Willow Springs’ Palenske Stadium

I was in North Pole, Alaska, on May 6, when Hannah Harper’s return to Willow Springs made national news. The first major network clip I saw zoomed in on the stage beneath a sign that read “Palenske Field,” my hometown football-track field! As the Willow Springs High School song goes, it's the place of many pleasant memories, a shrine of civic events in Willow Springs for ninety years now, the home of the Bears!

 

I’ve noticed the name Palenske is not spell-check-friendly, is rather rare, and I doubt that many living more than a couple of counties from here have ever heard of it. However, Hannah Harper, following her American Idol win, has elevated the name Palenske to a pretty high ranking in search engines. I thought it would be interesting to briefly explore the story behind the name.

 

At the end of 1914, Doctor Charles Frederick Palenske left his hometown of Alma, Kansas, and moved to Cotter, Arkansas, to train with his dentist uncle before setting up his own practice. There he met Miss Bessie Torian, a West Plains schoolteacher, the daughter of Mrs. Nannie Torian, a pioneer nurse who owned and operated the Cottage Hospital in West Plains. Following their marriage, the couple lived in Kansas for a year before moving to Willow Springs. There, he set up a dental practice downtown on the top floor of the building facing the front of the Charles Ferguson building. His practice and prestige in the community grew, and Palenske became prominent in civic affairs. He served on the Willow Springs Board of Aldermen for over a dozen years, ultimately serving as Mayor. He also served as the supervisor of the Willow Springs water system.

 

Charles Palenske was best known in our community for his love of sports, particularly at Willow Springs High School. He was the ultimate Bear booster, attending every game in every sport. His support included funding for uniforms and equipment, as well as his time. He was an avid golfer, helping establish the Willow Springs golf course. An advocate for wildlife conservation and forestry, his efforts helped bring a United States Forest Service headquarters to Willow Springs.

 

It was a shock to the community when Charles died suddenly of a heart attack on August 11, 1936, while attending a family reunion in Junction City, Kansas. He was 56 years old and was buried in his family’s cemetery in Alma, Kansas.

 

The Willow Springs High School had been searching for some time before finding a plot of ground for a football arena on Corn Avenue. The Willow Springs News announced on September 6, 1936, that “Palenske Field is the name of Willow Springs High School’s new athletic field, according to action of the school board in session here. A petition, circulated in the city recently, suggested the name, honoring Doctor Charles Palenske, the late mayor of the city, who was an active enthusiast on behalf of the new field.”

 

“The school board and city council met in joint session Tuesday evening, the city turning over $378 received from the sale of the old city park, to be applied to the purchase of a new field. The field was underwritten by local businessmen for $600. The school board voted to pay the remaining $222 to clear the field of debt. Formerly, an athletic field was rented each year at the approximate cost of $50 a year.”

 

Bess Palenske moved to West Plains following Charles’ death and, with her mother and sister, joined in the ownership and operation of the Cottage Hospital at 812 Webster Street in West Plains until the mid-1940s. The hospital specialized in maternity and some surgeries. Many families can trace the birth of their members there. 

 

When her mother retired in 1944, she operated a private kindergarten in the old hospital building. Bess achieved national acclaim with the 1943 publication of a children’s book, “The Charm String,” a historical fiction used in some schools to teach social studies. She wrote for newspapers and magazines and pursued the arts. One of her paintings is held in the Harlin Museum collection in West Plains. Bess died in 1968 and is buried in the Oak Lawn Cemetery in West Plains.

 

The Palenskes had no children, though they devoted their lives to the children of Howell County. They did leave their mark on our community and a stadium named Palenske. I felt that hometown pride all the way in North Pole, Alaska. Google the name Palenske and see how Hannah has put Willow Springs and Howell County on the map.