Rare original contract and bid sheet, issued by the City of Cleveland Department of Public Service, for the construction of Lakefront Stadium (also known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium or Cleveland Stadium), longtime home to the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns. This contract originates from the archives of Osborne Engineering, the company that designed Lakefront Stadium, as well as many other notable stadiums in the United States, including Yankee Stadium. The 92-page contract, for general work, outlines the specifics of the job, including the construction of the walls, railings, floors, etc. Stapled to the interior front cover is a two-page addendum list to the contract, dated October 10, 1929. This is the contract that was provided to all interested companies wishing to bid on the project at the time and is a wealth of information regarding all the details of the stadium's construction.
Lakefront Stadium was one of the first major multi-purpose stadiums built in the United States, and was designed to accommodate both baseball and football. The stadium was built in approximately 18 months and its first event was a heavyweight boxing match between Max Schmeling and Young Stribling on July 1, 1931. The Cleveland Indians played their first game at Lakefront Stadium on July 31, 1932. The Cleveland Browns called the stadium home from 1946 through 1995.
The contract (6.5x8"), which has not been filled out and is complete as issued, displays heavy-to-moderate wear, including a vertical fold, creasing to the soft covers, and two notebook holes in the upper left corner. Several of the pages feature pencil notations and/or light stains, and there are vintage pencil and ink notations on both covers. Good condition overall. Accompanied by an LOA from Ballpark Classics, Inc. (Ballpark Classics was the company that sold most of the Osborne Engineering archives in the 1990s.)
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