Dexter Park (Chicago)

Dexter Park was the first ballpark in Chicago, IL to charge admission, being used by the Chicago White Stockings in 1870, when they became professional, and 1871, their first season in the National Association. It was also known as the Union Base-Ball Grounds.

It was a makeshift affair, a fenced-off area in the infield of a race-track, but attracted some large crowds, including an estimated 20,000 persons on October 13, 1870, when the White Stockings hosted the Cincinnati Red Stockings.

The ballpark burned down in the Great Chicago Fire on October 8, 1871, taking with it the White Stockings' records, uniforms, equipment and cash, and a lot of personal property belonging to club players. As a result, the White Stockings did not return to the National Association until 1874.