WARREN, Ark. – A new historical sign has been installed at Axley Field, commemorating its long history as the home of the Warren Lumberjacks football team from 1915 to 1980.
The project, coordinated by Booster Club head Mark Jennings, was completed last week with assistance from SEACBEC students. The sign is mounted on a section of one of the original goalposts saved from the field, giving the display a direct link to its past.
Jennings said the idea for a permanent historical marker was developed several years ago in collaboration with Mayor Gregg Reep, with the goal of ensuring future generations would remember the field’s significance.
Axley Field, named for A.O. Axley, a major industrial leader in Warren and operator of the old Southern Lumber Company, became the home field for the Lumberjacks in 1915. Warren’s first football team had formed in 1905, playing for a decade on a field located behind what is now the site of St. Luke’s Catholic Church, across from O’Reilly Auto Parts.
The Lumberjacks played at Axley Field until 1980, when the program moved to Jim Hurley, Jr. Stadium, where Warren continues to play today. In recent years, the former football site has been repurposed into a soccer facility through a grant partnership between the City of Warren and the Warren School District during the tenure of former Mayor Bryan Martin. Today, the YMCA uses the field for practices, and it hosts local amateur soccer leagues.
The original article stated AO Axley was with the Arkansas Lumber Company. It has since been correct to the Southern Lumber Company.
