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Marinelli Field

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Marinelli Field is a stadium in Rockford, Illinois located in Blackhawk Park and is overseen by the Rockford Park District. It is primarily used for baseball. The ball field is in the north end of Blackhawk Park and is bounded by 15th Avenue (north, right field); Nelson Boulevard and the Rock River (west, left field); commercial businesses to the east; and the rest of the city park to the south and southeast. It sits just a few blocks west of Beyer Stadium, which is also on 15th. The field has served as the stadium for two minor league franchises: Rockford RiverHawks (2002–2005) Rockford Reds (1999) Rockford Cubbies (1995–1998) Rockford Royals (1993–1994) Rockford Expos (1988–1992)In addition, it is the current home of the amateur Rockford Foresters, a summer collegiate-league team. The Rockford Expos, a farm team of the Montreal Expos, The Rockford Royals, a farm team of the Kansas City Royals, the Rockford Cubbies, a farm team of the Chicago Cubs and the Rockford Reds, a farm team of the Cincinnati Reds all preceded the organization's move to Dayton, Ohio to become the Dayton Dragons (2000–present) WTVO-TV an ABC affiliate in Rockford, Illinois reported on Tuesday, September 16 that a group of Chicago area investors were looking to bring a Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) team to Rockford, which would play at Marinelli Field beginning in the summer of 2010. The group of Chicago area investors is known as Three Strikes Baseball Corp. In November 2009, the CICL announced that it would merge with a new summer collegiate league and form the new 11-team Prospect League. The Rockford Foresters will return to play at Marinelli Field for the summer of 2012. The Foresters announced its team colors and logo on January 13, 2010.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Marinelli Field (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Marinelli Field
Blackhawk Park, Rockford

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Latitude Longitude
N 42.249555 ° E -89.100924 °
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Blackhawk Park

Blackhawk Park
61102 Rockford
Illinois, United States
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Beyer Stadium
Beyer Stadium

The Beyer Stadium, one mile from downtown in Rockford, Illinois, was the home of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's Rockford Peaches from 1943 to 1954. It was a multi-purpose facility, as contemporary newspaper articles also report high school baseball and football games being played there. Its address in city directories was typically given as 311 15th Avenue. It began as Kishwaukee Park or simply Rockford Base Ball Park in about 1913 when the Rockford club of the Wisconsin-Illinois League moved into it from their previous home, Riverside Park. That club folded after the 1923 season and sold the ballpark to Rockford High School for use as their athletic field. By 1925 the venue was being called Rockford Municipal Stadium or 15th Avenue Stadium. In 1948 it was renamed in honor of Charles Beyer, long-time high school athletics coach.There was a "practice field" adjacent to the main stadium, to the east. When the Rockford Rox minor league club was established in 1947, the Rockford school board gave them permission to configure the field for baseball, fitting it with lights and seating. To distinguish the field from the Peaches' diamond, it was called 15th Avenue Park or Rox Park. The clubs worked out their schedules so they would not both be playing at the same time, thus avoiding potential logistical problems. The Rox struggled financially, and in early August 1949 they became strictly a road team as they finished out their final season. The site of Rox Field is now occupied by the Beyer Early Child Center and parking lots. Following the closure of the AAGPBL and hence the Rockford Peaches, the stadium continued to be used for local sports, but was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair. The stands were torn down in the early 1990s. The film A League of Their Own raised renewed interest in the women's league, and revival of the ballpark was discussed. In 2004 the Rockford Park District finally approved a proposal to revamp Beyer Park. Proposed improvements include a new baseball diamond, new lighting, and a track. A re-dedication of Beyer Stadium occurred on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 1:00 pm. The history of Beyer Stadium was celebrated as Rockford's "field of dreams" for over 70 years, and members of the Rockford Peaches women's baseball team were honored, along with other women who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. To commemorate this event, the Friends of Beyer Stadium and other donors have re-created the original score board, created a vintage backstop, and installed a flag pole that features the Rockford Peaches flag. The revamped ballpark is bounded by 15th Avenue (north, left field); Seminary Street (west, third base); Beyer Early Childhood Center (east, right field); and various buildings to the south. The ticket booth is at 15th and Seminary, near the left field corner. https://history.rockfordpubliclibrary.org/localhistory/?p=54753 https://www.rrstar.com/photogallery/IR/20100606/PHOTOGALLERY/306069893/PH/1/%E2%80%9D//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WF5MZJ9%E2%80%B3

Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden (63 ha / 155 acres) is a nonprofit arboretum and botanical garden located at 2715 South Main Street, Rockford, Illinois. The arboretum was established in 1910 as Rockford Nursery by landscape architect William Lincoln Taylor, who planted many of the arboretum's trees. The Klehm family purchased the nursery in 1968 and maintained it until 1985, when they donated the property to the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District as an arboretum. In the early 1990s, the site was inventoried, a master plan developed, and a capital campaign undertaken. Garden plantings began in 1994. The arboretum includes a pre-settlement Bur Oak grove (5 ha / 12 acres) whose largest trees are estimated to be over 300 years old. It also includes over 50 species and cultivars of Conifers, representing nine groups from North America, Europe, and Asia, such as Firs, Junipers, Spruces, Pines, Douglas Fir, Yews, Arborvitae, Hemlock, Nikko Firs, Meyer's Spruce, Common Juniper, Arborvitae, and the Threadleaf Sawara Falsecypress. The European collection includes mature Norway Maple, Field Maple, Pedunculate Oak, English Elm, European Beech, Common Horsechestnut, Mountain Pine and Scots Pine, as well as European Larch, European Hornbeam and Spindle Tree. The East Asian collection includes Cork Trees, Japanese Red and White Magnolia, Flowering Quince, and various Honeysuckles. The Northern America collection includes American Beech, Yellow Buckeye, Cucumbertree Magnolia, Tulip Tree, Ponderosa Pine, Colorado Spruce, and Douglas Fir. Other woody plants include Basswood, Red Buckeye, Black Cherry, American Chestnut, Dogwood, Fringe Tree, Hackberry, Hemiptelea, Japanese Pagoda Tree, Shagbark Hickory, Umbrella Magnolia, Scarlet Oak, White Oak, Redbud, Carolina Silverbell, Sourwood, Sweetgum, Viburnum, Black Walnut, and Wisteria. The gardens include a Butterfly Garden, Daylily Garden, multiple Demonstration Gardens, Fountain Garden, Grass Garden, Hosta Garden, the Nancy Olson Children's Garden, the Ethel Johnson Lilac Garden, and a Prehistoric Garden (with Cycads, Baldcypress, Ferns, Ginkgo, Horsetails, Mosses, Bristlecone Pine, and Dawn Redwood).

Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). The largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, Rockford is the fourth-largest city in the state and the 171st most populous in the United States. According to 2020 U.S. Census data, the City of Rockford had a population of 148,655 with an outlying metropolitan area population of 348,360. Settled in the mid-1830s, the position of the city on the Rock River made its location strategic for industrial development. In the second half of the 19th century, Rockford was notable for its output of heavy machinery, hardware and tools; by the twentieth century, it was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation, and 94th largest city. During the second half of the 20th century, Rockford struggled alongside many Rust Belt cities. Since the late 1990s, efforts in economic diversification have led to growth of automotive, aerospace, and healthcare industries, as well as the undertaking of various tourism and downtown revitalization efforts. Nicknamed the Forest City, Rockford is presently known for various venues of cultural or historical significance, including Anderson Japanese Gardens, Klehm Arboretum, Rockford Art Museum, Tinker Swiss Cottage, the BMO Harris Bank Center, the Coronado Theatre, the Laurent House, and the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Its contributions to music are noted in the Mendelssohn Club, the oldest music club in the nation, and performers such as Phantom Regiment and Cheap Trick. Notable outdoor or recreational spots near Rockford are Rock Cut State Park, Atwood Homestead County Forest Preserve, and Lowden State Park.