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.
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. 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.
Renamed in 1940 for early settler William Pynchon, the park came down in a blaze in 1966.
College football
DateWinning teamResultLosing teamReferencesNovember 24, 1881Amherst0–0DartmouthOctober 30, 188920–17WilliamsNovember 9, 1889Harvard67–2Wesleyan November 16, 1889 Yale 52–0 Wesleyan November 22, 1889Lehigh11–11WesleyanNovember 23, 1889Dartmouth20–9Williams November 23, 1889 Yale 6–0 Harvard November 12, 1890Harvard64–0AmherstNovember 21, 189034–6Brown November 22, 1890 Harvard 12–6 Yale November 21, 1891 Yale 10–0 Harvard October 26, 1892 Yale 50–0 November 19, 1892 Yale 6–0 Harvard November 25, 1893 Yale 6–0 Harvard October 17, 1894 Yale 34–0 Dartmouth November 24, 1894Brown20-4Dartmouth November 24, 1894 Yale 12–4 HarvardNovember 25, 1905Dartmouth24–6BrownOctober 27, 1906Dartmouth0–0November 24, 1906Brown23–0Dartmouth
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, 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.
References