The Town of Blacksburg will dedicate the Hershel D. Porter Baseball Park (above) and the Alston Tessner Football Field during ceremonies Sept. 12. It doesn't take much for motorists traveling along S.C. Highway 29 to know how serious Blacksburg is about providing recreational activities for the municipality's younger residents.

On any given day, youths can be seen preparing for baseball or football games at the town's Hershel D. Porter Baseball Park, one of two athletic fields recently opened for use by residents of the "Iron City." The other project, the Alton Tessner Football Field, is located along Lime Street inside town limits.

More than two decades in the making, both new recreational complexes will be dedicated Sept. 12.

"For the last 20 years we have requested things for our young people," Blacksburg Mayor David Hogue said. "It's a good feeling to be able to do something for them."

The mayor said infrastructure woes put plans to build athletic and recreational parks on the back burner.

"With so many infrastructure problems, we didn't have the money," Hogue said.

But where there's a will, there's a way.

Constantly keeping an eye on the municipality's budget, town officials OK'd a plan several years ago to purchase five acres of land along Highway 29, reserving it for use by the Cherokee County Recreation Department. The deal cost Blacksburg $40,000.

Acquiring the land necessary to build the Alton Tessner Football Field came at a much lower price for the town, being donated last decade by Joe Porter.

The county recreation department took care of the athletic fields' development, being asked by town officials to build parks with the ability to support recreational activities for local youths for years to come.

"Once we got the land, we signed things over to the recreation department," Hogue said. "They took over both facilities, placing fences, installing lights and all the other odds and ends needed to make this a successful project.

"I have to give a lot of credit to (Cherokee County Recreation Department Director) Lowry Love and his people at the recreation department. Projects like this are a big plus for our town," he said.

Also among those Hogue credited with lending their support for the recreational facilities are late local lawmakers Olin Phillips and James Batchler.

"Olin was a big help in this process, and James Batchler had no problem helping us haul dirt," Hogue said. "It was a coalition of forces that came together and we couldn't be more grateful."

In the future, Hogue hopes the town is able to use Hospitality Tax money to help in building restroom facilities and concession stands at Hershel D. Porter Baseball Park.

"I really feel that recreational activities help bring people to the town," Hogue said. "Hopefully we would be able to go through with that."