In reading up on the Packers being kicked out of the NFL in 1921, I discovered another interesting fact while perusing Curly Lambeau’s Wikipedia page.
In 1946, Lambeau purchased Rockwood Lodge, a former religious retreat, in order to build the first self-contained team training facility in the NFL. He paid $32,000 for the property, and $8,000 more to renovate it, envisioning the entire team–coaches, players and their families–living at the facility throughout the season.
Not everyone was pleased with the decision, though. Several members of the board of directors nearly resigned over the purchase, as they thought the price was ridiculous. Fans didn’t enjoy having to drive out of town to see the team practice, even though the facility was just 17 miles north of Green Bay. And the players hated the facility as well–the practice fields were on top of brick-hard limestone, which often forced Lambeau to move practices back to City Stadium (the Packers home field prior to Lambeau Field being built), and they began to call the facility “The Rock” in a reference to Alcatraz.
The facility proved to be a drain on the Packers’ finances, and by the end of the 1949 season, there were rumors that the NFL would use the merger with the AAFC to contract or move the franchise. Lambeau himself had found investors that were ready to provide $50,000 in funding, but only if the ownership changed from public to private–a proposal that many fans thought was a precursor to the team moving to the West Coast. Team officials responded by offering Lambeau a revised contract that essentially stripped him of all control over non-football matters for the team, which Lambeau rejected.
On January 24th, 1950, Rockwood Lodge mysteriously burned down in a fire that remains unsolved to this day. Rumors have long circled that someone linked with the team did deliberately start the fire, with the hopes that the team would collect insurance money.
And sure enough, they did eventually receive $75,000–when combined with the teams third stock drive, more than enough to save the franchise and keep it in Green Bay. Seven days later, Lambeau officially resigned, moving on to become the coach of the Chicago Cardinals.
