Old Softball Field in Midway Township

On Midway/Becks Road, about a quarter mile south of Interstate 35 and just west of the former Nopeming Sanatorium, sits a softball — or perhaps youth baseball — field that doesn’t appear to have been played on in about 40 years. These photos are from November.

I have no information on what the name of this field might have been … or really any details or anecdotes at all. Sometimes those tidbits emerge after a post like this sits for a while on the Internet.

The land is privately owned, but has a rather clever geocache on it, which suggests respectful trespassing is acceptable.

If you find yourself having an emergency, the outhouse is still standing.

5 Comments

David Beard

about 1 year ago

There is a similarly abandoned basketball court (I think) at the end of 13th off Piedmont, just passed the end of the cul de sac.

Matthew James

about 1 year ago

There's an old baseball field up there too, now with a bit of an obstacle course for the base runners.

Matthew James

about 1 year ago

The 2016 Midway Township Comprehensive Plan states "The township has maintained a baseball field and open area recreational space on the former Nopeming property." Perhaps in the next plan that will be changed to "had maintained." Baseball fields are pretty easy to identify in aerial imagery. Looking at that plot of land over the past 70 years, it seems like it has been a field for playing baseball for some time, but never quite seems to have been a proper baseball field with a clearly designated infield and outfield, with the exception of perhaps the late 1980s. And it looks like it became a baseball field sometime in the 50s, with a few small buildings that can last be seen in the 1992 image. Even in 2016, it seems mowed and ready for an informal game. It will indeed be interesting to see how long it takes before someone starts feeling nostalgic, searches for this particular baseball field, and adds a more clear explanation than the aerial photos can provide.

Scott Heikkinen

about 1 year ago

I remember watching softball games at this Nopeming location in the mid-1960s. There was a county fast pitch league at the time comprised of teams from Solway Township, Hermantown, Esko, and Midway Township. There may have been more teams but I can’t remember who they were. My dad played centerfield for the Esko team. I’ll ask him if there were additional teams as he is still living -- 90 years old.

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