Soldiers' Field was actively used by many during the 1930s. The tennis courts were extremely busy, and weekends were often booked well in advance. From May 7 to July 31, 1932, over 4,000 people played on the courts.
The Holyoke High School tennis team, coached by Mr. John Driscoll, used the courts for their practices and home matches. From a safety perspective, there was controversy over continuing to use the field for golf while tennis was being played.
In 1933, Major William Crosier submitted his resignation as Superintendent of the Parks Department. He cited critical policy differences with the commissioners and physical issues that impacted his ability to perform his work.
Hailing from North Adams, William Crosier came to Holyoke in 1882 and obtained employment with the Holyoke Machine Company. Two years later, he changed jobs, moving on to the newly formed Holyoke Belting Company, where he became a manager and remained until 1901. At that time, he was hired by Chase and Cooledge Company, where he stayed until becoming Holyoke's park superintendent.
In 1894, he left civilian life for several years to become Captain of the Holyoke D Company, Second Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. During the Spanish-American War, he commanded a battalion when the major was incapacitated.
First elected in 1918, he served as superintendent for 15 years. During his tenure, the number of parks and park acreage doubled. Additions included the corner lots at Lincoln and Northampton Streets, Anniversary Park, Soldiers' Field, and the southern portion of Springdale Park, which he developed from swampy land.
Soldiers' Field was widely used during the 1930s. Activities included college tennis exhibitions, local tennis tournaments, softball, high school, industrial league, church league baseball, and soccer. There was an annual summertime youth track and field competition with over 600 participants competing in various events. I posted the list of the young athletes from the 1938 edition. Possibly, you'll come across a relative's name during their youth. National Guard drills and band concerts were also held at the field.
For his dedication of years of service to the City of Holyoke's parks and parklands, Soldiers' Field was rededicated to the memory of William J. Crosier on Armistice Day, November 11, 1939. The field was renamed Crosier Field, a fitting tribute to one who contributed much of his effort to the park's construction and to those who served in the Spanish-American War.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
