Original architect's drawing of Kingston Stadium, The History Center clipping files, 1951.
Kingston Stadium was constructed between 1951 and 1952. 11,000 people attended its opening day on September 12th, 1952. One month before, the Cedar Rapids Gazette newspaper introduced a contest to create a name for the new football stadium and 685 people submitted names. The winner was Esther Eicherly of Cedar Rapids who suggested the name “Kingston” as a way to honor the pioneers of the west side of Cedar Rapids. Kingston was the name of the small town located on the west bank of the Cedar River that was annexed to the city in 1870, leading it to become the west side of Cedar Rapids.
Mark W. Stoffer Hunter, Research Historian, The History Center
