Old City Stadium

[Voyageur]

I enjoyed a lot of games at this place. Old City Stadium, home of the Packers until the new stadium was built. This one closed at the end of the 1956 season.

It had wooden bleacher seats and was a steep climb. No such thing as modern bathrooms. The old porta potties was all there was and in cold weather... gawd!

Our seats were at the bottom of the screen, about midway between the end of the straight set and midfield, and 15 rows back.

It was a fantastic time to be a Packer fan in a lot of respects. The players were very accessible in those days. The only problem was that those seats were cold and drafty because they were just old wooden bleachers.

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[milani]

I enjoyed a lot of games at this place. Old City Stadium, home of the Packers until the new stadium was built. This one closed at the end of the 1956 season.

It had wooden bleacher seats and was a steep climb. No such thing as modern bathrooms. The old porta potties was all there was and in cold weather... gawd!

Our seats were at the bottom of the screen, about midway between the end of the straight set and midfield, and 15 rows back.

It was a fantastic time to be a Packer fan in a lot of respects. The players were very accessible in those days. The only problem was that those seats were cold and drafty because they were just old wooden bleachers.

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

Even though the seasons ended a little sooner back then and the Packers usually played in California a couple times at the end of the year, can you imagine playing the Ice Bowl in that place?

 

[Voyageur]

Even though the seasons ended a little sooner back then and the Packers usually played in California a couple times at the end of the year, can you imagine playing the Ice Bowl in that place?

That would have created hundreds of people carted off to the hospital. The wind would blow up under the stands. Horrible conditions later in the season. There were a few times I wished I'd stayed home.

 

[El Guapo]

Boy I remember.....just kidding, I wasn't even a sparkle in my daddy's eye in 1956!

I have read about it a lot. Interesting that you mentioned the porta potties, because I thought that I remembered reading that there weren't bathrooms. Men peed on the fences. Maybe the porta potties were generally for the ladies?

This was also long before buying jerseys and fan merchandise was a thing, so men wore suits to games and women wore dresses.

 

[OldSchool101]

Boy I remember.....just kidding, I wasn't even a sparkle in my daddy's eye in 1956!

I have read about it a lot. Interesting that you mentioned the porta potties, because I thought that I remembered reading that there weren't bathrooms. Men peed on the fences. Maybe the porta potties were generally for the ladies?

This was also long before buying jerseys and fan merchandise was a thing, so men wore suits to games and women wore dresses.

I peed under the bleachers at Intra City High School football games. Not sure if that qualifies but I can relate!

 

[Voyageur]

Personally, I never used one of the porta potties. I found places just like other men did. The comment about women using the porta potties is true. It's one of the reasons that there were fewer women attending games in those days.

One of the things I'll always remember is that you could be sitting in the stands and when the wind was in the wrong direction it smelled pretty ripe.

 

[Thirteen Below]

One of the things I'll always remember is that you could be sitting in the stands and when the wind was in the wrong direction it smelled pretty ripe.

Most of the last few years there, that smell was a perfect match for the quality of the play.

 

[Voyageur]

Most of the last few years there, that smell was a perfect match for the quality of the play.

Or worse. But the worst situation I ever saw was in 1958. My cousin went with me to the game at the present stadium against the Eagles. The Packers won it 38-35. It was the only game they won all year. They finished 1-10-1. It was a beautiful October day if I remember correctly. Not even a bad weather day. They've constantly indicated there were 31,000 people in the stands for that game but that's pure BS. I was there and I know. The PA announcer said during the latter part of the 4th quarter that there was (this is approximately the figure) about 853 people in the stands. There were so few you could move anywhere you wanted and we decided to move back and forth across the stadium to stay with the action and know that figure they officially game was a total lie.

Now, that may have been the number of seats actually sold but that wasn't the total number in the stadium. They had to have counted all 4 of our seats as being filled and only two were.

 

[OldSchool101]

Or worse. But the worst situation I ever saw was in 1958. My cousin went with me to the game at the present stadium against the Eagles. The Packers won it 38-35. It was the only game they won all year. They finished 1-10-1. It was a beautiful October day if I remember correctly. Not even a bad weather day. They've constantly indicated there were 31,000 people in the stands for that game but that's pure BS. I was there and I know. The PA announcer said during the latter part of the 4th quarter that there was (this is approximately the figure) about 853 people in the stands. There were so few you could move anywhere you wanted and we decided to move back and forth across the stadium to stay with the action and know that figure they officially game was a total lie.

