User:Kbowling8/sandbox/Jelsma Stadium

Jelsma Stadium

Description: Jelsma Stadium is located in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It is home to the Guthrie Blue Jays High School. The field is nicknamed, "the rock" due to one end of the stadium being completely walled off by native sandstone. It is a WPA (Work Progress Administration) stadium and is listed on the National Register of Historic places. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Jelsma_Stadium_above.jpg

History: The stadium was built in 1935. It was named after city leader Lawerence Jelsma who raised the money to build the stadium with a $14,500 bond. With the help of the WPA, the town of Guthrie was able to build the stadium with the total cost coming to $48,500. The projected build for the stadium created about 150 jobs for the WPA. Unfortunately, Jelsma passed away in 1934 and never got to see the completion of the stadium. In honor of him, the stadium was named Jelsma stadium and is the primary stadium in Guthrie. It underwent conservation construction in 2005. The project cost roughly $3,000,000 but the added on ticket booth was made to look natural with the native sandstone. Today, Jelsma Stadium is one of the best High School stadiums in the country. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Black_and_White_photo_of_Jelsma.jpg

Features: The biggest feature that Jelsma stadium offers is the 30-foot tall native sandstone wall that is the north side of the stadium. This is what gives Jelsma stadium the nickname, "the rock". Looking at the stadium on the outside, the wall rises eight feet above the street right next to the addition of the ticket booths. While Jelsma stadium only seats about 4,000 with traditional seating, standing room only can raise that number dramatically. One thing that makes "the rock" such a unique stadium is the noise level that the wall can create. While many stadiums may offer thousands more seating, the sandstone wall keeps the noise inside the stadium, creating an amazing atmosphere. The whole space is only 400 by 700 feet. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Jelsma_from_field_access.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Jelsma_Stadium_present.jpg

Events: While Jelsma stadium is mainly used for football games, the field extends into the school's baseball field. It creates an extension of "the rock" and adds another home field advantage to baseball games. In terms of High School football, Jelsma stadium is one of the best. It was selected by ESPN as the No. 13 best High School Stadium in the nation, in 2008. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Old_drawings_of_Jelsma_stadium._Football_and_Baseball.jpg