Chesterfield Athletic Field
Chesterfield Horse Show Site
Coaches: Jim Jenkins, Bill Matthews, Ronda Presson
First Chesterfield Civitan Horse Show 1948
Chesterfield School District Office
From the 40's till the 80's this was known as the Chesterfield Baseball Field and Civitans Horse Show Site.
While football and track and field events were held here, Chesterfield has always been recognized as a baseball community. Coach Bill Matthews led the baseball team to the State Championship in 1963 while playing on this field.
The story is told that Dean White (probably in the 40's) once hit a foul ball over the backstop while the train was going by and the ball landed in one of the train cars and went to Cheraw. The game had to be called because they didn't have another ball.
For a number of years, Chesterfield fielded a semi-pro town team which played other teams from surrounding communities. Those players often included former major league players. This was no "sissy" league; in fact the talent level was way above average.
The by-pass did not exist until late in the 20th Century but the train tracks did run where the bypass is located today.
This site holds many personal memories for me. I played football and baseball here,and I experienced the frequent tetanus shots that were required when a player incurred an open wound on this field. I visited the Horse Shows that were held here and I had the good fortune to coach here for three years in the early 60's. I had a chance to work with some fine young men who remain friends to this day.
I felt fortunate that we had medical help across the street from the athletic field. Dr. Jerry Perry was forever working on some injury to see that we had all our players ready for the games. I bet he put a home made halo on J. Calvin's hand a half dozen times or more so J. Calvin could play on Friday Nights (the device was removed for the games but had to be replaced each time to insure that a broken bone would heal). I recall a funny incident that occured at practice. Mack Lawrence got hit in the face and the skin popped open and it looked bad but was really a minor injury, but we dispursed Mack to Dr. Jerry's office. I sent "Butch" Pelfrey, our manager with him. After practice Mack came to the gym to change his uniform and he was alone. I inquired as to where "Butch" was. While watching Dr. Jerry sew up Mack's cut, "Butch" fainted and hit his head on the floor and had to stay over night for observation. A sad follow-up to that story is that Mack was killed in an automobile accident in Camden, SC just a few years later. Dr. Jerry's son, Jerry, was one of two boys I coached who later became coaches themselves. Arlo Hill, who played football at Newberry College, and who later coached here at Chesterfield, was the other one. The players from that era were such good young men even if their athletic skills were not exceptional, although some of them were quite talented. J. Calvin and Arlo both played football in college. Kenny Stroud played basketball as a freshman at Furman. Donnie Gaskins, even as a high school student, had the best skills with a shotgun I have ever seen. Donnie was quick and accurate. I admired his skills with a weapon. Jack Hurst who joined the football team late in high school and who became an anchor as a defensive middle guard, once told me that had it not been for football he probably would not have stayed in school. Success as a coach often comes from places other than wins and losses. Pete Fields may have been the most compteive young man I coached in Chesterfield. He hated to lose, even in gym classes. Moody Quick played with a foot that was injured in a hunting accident, but he never let it become an excuse. What a great personality he had. I don't think I ever convinced Gerald Rayfield that smoking was not good for him. He was tough as nails. Billy Roscoe played at such a level that he was constantly restricted by cramps. It is difficult to mention some without mentioning all who played for me because in some way each one was special. Emerson Bell came out for football late in high school and he had limited athletic skills, but he persisted on staying and taking the punishment that comes with football practice, even if you are talented. He gained my admiriation and that of his teammates simply because he refused to quit. Emerson exemplified the kind of young men with which I had the pleasure of working. I wish I could recall them all and tell you why they were special.
When the new high school was completed it included modern athletic facilities and by then the horse show had moved as well and this site was used to build a modern and efficient District Office site.