Marker Recalls Historical Jennie Jaynes Stadium

In remembrance of the old Jennie Jaynes Stadium that was located where the Heckart Community Center is now, a marker was unveiled Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The old football and track stadium, used primarily by Smith-Cotton and later by Sacred Heart, stood for over 60 years in the 200 block of South Limit before a new stadium was built at 2010 Tiger Pride Boulevard where the new Smith-Cotton High School is now located, and the old stadium was demolished in 2015 to make way for the new Heckart Community Center.

The stadium was named for Jennie Jaynes Lewis, the daughter of Colonel A.D. Jaynes, a founder of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway.

Many events took place at Jennie Jaynes, including sports (including football, soccer and track), graduations, and overnight Relay for Life fund-raisers, to name a few.

“Tonight we dedicated a historic marker at the site of the old Jennie Jaynes Stadium. Even though the stadium is gone, this spot still brings people together, today through the Heckart Community Center, just as it once did on Friday nights under the lights.

“I want to thank our Sedalia Historic Preservation Commission and Sedalia Parks & Recreation for making this possible. Because of their work, our history is not forgotten, and future generations will know the story of this place.

“I’m grateful to everyone who came out tonight to be part of this moment. Sedalia is stronger when we remember where we’ve been and come together to celebrate it,” commented Mayor Andrew Dawson on facebook Thursday.

The event was hosted by the City of Sedalia’s Historic Preservation Commission in partnership with Sedalia Parks and Recreation.

According to the City of Sedalia, the marker commemorates the stadium that stood on the site from 1953 until 2015, when it was demolished to make way for the Heckart Community Center. Built of concrete and steel with a seating capacity of 3,000, the stadium was the center of Sedalia’s high school athletics for more than 60 years. Generations of students competed on its field, while friends and family members packed the stands to cheer on their victories and console them in their defeats.

Among the many athletes and coaches remembered for their contributions at Jennie Jaynes Stadium are Charles Van Dyne, who supervised the construction of the facility before playing football at the University of Missouri and later for the Buffalo Bisons; Coach Ralph “Stub” Dow, who led Smith-Cotton’s football team from 1945 to 1959; and a long list of athletes including Norris Kelley, Kelli Lowman Tosti, Leonard Butler, Jim and John Johnson, Jennifer Drum McClaflin, Bruce Kerr, Joseph Arbisi, Warren Dey, Dr. Earl Finley, Steve Stonecipher-Fisher, Wesley Scott Swain, Tom Munson, Mike Riley, and Solomon Watkins. While these names stand out, city officials emphasize that the stadium’s true legacy lies in the thousands of students who played there and in the families and community members who made the stands a place of spirited support for more than six decades.

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The stadium was named for Jennie Jaynes Lewis, the daughter of Colonel A.D. Jaynes, a founder of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway. Although she married and moved to St. Louis in 1896, she always considered Sedalia her home. In her will, she established that her estate should be used for “the educational and recreational improvement of the young people” of the community. That vision has shaped opportunities for Sedalia youth for generations.

City officials note that Jennie Jaynes Stadium was more than a sports venue; it was a gathering place where community pride came alive. The new historic marker will serve as a permanent reminder of the stadium’s role in Sedalia’s history and as a tribute to the woman whose generosity helped make it possible.