Early Attempts to Create a Park District

The Washington Park District was formed in 1968 and has become crucial to the city's infrastructure.  It is hard to believe that for the first 143 years of Washington's existence, the town had no organized park district, and as a result, no land dedicated as parks.

There were many earlier attempts at organizing a park district or at least calls for at least a dedicated park, none of which made it to the finish line.  

In the 1800s, "Portman's Grove" was an area of land used for picnics and large gatherings.  The problem was that this was private land and needed to be rented in advance.  Peter Portman owned the area of Washington Park and everything south to Jefferson Street.  His grove of trees basically followed the path of Farm Creek as it flowed through what is now the Highland Park subdivision between Jefferson Street and the park.  In 1887, there were calls in the newspaper for the city to purchase the land for use as a public park. "There is no more natural picnic ground in the state...If it were generally known that a free picnic ground could be obtained here, near depot and town privileges, we might have crowds of strangers almost daily.  It would be a bonanza for the businessmen, and what is for their interest would benefit the rest of our citizens."  The city did not purchase the land; it was sold around the turn of the century, and the Highland Park subdivision began.

The new houses, however, did not ruin the entire area.  In 1919, there were calls in the newspaper for the city to purchase the remaining area of the grove for a park.  "There are a fine lot of native trees on the grounds, and enough land could be taken in to include a part of the creek which runs through the grove, and this could be nicely arranged with a cement basin and drain to make a fine swimming pool and skating pond.  At no great expense, the grounds could be fitted up most beautifully, and it would be a lovely spot for our people to visit and enjoy a little outing."  Nothing came of this suggestion, and residential development eventually swallowed the grove.

In 1928, longtime Washington doctor William Mansfield spoke at a Kiwanis luncheon about conservation efforts at the federal and state levels.  He mentioned that Washington had no recreation or conservation areas and lobbied the city fathers to create a 100+ acre space with a playground and conservation area.  Nothing came of Mansfield's plea.

In 1930, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce released an article which said the following: "Illinois cities seeking to attract industrial plants to their communities in 1930 will have to give serious consideration in their public recreation...the coming twelve months of industrial effort would have to include a careful inspection of park and playground facilities of every city."

In 1934, 207 Washington citizens signed a petition for the city council to hold a special election "for the purpose of legally voting upon a bond issue of not less than $20,000" for the purchase a land and construction of a golf course, swimming pool, and tennis courts.  The newspaper opined: "To develop us along the line of an attractive place of residence, we must furnish attractions such as are found in cities.  We must have an adequate park which will furnish attractions and a chance for recreation.  Now is the ideal time to secure land at reasonable prices for such a project and to secure help through unemployed work programs."  There is no evidence that this vote took place.

In 1946, Washington saw another organized attempt at creating a recreational space.  The Civic Club spearheaded the charge for constructing a swimming pool and a teen center.  This excited the town, and students came out in full force at public meetings asking for the project to be completed.  The location chosen was the George Bayler house at 208 S. Wood Street, along with the open area behind, with the plan being to demolish the house and then alter the course of Farm Creek in the rear so a small lake could be formed for swimming.  Other future plans for the 13-acre property included a baseball diamond, tennis courts, and a shooting range.

The detractors arrived when progress started moving from theoretical to actual implementation.  Many did not like the location, saying it was too small.  As a result, the frustrated Civic Club stepped back and offered to help with the project, but also expected other organizations to do their share.  Not many offered help, and nothing happened for weeks.  Students were frustrated and expressed that the community businessmen had let them down.  The Woman's Club stepped up and offered to help, but they felt the Civic Club should run the project, as they started it.

A new slate of officers took charge of the Civic Club in June, and they wanted to organize a temporary park board to oversee the project with representatives from various organizations.  They were also offered one of the buildings from Camp Ellis southwest of Canton, which had closed.  They just had to go pick it up.  They never did.

Of the more than 15 organizations asked to send a representative for the temporary board, only five did.  Ed Habecker (chairman), Henry Vogelsang, George Willhardt, William Hess, and Paul Thrailkill were chosen for the board.  The committee immediately focused on creating a park and putting in a swimming pool as a future project.

A large public meeting was held in late 1946, and support seemed strong.  Chairman Habecker suggested a new location on land owned by John Willhardt running along the creek, surrounded now by Westgate Road, Stratford Drive, and Kingsbury Road.  The new park was to be named Washington Memorial City Park.  

The first step was to organize a park district. To be on the April 1947 ballot, a petition circulating through the city required 100 signatures. Petitions were available to sign at four Washington locations in early 1947. Strangely, this is where all news on this effort stops. The question did not appear on the ballot.

In 1949, an organized attempt was made to start a park district, led by the American Legion.  They offered to help pay for the same Willhardt plot of land discussed in 1946 and would construct a new building for their organization.  The proposed new park district would help maintain and develop the surrounding property over twenty years.  This proposal got further than any previous attempt, reaching the voters in an April 5, 1949, township-wide election.  The creation of a park district was defeated by two votes, 812-810, and the project died.

In 1954, John Willhardt sold his land to developers, and the Devonshire subdivision started to be subdivided.

In 1954, the Washington Recreation Association was created to allow Washington youth to participate in activities.  It was run by a board comprised of delegates sent by organizations. By 1957, participants had increased from an initial 150 youth to over 600, and the number of delegates on the board was dwindling.  Another call for the formation of a park district to help with this problem was introduced, and again reached the point of an election.  There was great confusion about what was being voted on, as discussions swung from park district formation to specific properties that could be purchased, all sounding very expensive.  In reality, the voters were voting on forming an organized park district, with the rest potentially occurring later.  Five Washingtonians sought seats on the park board upon passing the formation of the park district: James Putnam, Dr. Ward Adams, William Cadwell, Wilson Kimmel, and Max Bass. 

Lobbyists for the cause listed the current park options in their pleas, and the only "parks" in town at that time were: Beverly Manor Park, which we now know as Grant Park; Sullivan Field, which was private property; the park at the cemetery, which got smaller every year as gravesites inched closer; the park at the grade school, which was barren except for the remains of old unusable tennis courts; and a small park at Pleasant View Grade School, outside of walking distance for Washington youth. 

As the election grew closer, the newspapers were peppered with opinions on both sides. "Recreation is not luxury, but necessity" was a common theme from supporters, while detractors were against anything that raised their taxes: "If the lack of a park will make a ghost town of Washington, then let us have a ghost town."

The election results showed a 1328-721 defeat of the proposal.  The newspaper attempted to blame Beverly Manor voters for the defeat, citing a flyer distributed in that area opposing the plan. However, results show the vote for the park district was soundly defeated in all four of Washington's precincts.

And finally, there was success:

In June 1967, the Washington Rotary Club acquired an option on a 55-acre tract of land formerly part of the Heyl Pony Farm, the area surrounding Lincoln Street, which we now know as Washington Park.  It was used as a grazing area for horses until 1965, when the Pony Farm ceased operation.  The Rotary Club wanted the area to be converted into a park, so they petitioned the city to put the formation of a park district on the November 1967 ballot for the voters to decide.  Bonnie Richart, the Rotarians, and others worked hard to educate the public on the need for such an organization, bringing in speakers from other cities, going door to door to address citizens, making phone calls, and handing out surveys.  When the ballots were tallied, the voters of Washington had voted 762-290 for forming said park district.  On the same ballot, prospective board member candidates were listed in anticipation of the passing of the measure.  The five winning members and the charter Washington Park District board members were: Noah Hickman, Dr. Hubert Engel, Judge John Holtzman, Wilson Kimmel, and Bonnie Richart.