Like to hunt Parks??

[metman]

Ever wonder when your park district was organized?

Here is a partial list (pre WWII) of Illinois Park Districts and when they were organized. The next trick is to figure out the names ages of all the parks within the district. I think peoria has over 64 parks.

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1894 Peoria Park District
1900 Springfield Park District
1902 Pekin Park District
1904 Winnetka Park District
1905 Riverdale Park District
1907 Clyde Park District of Cicero
1907 Foss Park District
1907 Murphysboro Park District
1907 Urbana Park District
1908 East St. Louis Park District
1909 Park District of Highland Park
1909 Rockford Park District
1909 Wilmette Park District
1911 Bailey Park District
1911 Champaign Park District
1911 Freeport Park District
1912 Glencoe Park District
1912 Park District of Oak Park
1912 Saint Charles Park District
1913 Blue Island Park District
1914 Park Ridge Recreation & Park District
1915 Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
1916 Waukegan Park District
1919 Belvidere Park District
1919 Des Plaines Park District
1919 Glen Ellyn Park District
1919 Kewanee Park District
1920 Elmhurst Park District
1921 Chicago Heights Park District
1921 Crystal Lake Park District
1921 Granite City Park District
1921 Wheaton Park District
1922 Calumet Memorial Park District
1922 Joliet Park District
1922 Winnebago County Forest Preserve District
1923 Berwyn Park District
1923 Berwyn & Playground Recreation Commission
1923 Canton Park District
1923 Fon du Lac Park District
1923 Sterling Park District 1924 Decatur Park District
1924 Forest Preserve District of Kane County
1924 Monmouth Park District
1924 Sycamore Park District
1925 Arlington Heights Park District
1925 Coloma Township Park District
1925 Kankakee Valley Park District
1925 Lake Bluff Park District
1927 Dolton Park District
1927 Glenview Park District
1927 Lombard Park District
1927 Northbrook Park District
1928 Park District of LaGrange
1928 Veterans Park District
1929 Light House Park District of Evanston
1929 Memorial Park District (Hillside)
1929 Savanna Park District
1929 Skokie Park District
1930 Barrington Park District
1931 Hawthorne Park District
1934 Chicago Park District (originally formed in 1869 with three districts)
1934 Dixon Park District
1934 Park District of Forest Park
1935 DeKalb Park District
1935 Harrisburg Township Park District
1936 Grand Tower Park District
1937 Ivanhoe Park District
1937 Riverside Playground & Recreation Board
1939 Bedford Park Park District
1939 Marengo Park District
1939 Ridgeville Park District
1939 Venice Park District
1940 Carbondale Park District
1941 Quincy Park District
1943 Genoa Township Park District
1943 Rantoul Park District
1944 Community Park District of LaGrange Park
1944 Litchfield Park District
1944 Lockport Township Park District
1944 Oak Lawn Park District

 

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[Gimmie The Loot]

Nice list ya got there! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Lowbatts]

I have two city directories from my hometown. One is 1889 and the other 1910-11. Both have all the city parks that were in use at the time listed. Some of those parks no longer exist as they are now residential neighborhoods. Even with that, there were parks in town prior to those directories that no longer existed as of the time the books went to print.

Most records of the oldest parks can be found on the microfiche/film records of he earliest news papers/journals of the day. Look for holiday editions such as July 4th and Flag Day ceremonies. Most of these will tell you where people were celebrating the holidays and what the parade routes were, if any. It's worth a look if you want to find some possible sites.

 

[metman]

Lowbatts - Our library has our local newspaper on microfiche and/or other film dating back many years. I'll have to dig out the library card, blow the dust off it, and check those holiday editions. I have grown up in this town for many years and I know that the main park is over 125 years old at least. Only problem is someone hunted it a one time and left holes . . . now they don't want anyone hunting it. I should know, I got kicked out last night. We have other parks but most of them are not that old.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[twistidd]

Keep in mind that some of the parks are older than the dates the district was created. Some were beer gardens, private picnic grounds, or just public parks cared for by anyone who cared to do so.


Joe