Photoessay #1124 - Howe Field

We received a promotional magazine from University of Oregon that featured a 'Goodbye to Mac Court' article. MarArthur Court, the oldest basketball venue in the country (or similar) built in the 1920s is being subsumed by UO's new basketball arena built with Nike money which opens this year (maybe). Built right across the street from the Days Inn on Franklin where we liked to stay. The original location was to have been on the Howe Field site, which would have meant a new softball field. In some ways, UO should be ashamed of Howe Field especially the bathroom situation and the seating. My one victory during my UO parent days was to get the Mac Court bathrooms open for softball games. However I love the atmosphere and location of Howe Field, a lot of character (if lack of plumbing)

I don't think Mac Court is being torn down, think it will still be used for volleyball. But the magazine contained a shot I've been looking for a long time. A historic shot of Howe Field as a baseball field.

I maintain that Howe Field is the oldest venue used for collegiate softball (built in 1936).

So here's the shot taken in 1947, the field is just 11 years old. Not too many amenities though the orientation is the same with the whole lowered field amphitheatre feel. Same hedge!! On the right field line. I would maintain that those bleachers are the same 65 years later.

Not many improvements to the field itself in the old shot, just a bench for the players on each sideline. Nothing much to the right of the shot, now the tennis building and the athletic facilities for the general student population use that site. Ivy covered Mac Court but unchanged (the bathrooms too! but they flush so we don't complain) Good crowd. No pressbox or added bleachers.

Susanna played there 2004-7. The next shot may be from 2003 (66 years later!!)...no "O" in the center field grass. I'm quite sure that the "O" was there when Susanna played center field as a freshman. They added the enclosed dugouts in the 70s sometime. Which impedes the view of a significant part of the seating. Some improvements have been made even since that 2003 shot. Lights. The inner sidelines are now grass (see shot of sideline in preparation for Senior Day 2007. Also the upper bleachers have been added since 2003, you can no longer park right in the foreground as shown in the 2003 image.

Last shot from UO website for Howe Field. From 2008 or older as Sari Jane (not Nina) is in center field and no lights. But the closest angle to the historical shot. Power poles gone.