Originally built in 1928 Athletic Park fell into disrepair during World War II and was torn down. When the servicemen returned home they needed a place to play baseball and the citizens of Shawnee wanted to honor their fallen heroes. It was decided to combine the two needs and rebuild the park adding a monument listing the county's dead. So without help from any bond issues, loans, taxes or government help, local groups, businesses and individuals began to raise money for the project. It wasn't difficult to encourage people to donate just a few months after the war. With fund raisers and house-to-house canvassing, enough money was collected to build a professional stadium and a marble monument. Then most of the remaining work, field, fence, dressing rooms, parking area and ticket booth were done by volunteers whether by donating materials, loaning equipment or actual labor. It took about four years to completely finish the park but with a few updates over the next 65 years Memorial Park stands today as one of the finest in this area of Oklahoma. It was all done by grateful Americans as a way to not only benefit local baseball players but to show their appreciation for those who gave their lives on foreign battlefields.
