1908 West Side Park

This West Side Park awesome panoramic view comes from a poster tribute to the Chicago Cubs back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908. Newspaper accounts at the time report the North Siders are so dominant that they bore their fans. Little did they know it would be 108 years before they would win another championship.

This second iteration of the wooden structure ballpark operates from 1893 to 1915 at Taylor, Wood, Polk and what is now Wolcott streets. With a capacity of 12,500, this is a much more spacious venue then the first rendition (1885 to 1891), which includes a trendy-at-the-time bicycle track. Outfield dimensions are 340-560-340-feet,  a dramatic improvement over the 216-foot lines at the old structure. By rule, the minimum is 215 feet.

West Side Park is the home to the most successful Chicago Cubs teams of the 20th century. They win pennants in 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1910, a run which includes World Series wins in 1907 and 1908. New ownership moves the team to the North Side’s Weeghman Park in 1916. And West Side Park is torn down in 1920. The University of Illinois Medical Center occupies the site now. Learn more about this print in About and Frequently Asked Questions. Or visit the Shop for more ideas.