[2] The stadium was envisioned as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project on the grounds of what was the Jersey City Airport at Droyer's Point.

[3][4] By 1935, Jersey City was suffering from the effects of the Great Depression and Mayor Hauge was looking to create construction jobs for Hudson County's working class.

He applied for federal funds through the Civil Works Administration and the WPA of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program.

[5][6] On December 10, 1935, Mayor Hague, with nearly 2,000 people in attendance, turned the first shovel of earth to officially break ground on the stadium.

[6] Considered the best minor league baseball park of the time, the 24,000-seat stadium was constructed of steel and concrete and featured marble sourced from Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

[8] Rain washed out the planned events and the opening game was moved back to April 23 with Mayor Hague throwing out the first pitch and Sen. Moore and owner Horace Stoneham on hand for the ballpark's dedication.

Hague routinely hawked opening day tickets for "Little Giants" games, selling 40,000 seats in a stadium that held only 24,000.

On April 18, 1946, Roosevelt Stadium hosted the historic Jersey City Giants' season opener against the Montreal Royals, the Triple-A IL farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, marking the professional debut of the Royals' Jackie Robinson and the breaking of professional baseball's color barrier.

In five trips to the plate he got four hits, including a three-run homer, scored four runs and drove in three; he also stole two bases in the Royals' 14–1 victory over the Giants.

[10][11][12] Robinson recalled his debut in his autobiography, My Own Story, saying "Although I was wearing the colors of the enemy, the Jersey City fans gave me a fine ovation.

"[10] Following the 1950 season, the New York Giants decided to move the club to Ottawa due to recent drops in attendance.

Like their former neighbors and rivals, the Newark Bears, they found that rather than attending local minor league affiliate games, fans in New Jersey, due to the growth of television after World War II, were increasingly watching Giants, Dodgers and Yankees games from the comfort of their own homes.

The Sugar Kings move was forced by Fidel Castro nationalizing all U.S.-owned enterprises in Cuba and Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick feeling political pressure at home from Secretary of State Christian Herter to protect the “safety and welfare” of club personnel and baseball's interests.

[18] The games were played partly as a negotiating tactic with the City of New York and the Borough of Brooklyn, in pursuit of a new stadium to replace Ebbets Field.

A pregame ceremony was held with the club raising their 1955 World Series Championship banner which was displayed at both Roosevelt Stadium and Ebbets Field.

The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Jersey City mayor Bernard Berry, and Eddie Fisher sang the National Anthem.

The game ended with a walk-off home run by future Hall of Famer Duke Snider to give the Dodgers the 2–1 victory over the Cincinnati Redlegs.

[10][24] On June 5, 1957, future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale pitched the first of his 49 Major League shutouts at the stadium defeating the Chicago Cubs 4–0.

On August 9, 1950, Sugar Ray Robinson defeated the former 3-time New Jersey State Champion Charley Fusari to defend his welterweight title.

Neri, Bock, Parente and Cuccinelli have all been inducted into the Hudson Catholic Football program's Wall of Fame.

[5][27] In 1970, the stadium hosted the Jersey Jays of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), a farm team of the Cleveland Browns.

During the 1973 NFL season, the New York Football Giants practiced at the stadium while they were playing their home games in New Haven, Connecticut at the Yale Bowl.

[31] A week later on June 27, 1971, Santos FC, led by the legendary Pelé, played Bologna in an exhibition match in front of raucous crowd of 21,414 fans.

[32][33] On May 25, 1973, Santos FC and Pelé returned to Roosevelt Stadium to take on Lazio in front of passionate sold-out crowd of 26,145 fans.

[37] On August 8, 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played their first New York area concert in four years to a crowd of about 50,000 people at the stadium.

During the band's intermission former president Richard Nixon announced he was resigning from office due to his role in the Watergate scandal.

[43] In the early 1950s, NASCAR hosted several stock car races along the perimeter of the stadium's field and warning track.

In 1970, Jersey City made attempts to keep the stadium viable with several renovations such as re-sodding the playing field and overhauling the drainage, roofing and steam heating systems.

Local officials asserted that there was a need for the new housing and the $4 million in tax revenue it would provide to stave off further population loss.

[6][50] Roosevelt Stadium survived longer but ultimately met a similar fate as two other historic New York area ballparks of its time.