Happy 125th Birthday To The Rutgers Football Team's Second Home

[Source]

Just as the 1890-91 Rutgers school year was coming to a close, the July 1, 1891 Targum proposed, “The past year has seen the College presented with an athletic field now complete in its equipment and ready to be opened with the approaching football season. For this generous gift no more suitable name could be given to the grounds than by attaching the name of the benefactor, Mr. James Neilson (pronounced nel-son), Class of 1866, and calling the new athletic grounds Neilson Field.” Neilson Field would hold its first football game on October 24, 1891. But it was on August 19, 1891 that the grounds would host its first sporting event.

And what a first event it was. A thousand fans watched Harry Francis pitching for New Brunswick BBC (and later its manager in the early 20th century) tangle with John Harkins pitching for the West End Athletic Association of Somerville (and Rutgers first major league ball player who pitched for Cleveland, Brooklyn and Baltimore). The game was stopped by darkness in a tie after each pitcher went the distance:

New Brunswick 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -- 2
West End 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -- 2

“Lovers of base ball are still discussing the 16-inning tie game of last week, and numerous bets have been placed on the return contest,” according to the August 25, 1891 Daily Times of New Brunswick.

Townspeople still remembered the game 17 years after it was played according to the February 3, 1908 Daily Home News (of New Brunswick):

"...Francis and Harkins had their greatest battle in this city. It was at the opening game at Neilson Field, where they sea-sawed for 16 innings. Darkness put an end to this great game. Harkins pitched for the West Ends of Somerville and Francis for the Brunswicks…”

Happy 125th Birthday Nelson Field ! - the football team's second home. (It was located where the big smokestack is across from the river dorms.

 

[NorthernKnight]

The Neilson Family and Rutgers...intertwined...

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=53275381

 

[RUsince52]

My dad first went to Nelson Field as a kid in the early 1920' s. He told me there was a wooden board by the entrance and any kid that stood below the drawn line, got in for free. I think it cost a quarter for young kids.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

On some recent post I saw old aerial view or map of the area where the old quad is and Bishop and.. well, the whole area was referred to as Neilson Campus. Essentially, the College Avenue Campus sans "Queens" was called Neilson Campus... maybe it was that Voorhees Mall map with Bleeker Street on it.. ah.. there it is, from the famous kenlew collection.. look on bottom-right

 

[RUsince52]

On some recent post I saw old aerial view or map of the area where the old quad is and Bishop and.. well, the whole area was referred to as Neilson Campus. Essentially, the College Avenue Campus sans "Queens" was called Neilson Campus... maybe it was that Voorhees Mall map with Bleeker Street on it..

What we called the Quad had a basketball court that was always 2nd choice to the outside courts by the Barn.

 

[Abro1975]