Now, that may have been the number of seats actually sold but that wasn't the total number in the stadium. They had to have counted all 4 of our seats as being filled and only two were.

Today 853 people would be both teams, staff, officials, stadium help and the above friends and family attending.

 

[Voyageur]

Today 853 people would be both teams, staff, officials, stadium help and the above friends and family attending.

True. It was so bad that they couldn't admit the truth. Anyhow that's what I saw from inside the stadium that day.

 

[milani]

Boy I remember.....just kidding, I wasn't even a sparkle in my daddy's eye in 1956!

I have read about it a lot. Interesting that you mentioned the porta potties, because I thought that I remembered reading that there weren't bathrooms. Men peed on the fences. Maybe the porta potties were generally for the ladies?

This was also long before buying jerseys and fan merchandise was a thing, so men wore suits to games and women wore dresses.

One of the great attributes of Lambeau: Tremendous RR facilities inside and loads of Porta potties outside. And CLEAN. In fact when it got so cold in the 2nd half of playoff games I deposited my wife in the ladies room which was not only heated but had a TV to watch the game. She enjoyed thawing out.

 

[Voyageur]

One of the great attributes of Lambeau: Tremendous RR facilities inside and loads of Porta potties outside. And CLEAN. In fact when it got so cold in the 2nd half of playoff games I deposited my wife in the ladies room which was not only heated but had a TV to watch the game. She enjoyed thawing out.

Another great feature is the people working the refreshment stands. Because they are charity groups and such, the workers are volunteers and have a great attitude. In most pro venues the people working the stands act like you're inconveniencing them at nap time and want to get on with it. In most places they're rude, obnoxious, and just plain arrogant.

The worst place I saw was Oakland Alameda County Stadium (A's games vs White Sox), and Yankee Stadium where they liked to make sure your beer glass was 70% foam to tick you off and the hot dogs were either cold or dried out. Never saw such messes for condiments as there back in the 70s.

Old Comiskey Park wasn't much better, but Milwaukee County Stadium for Braves and Packer games they weren't friendly but not overbearing.

Then there's Dallas. Totally cold fish attitude. There isn't one of them with personality, good or bad.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

I enjoyed a lot of games at this place. Old City Stadium, home of the Packers until the new stadium was built. This one closed at the end of the 1956 season.

It had wooden bleacher seats and was a steep climb. No such thing as modern bathrooms. The old porta potties was all there was and in cold weather... gawd!

Our seats were at the bottom of the screen, about midway between the end of the straight set and midfield, and 15 rows back.

It was a fantastic time to be a Packer fan in a lot of respects. The players were very accessible in those days. The only problem was that those seats were cold and drafty because they were just old wooden bleachers.

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

I enjoyed your post, thanks for sharing it.

I thought you might enjoy this:

Last Game at Old City Stadium, 1956

The Green Bay Press-Gazette is currently running a great feature (written by the always-sterling Jeff Ash ) on the last game at Green Bay...

packersuniforms.blogspot.com

 

[Voyageur]

I enjoyed your post, thanks for sharing it.

I thought you might enjoy this:

Last Game at Old City Stadium, 1956

The Green Bay Press-Gazette is currently running a great feature (written by the always-sterling Jeff Ash ) on the last game at Green Bay...

packersuniforms.blogspot.com

Love that picture of Don Hutson on the link you shared. It brought back an old memory.

It was the day that the new 1968 Chevrolets were to hit the market. I had pre-purchased a 1968 Chevrolet Impala with a vinyl roof. I went to pick the car up on the day that they could be unveiled. It was quite early in the morning. I had bought the car from Don Hutson Chevrolet in Racine, WI.

When I got there, they were just finishing the preps on the car and they told me it would be no more than 15 minutes, and I could go into the office and have a cup of coffee. It was going to be the first one hitting the road the date available.

As I drank coffee, and read the Racine Journal Times, Don Hutson himself walked into the office and introduced himself. Then he told me that he liked to be the first one to drive the newest Chevrolet each year when it was delivered. He mentioned how it meant a lot to him.

