Willow Lane Park
The school campus was the location of Willow Lane Park in the early 20th Century. It was here that a stadium was constructed to serve as a home to Hagerstown's "Class D" minor league baseball teams. The teams were part of the "Blue Ridge League," which was headquartered in Hagerstown and included teams from Hagerstown, Chambersburg, Frederick, Hanover, Martinsburg, Waynesboro and Gettysburg. The Hagerstown team changed names several times:
1915 - Hagerstown Blues
1916 - 1918 - Hagerstown Terriers
1920 - 1921 - Hagerstown Champs
1922 -1923 - Hagerstown Terriers
1924 - 1930 - Hagerstown Hubs
Two Blue Ridge League players who ultimately went into careers in the Major Leagues and achieve Hall of Fame induction were Robert "Lefty" Grove and Lewis R. "Hack" Wilson. Both played for the Martinsburg teams.
South Patomac Junior High School was built on this site in 1930, and later became Bester Elementary School. Municipal Stadium was constructed in 1930 and the Hubs moved to the new stadium, but the league disbanded the following year due to heavy financial losses brought about by the "Great Depression."
Marker is on South Potomac Street (Maryland Route 65) near Memorial Blvd West.
Courtesy hmdb.org
