Harry Lahood Park

(Some text from Washington Park District website)

Harry LaHood Park is a 5-acre park donated by developers Jim Paul and Paul Gibb to the Park District in 2002. It is located in and along Trail’s Edge subdivision and portions of the Washington Recreation Trail. The developers asked that the park be named in memory of a friend and colleague, Harry LaHood.

The park was developed in 2004 in part through an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The park was dedicated in a ceremony in June 2005. Many of the trees located in Harry LaHood Park are donated by Ruth LaHood (wife of Harry) in memory of Harry.

This park was located within the tornado-affected area, which was damaged by debris and high winds. In the weeks after the tornado, the park became a staging area for dozens of vehicles damaged by the tornado.

The park underwent a very extensive reconstruction period because of the damage from the tornado. The most notable was the complete re-sodding of the entire park. The grass and top layers of soil were stripped and hauled away to ensure that any dangerous debris was also removed. Then, over eight dates throughout the year, volunteers, most notably the Washington Rotary Club and other rotary clubs in the area, assisted in laying the sod. The benches, playground, and Harry LaHood Shelter were replaced.  The gazebo shelter was rebuilt in 2014 by Caterpillar and Honeywell Technologies employees. The water playground was replaced and updated with new features. The H.G. "Fuzz" Weston Shelter was added as a new amenity and a basketball court was installed to replace the sand volleyball court.