The Ralph Stocker Stadium is an 8,000-seat facility situated at the corner of 12th Street and North Avenue, where high school and college football games are played, track and field events happen, marching bands compete, and thousands of students walk each year during commencement exercises. Known as the Lincoln Park Stadium when it opened in 1949, it was officially named the Ralph Stocker Memorial Stadium in June of 1972, to honor the man credited with its development. Ralph F. âRedâ Stocker (spelled like grocery âstockerâ but pronounced like fire âstokerâ) was born March 10, 1900, in North Judson, Indiana. He came to Colorado with his family at the age of 9, graduated from high school in Delta and attended Hoel Ross Business College. Stocker was 26 when he began working for the city of Grand Junction in April of 1926. He was employed by the water department for one year, the street department for two years and finally was transferred to the parks department to serve as a caretaker.