2 B
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2018
A field of fond memories
B Y N ED H ICKSON
Siuslaw News
I
t was particularly
cold and wet when
the Vikings received
the opening kick-off
against Waldport in
October of 1950. The
completion of the Hans
Petersen Memorial Field was
still a year away, leaving one
more season to play out on the
hard, clay surface of what was
then Siuslaw Football Field
(and what is now Safeway).
What little grass had been
present between the hash
marks at the beginning of the
season had long since disap-
peared, ripped up from the
ground by metal cleats before
being washed away by the
steady, late-October rains.
What remained was a pock-
marked rectangle of mire over
which players slipped and
scrambled in hopes of advanc-
ing toward the end zone—one
hard-fought yard at a time.
Bud Miles remembers jog-
ging back to the huddle with
teammate Richard Swigert,
both juniors in 1950.
“When we got there, we all
leaned in together—then real-
ized someone was missing,”
recalls Miles. “We stood up
and looked around, then saw
Leon [Coit] laying face-down
in a puddle of water.”
Coit had landed head first
against the clay, knocking
himself unconscious.
“We all ran over,” Swigert
finishes, “and pulled him up.
He was all right after a while.
On that hard surface, guys
were always breaking fingers,
arms, or getting knocked out.
It was just part of the game.”
Face guards, shoulder pads,
hip pads, mouth pieces, knee
protectors and chin straps
were not.
“Our freshman year, we got
a strip of leather for a helmet,
and two pieces of molded
leather for shoulder pads,”
laughs Miles. “I tell you—we
couldn’t wait for that new
field!”
“It was probably the worst
playing conditions you could
have,” adds Swigert, who
stops himself in mid-sentence
to amend his statement.
“Except for Waldport’s field. I
think they had it worse than
we did—at least during high
tide.”
Both men, now in their late
60s, break out laughing.
“Sometimes, our games in
Waldport ended in two quar-
ters instead of four,” Miles
manages between chuckles.
“One time, we were playing in
that much water,” he says, and
gestures to his knees.
“Fortunately, we were already
ahead 27-0, so they gave us
the win.”
As part of the Coast League
in the 1950s, Siuslaw’s rivals
included Newport, Reedsport,
Toledo, Taft, Willamette and
Mapleton.
“Mapleton whipped our
butts my freshman year,”
recalls Miles, who played
right tackle for the Viks. “My
senior year, we finally made
up for it and beat them 52-12.
“I’ll never forget that game
— or that year.”
Fifty years later, it’s a senti-
ment that most Viking fans
would agree with.
to grant on his behalf. After
settling on the idea of building
a stadium, the committee,
chaired by Edward Niespo,
approached the Seaman fami-
ly about a hilly piece of land
on the edge of the city covered
with pine, rhododendrons and
huckleberries.
The site’s ownership was
shared by brothers W.A.
Seaman and A.E. Seaman,
along with W.A. Seaman’s
wife, Olive, of Coos Bay.
A deed was soon drawn up,
transferring ownership of the
only a legacy for Hans
Petersen, but a tradition for
Viking fans in the decades
ahead.
T
he mention of grass in
conjunction with the
new field was some-
thing that didn’t escape the
notice of Miles and Swigert,
who, along with their fathers,
were among those working on
the field that winter and
spring.
OVER 1,000 ATTEND GAME,
DEDICATION
“...Edward Niespo told the history of the
field and how the work was accomplished
through united community effort for commu-
nity enjoyment. It was then officially turned
over to Homer F. Severy, school board chair-
man, who made the acceptance and briefly
sketched a history of Hans Petersen, the man.”
—Siuslaw Oar
October 12, 1951
land to the Petersen committee
for a token $10 — just enough
to cover legal fees involved in
the transaction.
By January of 1951, the
new field was taking shape as
residents and local businesses
donated time and materials,
working together to build
grandstands and complete the
turf that would become not
“My dad had a Model-A
pick-up with a drag on it,”
recalls Miles, who spent many
evenings standing on the drag
as his father drove around the
field to help level the newly-
packed dirt. “I stood on that
thing and watched the stadium
come together nail by nail.
Everyone pitched in to help.”
Save for
a rainy
year.
poles. With bleachers measur-
ing 240 feet long and capable
of seating 1,200 fans, the new
athletic field was one of the
largest on the coast.
“I felt like we were playing
at Autzen Stadium, it was that
much of a step up,” recalls
Swigert.
Miles still shakes his head
in whimsey as he remembers
coming out onto the field that
night. “Our chests were
swelled up like big balloons,”
he says. “I remember standing
there, looking at all the lights,
and thinking, ‘Wow.’”
