[3] Numerous Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, including NFL legends George Halas, Curly Lambeau and Jim Thorpe, performed at Douglas Park.

[6][7] After beginning play at Douglas Park in 1907 (with undefeated seasons in 1908, 1910, 1912, 1912, 1918), the Rock Island Independents were an original franchise in the National Football League.

[8] Today's National Football League was formed on September 17, 1920, at a meeting in Canton, Ohio with Rock Island Independents representation in attendance.

The 14 original 1920 Franchises were the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Decatur Staleys, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Dayton Triangles, Hammond Pros, Muncie Flyers, Rock Island Independents, Rochester Jeffersons, Buffalo All-Americans, Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds.

The team, now owned by Dale Johnson, fatefully left the NFL after the 1925 season to become a charter member of the short-lived American Football League in 1926.

[15] Four Independents players, who played at Douglas Park, were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jim Thorpe (1963) [16] Tackle Ed Healey (1964), Back Jimmy Conzelman (1964) and Joe Guyon (1966).

The correct location for the first Iowa vs. Illinois college football game is Twelfth Street Park.

Early football rules were used in the game, in which the Rock Island Independents team defeated the Moline Universal Tractors 24–0.

"Friends of Douglas Park," formed in 2007 and raised money through donations to remodel the large baseball field.