The Park at Glendale Cemetery

Today, the west end of Glendale Cemetery looks pretty empty and nondescript. What you might not know is that this open area has a long history in Washington, once being the only park in town.

In the early 1900’s, Washington had no parks.  Townspeople of the time considered the center of the square to be their park, and the open area near the high school on Spruce Street was also used in a pinch for large crowd gatherings.  Somewhat prophetically, in 1919, there were calls for the development of a park in what was then the developing Highland Park addition northwest of town.  Fifty years later, Washington Park was developed in that area.  But in 1919, those calls went unheeded.

In the early 1900s, not having a park was considered one of the few weaknesses of a developing Washington. With Peoria booming and suburban communities looking to house working families, the cries of the Washington protagonists for a park were heard often. Surrounding towns were ahead of the game in the park department, and it was felt that this feature was the one thing that the city was lacking to compete with these communities.

In 1933, Washington looked to change that. Mayor Chris Ebert announced a plan to develop around twenty-five acres of timber west of Glendale Cemetery into a community park where groups could gather for picnics and parties. Original plans called for a general cleanup of the area, the erection of a double oven, the placement of tables, and the running of city water mains out to the park.

When Washington City Park was dedicated on August 16, 1933, it was clear to everyone how needed and overdue the area was by the sheer size of the crowd.  The Myers Band performed, and Senator Everett Dirksen gave an address in front of approximately 1,500 people at its opening.  Many businesses closed for the dedication.  After the Senator’s speech, all enjoyed a free meal consisting of twenty bushels of sweet corn, 200 hot dogs, and twenty-five pounds of coffee.

The first big event at the park was planned for September 24, 1933, a city-wide picnic sponsored by the American Legion. This event drew an estimated 2,500 people, and the police chief estimated 500 automobiles were on the grounds. Many entertaining acts performed, including the Peoria Legion Band. Competitive activities such as kittenball and races were held, and prizes were awarded to participants.

The park’s attraction was that it was an accessible park area outside the hustle and bustle of the city, but that was also its weakness.  While it remained a popular place for family reunions, picnics, and parties, it was neglected by city officials, and maintenance lagged.  Making things worse was the fact that the city dump was adjacent to the park.  The dump was shut down soon after the park opened, but that did not stop people from dumping their trash in the area.  Throughout the 1940s, the park continued to fall into disrepair, and vandalism became a culprit over time.

In 1936, it was proposed to extend the south end of Wilmor Road to connect with Guth Road and then provide an access road to the park from the west. Washington Township Road Commissioner Ben Pfeffinger turned down the proposal, saying that the cost of building that road, including building a bridge over Farm Creek and a railroad crossing, was far too high to justify its expense. He maintained that you could improve all of the existing roads in town for roughly the same cost.

In 1951, the Jaycees decided to rehabilitate the park, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that real improvements were made. Volleyball/badminton poles and a net were installed, as well as a concrete block restroom, a sand pile, and playground equipment.

By 1967, a road had been built encircling the entire park, and a shelter and lights had also been added.  The park was renamed Jaycees Park.

With the establishment of the Washington Park District and the subsequent development of Washington Park in 1969, the little park once again became neglected, and over time, its features were removed.

In 2016, Glendale Cemetery opened its Cremation Garden in the old park area, which provided an internment option for cremated loved ones.  The first feature of the garden added was a columbarium. It also provided a quiet place of refuge for visitors to the cemetery.