales staff and press box personnel that multiplied as lifestyles and schemes changed the face of the game. The game officials, some who came from the Big Ten Conference, police and security staff, medical folks and bus drivers who transported athletes and musicians to the games.
The tired muscles of Walton Blesch Field are in need of refurbishment, compliments of the Walton Blesch Stadium Legacy Foundation and kind-hearted citizens providing the Funds to make it happen. The spirit of Menominee and its broad network of friends believe that nothing is a waste that makes a memory. They also realize that happy memories never wear out.
The Menominee Board of Education, supported by citywide enthusiasts, staged a dazzling dedication ceremony to dedicate the stadium in 1920. More on that in the next edition.
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