The following week, the
event made the front page of
the Siuslaw Oar (now the
Siuslaw News).
Even though Reedsport
went on to win the game 42-12
that night, what mattered most
was that the seeds of Viking
tradition had been planted at
Hans Petersen Memorial Field
— where it continued to grow
for a half century.
Let Paul show you a new car or truck.
Stop by today!
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
A weekly roundup of shopping, savings and doings around town.
HIGH VISIBILITY RETAIL SPACE
490 Hwy. 101, In Beautiful
FLORENCE, Oregon
PRICE REDUCED $475,000.00
Sue Gilday, Agent
State Farm Agent
1275 Rhododendron Drive
Florence, OR 97439
Bus: 541-997-7161
Get a 30 Month CD
FDIC-insured CD
2.30 %
APY*
6HWDVLGHPRQH\ZLWKDÀ[HGUDWHRIUHWXUQ,·OOEH
WKHUHWRVKRZ\RXUDWHVDQGWHUPVWKDWFDQKHOS
\RXUHDFK\RXUJRDO
HIGH Visibility Retail Space (was formerly “Mon
Ami”) with 3 Apartments with easily accessible park-
ing. 5,000sq ft +/- Building with Ground level Retail
Space in the “Florence Antique District” and secure
Apartments upstairs, one (1) overlooking the City
of Florence. Come enjoy the breathtaking views of
the Oregon Coast sunsets! Retail Space can be one
2500sq ft +/- store or divided into two (2) separate Retail stores.Come bring your Busi-
ness & Move-In. Call me anytime for more info. RMLS# 16689284
Realty
Bank with a Good Neighbor .
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION.
®
541-997- 4842
*Annual Percentage Yield as of 04/04/18. Advertised rates are subject to change at the
Bank’s discretion. The minimum balance required to earn the stated APY is $500 (rates apply
to deposits less than $100,000). A penalty may be imposed for withdrawals prior to maturity.
Special Term CDs renew automatically into the next highest Standard Term CD. Some
products and services not available in all areas. FDIC basic coverage amount is $250,000 per
depositor, per insured bank, for each ownership category. IRA and ESA CDs are not available
for terms less than 12 months. Callers who are hearing or speech impaired should dial 711 or
use a preferred Telecommunications Relay Service.
1501580
State Farm Bank, F.S.B.,
Bloomington, IL
SPRING
TIRE
SALE
ROLL
INTO SPRING
WORRY-FREE.
N ATALIE N AGRONE , Broker
Cell # 541-991-0531
natalienagrone@gmail.com
Alta Taylor,
Principal Broker/ Owner
Offi ce# 541-997-4842
Cell # 541-999-0727
fl orencekeyrealty@msn.com
Realty
541-997- 4842
Natalie Nagrone
Broker
Cell # 541-991-0531
natalienagrone@gmail.com
Natalie Nagrone
T
he field’s beginnings
stem back to 1948,
when,
on
one
September day, 82-year-old
Hans Petersen was tragically
struck by a car while crossing
a street in downtown Portland.
Known throughout
Florence, Petersen was a local
businessman whose love for
children made him an endear-
ing figure within the commu-
nity. There are stories told of
how he provided space in his
construction company build-
ing for kids to display their
animals during the annual
county fair — and of his often-
heard wish for a community
playing field that families
could enjoy.
It was that wish that mem-
bers of the Hans M. Petersen
Memorial Committee set out
Swigert’s father, who
owned a local saw mill, donat-
ed lumber for the grandstands
and sent work crews down to
the site to work on the project.
“After work and on the
weekends, all the dads came
down and helped work on the
grandstands,” says Swigert.
“It was a real community
effort from start to finish.
That’s part of what made it
special.
“We couldn’t wait to play
on it.”
On Oct. 5, 1951, the wait
was finally over.
Though the Vikings played
twice on the new field before
its official dedication, nothing
compared to the October
night, when over 1,000 fans
packed the newly constructed
bleachers to watch the Vikings
play long-time rival
Reedsport.
That evening, Siuslaw fans
heard the unmistakable sound
of cleats marching over
cement as the Vikings made
their first official approach to
Hans Petersen Field.
The hill that was once cov-
ered with salal and huckleber-
ries was now level, plush with
grass and gleaming beneath
180 kilowatts of lights beam-
ing down from atop 90-ft
Alta Taylor Principal Broker/ Owner
2IÀFH&HOO
ÁRUHQFHNH\UHDOW\#PVQFRP
OPEN THE DOORS
TODAY WITH
KEY REALTY
FLORENCE
4325 Hwy. 101
541-997-7178
BUY • SELL • TRADE
1031 Exchanges