According to the April 22, 1880 New York Times, when the Harlem and New Haven Railroad Companies moved from their passenger depots at 26th Street and Madison Avenue in 1871, the combined buildings were sold to P.T. Barnum who turned it into “Barnum’s Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome.” In 1876 it became “Gilmore’s Garden” and was renamed “Madison Square Garden” on May 31, 1879. Sixteen days later the New York Times reported electric lights were tested to supplement the Garden’s gas jet lighting. In its day, it hosted polo, Roman chariot driving, mustang hurdling, walking, running and bicycle races, gymnastics, Greco-Roman wrestling, billiards, boxing and much more.
Its first football event was reported in the November 22, 1888 New York Times, “Most of the excitement attached to the football kicking. The Garden with its myriad gas and electric light globes is not well suited to that pastime. There were 11 competitors and the ball was kicked from different parts of the Garden by each competitor – three trials. D.A. Lindsay, Jr. of the Staten Island Athletic Club, who was the second to try his accuracy of foot, put the ball square against an electric light globe, to its great detriment, and followed by hitting another but not as disastrously...” Before it gave way to Madison Square Garden (II), it squeezed in its only football game – Rutgers vs. Pennsylvania on January 19, 1889 – just before it was torn down as reported in the August 8, 1889 New York Times. The second Garden was built on the same spot.
Its first football event was reported in the November 22, 1888 New York Times, “Most of the excitement attached to the football kicking. The Garden with its myriad gas and electric light globes is not well suited to that pastime. There were 11 competitors and the ball was kicked from different parts of the Garden by each competitor – three trials. D.A. Lindsay, Jr. of the Staten Island Athletic Club, who was the second to try his accuracy of foot, put the ball square against an electric light globe, to its great detriment, and followed by hitting another but not as disastrously...” Before it gave way to Madison Square Garden (II), it squeezed in its only football game – Rutgers vs. Pennsylvania on January 19, 1889 – just before it was torn down as reported in the August 8, 1889 New York Times. The second Garden was built on the same spot.
