Alamo Wall and Bulldog Stadium

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Alamo Wall and Bulldog Stadium in Jasper County. Now settle in, because this one's got lights, rivalry, and a wall shaped like one of the most famous buildings in all of Texas. You can't make this stuff up.

Well, somebody did make the wall, but I'm getting ahead of myself. It all starts back around 1922, when Jasper Bulldog Stadium first opened its gates and became the centerpiece for athletic competition in town. Year by year, the crowds kept growin'.

The rivalries kept heatin' up. And by 1936, those bleachers were filled to the brim at every single game. The town had, plain and simple, outgrown its stadium.

So Jasper school officials and community leaders did what any sensible Texans would do when they needed something built. They turned to the Works Progress Administration, the WPA, for help. The stadium saw two WPA renovation projects startin' as early as January of 1936.

Now, that first project, that was the one that changed the game. Literally. They added stadium lights on poles surrounding the playing field.

And when the work was done, WPA officials and workers were invited to join local dignitaries and fans to witness something Jasper had never seen before under the open sky at night. On Tuesday, April 28th, 1936, the very first night game was played in Bulldog Stadium. The senior Bulldogs, facing off against the underclassmen known as the Pups.

Can you imagine being there for that? The glow of those new lights, the whole town packed in tight, watching their own kids play football after dark for the very first time. Then came 1940, and the second chapter of this stadium's story.

Additional work began under the direction of architect W.C. Meador and engineer A.C. Stone.

Improved steel bleachers. A new playing field surface. Ticket booths.

Bus shelters. All the makings of a proper Texas stadium. But here is where W.C.

Meador did something nobody in Jasper was likely expecting. He designed a stone masonry wall at the entrance to the stadium, and he shaped it like the Alamo. The Alamo.

In keeping with WPA guidelines to preserve craftsmanship and artistic design, his choice of a rustic design inspired by the historic Alamo was, as the marker puts it, perfect for a Texas high school football stadium. Hard to argue with that. Since 1941, that Alamo wall has been standing right there at the gate, capturing the imagination of thousands of fans and players who passed through it on their way to something they'd carry with them the rest of their lives.

A Friday night in Jasper, under the lights, through a door shaped like a Texas legend.

What the marker says

Jasper Bulldog Stadium, established circa 1922, served as the centerpiece for the town’s athletic competitions, becoming ever more popular over the years. By 1936, the bleachers were being filled at every game and rivalries were heating up between the teams that played one another year after year. The town had quickly outgrown its stadium. Soon Jasper School officials and community leaders turned to the new works progress administration (WPA) for help to improve the stadium. The stadium saw two WPA renovation projects starting as early as January 1936. The first project was notable for the addition of stadium lights on poles surrounding the playing field. When the project was completed, WPA officials and workers were invited to join local dignitaries and fans to watch a night game. On Tuesday, April 28,1936, the first night game was played in bulldog stadium with the senior bulldogs facing off against the underclassmen “Pups.” Additional work began in 1940 under the direction of the architect, W.C. Meador, and engineer, A.C. Stone. Work included improved steel bleachers, a new playing field surface, ticket booths and bus shelters. Additionally, W.C. Meador designed a unique stone masonry wall in the shape of the Alamo as the entrance to the stadium. In keeping with WPA guidelines to preserve craftsmanship and artistic design, his choice of a rustic design inspired by the historic Alamo was perfect for a Texas high school football stadium. Since 1941, its “Alamo” design has captured the imagination of thousands of fans and players who passed through its gates while attending athletic events. (2017)