When it opened in the fall of 1963, what is now known as Memorial Stadium was simply called “The New Stadium.” And the press box was the beacon overlooking the natural turf field as the new home of the Garden City High School Buffaloes and the Garden City Community College Broncbusters.
Through its 60-plus years of being the location of the public address announcers, the radio stations and newspaper writers, along with coaching staffs, the press box has served a major role in chronicling the athletic accomplishments of the high school, community college as well as the host site for yearly track meets.
However, the structure perched above the north stadium bleachers is now slated for demolition in the coming weeks, due to a recommendation from the district’s insurance provider paired with considerable up keep costs and lack of use.
“The Memorial Stadium press box has served us well, overseeing many of our district’s greatest athletic moments, from sub-state football championships to WAC titles in soccer and incredible performances on the track,” said USD 457 Superintendent Josh Guymon. “But since the middle school moved into the facility, the north press box has not been used nearly as much, due to the south press box being newer and easier to access.”
Memorial Stadium was originally proposed for construction in the Nov. 8, 1960, bond election that would include a new gymnasium (later named The Garden), and the new stadium and field. The capacity would be 2,000 on the north side and 1,000 on the south side. The east-west configuration was identical to the layout at Penrose Stadium, the home of the Buffs since the late 1930s.
The bond election of April 1961, passed at a cost of $1.345 million. By the spring of 1962, the football stadium/track plans had been designed and approved by the board of education.
While the Buffaloes played their first game in “The New Stadium,” on Sept. 20, 1963 (a 19-12 victory over Colby), the first official football game was played the week before on Sept. 14, 1963, when Garden City Community College beat Independence, 46-0, in a Jayhawk Junior College Conference contest.
The “New Stadium” completed its first season in 1963 and then continued without a formal name during the 1964 campaign, it wasn’t until Feb. 1, 1965, that the stadium got its official name, “Memorial Stadium.” The Feb. 2 edition of The Garden City Telegram described it as follows:
“Garden City’s new athletic field has an official name now. It will be called Memorial Stadium. Garden City Board of Education members named the plant during regular session last night (Feb. 1).”
The facility had simply been known as the “New Stadium.” However, those board members in 1965 announced moving forward it will be officially named “Memorial Stadium” to honor local boys who gave their lives in military service. A memorial fund of $100 was used to purchase a commemorative plaque for the field.
The board asked local veterans’ organizations to assist in dedication ceremonies during that next football season.
On June 23, 1967, a tornado ripped through sections of Garden City and Memorial Stadium was right in the path of the destructive storm. The press box was badly damaged and required a complete rebuild before the start of the fall 1967 season.
Memorial Stadium served as the home of the Buffaloes from the 1963 season until 2011, when the current Garden City High School campus was constructed north of Mary Street along U.S. Highway 83. The new facility was officially opened and was named Buffalo Stadium at the start of the 2012 football season.