Save Buster Keaton's Baseball Field

Feb. 18, 2013 - The pending sale and possible destruction of Buster Keaton's baseball field are rooted in a fiscal dilemma faced by the Muskegon School District.  We think that it is important for you to know a little about the ball field's history, and what factors have contributed to the decision to turn the property over to developers.  Sadly, this is an issue which poses a dilemma of historic preservation vs. economic needs. The property on which the ball field is situated was purchased in 1905 Frank "Pascoe" Simpson, a laborer in the local lumber mills.  Simpson built a small tavern (dubbed "Pascoe's") on the site and the large lot beside the tavern became a de facto baseball field.  As the Bluffton Actors' Colony grew in the early 1900's, so ball field became a popular place for recreation and community gatherings among the Bluffton residents.  While Buster Keaton might have been the most famous player on the diamond, it was the site of many...

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American film legend Buster Keaton's childhood baseball field is about to go under the bulldozer to make way for a residential development in Bluffton, Michigan.  It's hard to imagine how a little patch of land served as a crucible that helped to shape the direction of cinema history, but this tiny parcel of real estate did just that.  Baseball was more than a passtime to Buster Keaton - it was the foundation of his work ethic and integral to the sense of teamwork that enabled him to create a body of cinematic magic that has become a national treasure.   We hope that those with the power to preserve and protect this historic location will examine its history in light of the marvels it helped to create, and perhaps think twice about allowing it to be plowed under and replaced with modern development.   Buster Keaton was born on the road, and spent his early childhood without a place to call home.   His Vaudeville parents did the...

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