September 17, 1948, was a day filled with community pride in White Bear. Thousands were in attendance as the newly lighted Price Field was dedicated by Gov. Luther Youngdahl. The field is still used today by Central Middle School for its physical education classes and other district-sponsored sporting events, but in 1948 it was the home of the White Bear High School football team.
The dedication program that evening read like a who’s who of White Bear in the 1940s: City attorney Ted Glasrud served as chairman, local businessman Homer Thomas was master of ceremonies and Charles Price, 30-year president of the school board, whom the field was named after, accepted the field on behalf of the school district.
More than 300 citizens and businesses contributed to the fundraising effort to light the field, but the community involvement didn’t end there. Dick Bradley, the 28-year veteran football coach at White Bear, would lead his team onto the field against Little Falls. The cheers of the crowd couldn’t mask the tunes of the bandleader Harry Hauglie’s 60-piece band in their brand-new black-and-orange uniforms. The band brought extra pep to every sporting event at Price Field.
Price’s tenure ran 35 years total. During that time he operated under the philosophy that kids deserved a “square deal”: If you give them a chance, they will give you much more in return. Price was well-respected by both students and the community at large and it was most fitting that the field carried his name.
The White Bear Varsity teams used Price Field as their home turf until moving to the district’s South Campus in the 1980s.
Sara Markoe Hanson is the executive director of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. She is one of a handful of community representatives sharing history thoughts monthly on the back page of our magazine. 651.407.5327.
