The original Elwell Park—often referred to in early records as Elwell Field—occupied the block bounded by 5th Avenue SE, 6th Avenue SE, 9th Street SE, and East Hennepin Avenue in Southeast Minneapolis. It was developed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and formally dedicated in October 1940 after more than a decade of community advocacy for neighborhood park space.

The park was designed as an active recreation site centered around a large sunken athletic field, a distinctive feature that allowed for baseball and other field sports below street grade. Surrounding this central space were multiple recreational amenities, including baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and horseshoe courts, along with perimeter walkways and tree plantings—elements consistent with late 1930s–early 1940s park design.

At its dedication, reported in The Minneapolis Star, the park was described as a long-awaited addition to the neighborhood, bringing to life a project that had been discussed for approximately 15 years. The park was named for members of the Elwell family, early developers of the surrounding addition in Southeast Minneapolis.

Despite its strong neighborhood role, Elwell Field existed for only about a decade. In the early 1950s, the property was sold to the Butler Manufacturing Company, eliminating the park. This marked the end of the first Elwell Park, preceding later efforts to reestablish park space under the same name at a different location.

Today, Elwell Field stands as an example of a short-lived but thoughtfully designed neighborhood park—one that reflects both the ambitions of Minneapolis’ early 20th-century park system and the pressures of postwar urban redevelopment.