Both Mayor Roberts' ad and Tom Jennemann's writeup ("Maxwell House development green-lighted") in the January 12 Reporter (also a letter in the January 19 issue) made the ludicrous claim that, in creating two parks totaling five and a half acres, the developers would "restore," in Jennemann's words, "the historically noteworthy Elysian Fields, where many historians believe the first baseball game was played." The Jersey Journal report (12/27/02) was equally misleading.
In fact when that first baseball took place in 1846 the public pleasure grounds known as the Elysian Fields covered far more than the entire Maxwell site, now slated for high-rise development. According to Hoboken historian Jim Hans, the Elysian Fields extended west to Clinton Street and north-south from Tenth Street up. (In fact it took in a part of Weehawken.) As for the game site, a plaque commemorating that event now stands at Bloomfield and Eleventh Streets, reputedly on the site of the old playing field. (According to Hans, Elysian Fields had several baseball diamonds and other playing fields, which certainly were not confined to the acreage that later became the property of Maxwell House.
As I remember, Mayor Roberts ran for office promising to limit development. Instead he seems to think he'll fool us by rewriting history.
S.J. Blain
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