Before there was a Big League Dreams baseball complex, there was the dream field that William R. Perry made a reality.

It came about in 1935 when Manteca had 1,700 residents as opposed to the current population of 90,000 and growing.

Perry was a postal clerk who eventually became a rural carrier.

But most people for years remembered him as “The Father of Manteca Baseball.”

The City of Manteca owned a large weed patch across Manteca Avenue from the two-story brick city hall built in 1924 adjacent to what was then the train depot.

There was no library. There was no Library Park.

The city had no plans on how to improve what was an eyesore at the time.

And they certainly had no funds to do anything with it.

This is where Perry entered the picture.

He believed Manteca needed a baseball park.

Perry pitched the  idea to the City Council.

He said he’d secure materials and volunteers that he’d coordinate to build a baseball field on the weed path.

The council was on board and even agreed to have the city supply the necessary water.

The rest was up to Perry.

Perry devoted his spare time, vacation time, and a significant amount of his own money.

He also obtained physical help from friends and others in the community that wanted to see more recreational opportunities.

Several PG&E employees donated time to place poles for night play.

When the field was done, it included bleachers big enough to hold 1,000 fans.

The park was christened with its first game in 1936.

It was Manteca’s community recreation destination for 26 years.

In 1962, it was displaced by the current library.

The community — in working with the city and the then Manteca Elementary School District — created a baseball field as well as youth fields at the new Lincoln Park on Powers Avenue and adjoining Lincoln School campus.

The downtown ball park was the inspiration for the Manteca Mural Society’s longest mural.

The 110-foot long “Last at Bat” mural is one of five gracing a sound wall at Library Park.

It depicts a game going on.

It features the faces of some 50 Manteca residents at the time it was created in 2012 by muralist Dave Gordon.

The likenesses are on the fans lining a fence and bleachers. The society collected a donation for each face in a bid to help offset the costs.

And for rail enthusiasts, there is a Tidewater Southern Railroad steam locomotive passing by in the background.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com