FINALLY! Found it. The first Fair Park Stadium, built in 1921 (Courtesy Texas State Historical Society). It seated about 15,000 people and was wooden. The future Cotton Bowl, also named Fair Park Stadium for it's first six years, would be built right inside the horse track which is the curve just below FP stadium. In this photo, it's Texas versus Vanderbilt University at the first Fair Park Stadium on Oct. 20, 1923



1922 Sanborn Map. Pennsylvania Ave is the same road that is at the top of the photo above to give you orientation.



In this SMU Digital Collections aerial survey, you can blow it up to still see the FP Stadium toward the right where the #10 is. It still existed when the future Cotton Bowl was built. #10 is Pennsylvania Ave.

https://digitalcollections.smu.edu/digital/collection/dmp/id/163?fbclid=IwAR1ilYutTJBs4VVSWiZ8GJ1LBHOI37NSGz5-lOS3AFOaMXo1OXEwdc8pxfM

Built in 1930, the future Cotton Bowl is inside the old horse track. However it was not called Cotton Bowl for several more years. It was also called the Fair Park Stadium at that time. Not until the Cotton Bowl Classic was put together was the Stadium renamed the Cotton Bowl. First Classic was played Jan 1, 1937

Google Map of today. Go to Pennsylvania Ave to get your orientation

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Botanica+El+Amanecer/@32.7779017,-96.7579871,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x864e9a374c58aa99:0x366d370a9ea9ea87!8m2!3d32.7761318!4d-96.7508102!16s%2Fg%2F1tj96v35?entry=ttu

Absolutely perfect architecture for a stadium.

Add, I have been looking for photos of the original Fair Park Stadium for years. As far as I know, this is the only photo of the actual stadium that exists

Aliceinbubbleland said:

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Absolutely perfect architecture for a stadium.

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Would love to have seen it in person

In 1921 all those homeowners across the street were probably not complaining about noise, polutions, etc and were out their with their hammers to help nail the stadium together

Aliceinbubbleland said:

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In 1921 all those homeowners across the street were probably not complaining about noise, polutions, etc and were out their with their hammers to help nail the stadium together

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Ha! Today the homeowners pretty much put a wrench in the future ATT Stadium in Arlington from taking the place of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Thanks Mayor Laura Miller... The jobs, the prestige, et al. A then $600 million project that ended up $1.2 billion dollar stadium went to the mid cities