History of Wrigley Field - Before The Federal League

Before The Federal League

At the turn of the 20th century, the block bounded by Clark, Addison, Waveland, and Sheffield streets was home to the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary, along with the Hildebrandt Coal Factory. At the time the Seminary was established in 1891, the area was located in a quiet, relatively undeveloped section of the Lake View District of Chicago's North Side. The extension of the elevated system into the area in 1900 led to rapid development of the surrounding neighborhood. As the neighborhood started taking on an increasingly urban character, the Seminary sought to sell its land and find a quieter location.

In 1909, the minor-league American Association was seeking to become a third major league. Key to its designs was the establishment of a franchise in the lucrative Chicago market to compete with the Cubs and White Sox. Charles Havenor, owner of the AA Milwaukee Brewers, and Joe and Mike Cantillion, owners of the AA Minneapolis Millers, saw an opportunity to make profit by snapping up choice property and selling it back to the AA. Since the White Sox played on the South Side at South Side Park, and the Cubs were firmly ensconced on the West Side at West Side Park, Havenor and the Cantillions looked to the rapidly developing North Side as the best place to situate the team. The Seminary's location represented the best open land on the North Side. The Seminary, eager to move, sold the property to Havenor and the Cantillions for $175,000 and relocated to the suburb of Maywood, Illinois, where it remained until 1967.

The American Association's plans to become a major league and enter the Chicago market fell through, however, and the lot remained idle over the next few years. Havenor eventually sold his interests to Edmund Archambault, a real estate investor.