So, I asked him if he'd like to drive mine. He smiled and said he'd appreciate it. So, as soon as the job was done by his staff we went out in the car for a trip around Racine. We got back a half hour later and he thanked me and told his crew to fill the car up with gas for me before I left. Then we sat and had a cup of coffee together while they did it.

The funny part was that we never talked about football once. All we talked about was how nice the weather had been, and of all things, not being able to find better pizza anywhere we'd been than that we got at Wells Brothers, and how we both liked Kewpie hamburgers from the local restaurant.

I left the showroom with my car and headed out on the road towards Northeastern Wisconsin and never met him again. Just a chance encounter. Nice person. Not a bit full of himself or focused on how he was a football player. Just a guy who owned a car dealership and was thankful for the customers he had.

 

[tynimiller]

I wasn't even in heaven's R&D program yet lol

 

[milani]

Another great feature is the people working the refreshment stands. Because they are charity groups and such, the workers are volunteers and have a great attitude. In most pro venues the people working the stands act like you're inconveniencing them at nap time and want to get on with it. In most places they're rude, obnoxious, and just plain arrogant.

The worst place I saw was Oakland Alameda County Stadium (A's games vs White Sox), and Yankee Stadium where they liked to make sure your beer glass was 70% foam to tick you off and the hot dogs were either cold or dried out. Never saw such messes for condiments as there back in the 70s.

Old Comiskey Park wasn't much better, but Milwaukee County Stadium for Braves and Packer games they weren't friendly but not overbearing.

Then there's Dallas. Totally cold fish attitude. There isn't one of them with personality, good or bad.

Right about the genuine warmth at Lambeau. Like a family that is devoted. And in those ice cold playoff games they gave away free coffee and hot chocolate until they ran out.

 

[OldSchool101]

Good Stuff thanks for sharing. Is that Church (Steeple) in the background still there today?? In case I ever want to visit and check the grounds out. What’s become of the property where the field/stadium was?

 

[Voyageur]

Good Stuff thanks for sharing. Is that Church (Steeple) in the background still there today?? In case I ever want to visit and check the grounds out. What’s become of the property where the field/stadium was?

The Stadium is still there for the most part. It's North of Green Bay East High School. It's their home field for football games. Every game played there keeps the heritage alive.

The picture is what it looks like today and the link is to the aerial view of Green Bay East High School and the stadium. Of course, the old wooden bleachers have since been replaced. Lots of changes but the field is still played on today.

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1500 E Walnut St to East High School

www.google.com

 

[Curly Calhoun]

Love that picture of Don Hutson on the link you shared. It brought back an old memory.

It was the day that the new 1968 Chevrolets were to hit the market. I had pre-purchased a 1968 Chevrolet Impala with a vinyl roof. I went to pick the car up on the day that they could be unveiled. It was quite early in the morning. I had bought the car from Don Hutson Chevrolet in Racine, WI.

When I got there, they were just finishing the preps on the car and they told me it would be no more than 15 minutes, and I could go into the office and have a cup of coffee. It was going to be the first one hitting the road the date available.

As I drank coffee, and read the Racine Journal Times, Don Hutson himself walked into the office and introduced himself. Then he told me that he liked to be the first one to drive the newest Chevrolet each year when it was delivered. He mentioned how it meant a lot to him.

So, I asked him if he'd like to drive mine. He smiled and said he'd appreciate it. So, as soon as the job was done by his staff we went out in the car for a trip around Racine. We got back a half hour later and he thanked me and told his crew to fill the car up with gas for me before I left. Then we sat and had a cup of coffee together while they did it.

The funny part was that we never talked about football once. All we talked about was how nice the weather had been, and of all things, not being able to find better pizza anywhere we'd been than that we got at Wells Brothers, and how we both liked Kewpie hamburgers from the local restaurant.

I left the showroom with my car and headed out on the road towards Northeastern Wisconsin and never met him again. Just a chance encounter. Nice person. Not a bit full of himself or focused on how he was a football player. Just a guy who owned a car dealership and was thankful for the customers he had.

I remember the Don Hutson dealership down by the lakefront. It's been gone for a long time - a lot of development in Racine's Harbor.

The good news is that Wells Bros. is still around and still makes great pizza, among other things.

I enjoyed your story and am a little bit jealous that you got to meet Don Hutson and I didn't.

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