Pottawatomie Park

This piece of riverfront property, now a public park and recreation area, was once home to the Pottawatomie Indians who lived along the Fox River Valley. Evan Shelby, one of the area's first white settlers, claimed the land in 1833. Calvin Ward purchased the property in 1835 for $75. Ward's son, Lorenzo, a wealthy butter and cheese producer, built a home on the site in the 1870s. Ward continued living in his mansion until 1885 when the Great Western Railroad secured the southern portion of his land for use. Soon after, Ward sold his property to enterprising developers who wanted to build a large hotel along the railroad tracks. The hotel was never built, and Ward's mansion burned in the early 1900s.

In the 1890s, St. Charles businessmen, including Clinton Wing and Charles Haines, developed the property into a private park. They added picnic tables, playground equipment, and a refreshment stand. In 1892, an elaborate park pavilion was built.

In July 1911, Bert C. Norris petitioned Kane County for permission to form a park district. By May 1912, the area, soon known as Pottawatomie Park, became the property of St. Charles Township. 

Pottawatomie Park was the first public park established in Illinois under the Illinois Park Act of 1911.

The nation suffered under the weight of the Great Depression during the 1930s, but Pottawatomie Park saw many improvements at this time. Park Board member Algert Swanson is credited with securing a large Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant to help pay for the park upgrades. Major contributions from Dellora and Lester Norris and the Park Commission enabled the construction of new amenities within the park. By 1938, Pottawatomie Park had a golf course, swimming pool, recreation building, baseball diamond, amphitheater, and improved tennis courts.

One of the park's most recognizable attractions, the passenger boats that run on the Fox River, can be attributed to Chet Anderson, who played an active part at the park starting in the 1930s. Anderson, who originally worked a refreshment stand and served Swedish-style picnics, began piloting his first boat on the Fox River in 1946. Anderson took passengers up the river for thirty-five cents on his "Honeymoon Queen." Anderson replaced this original boat with the "St. Charles Belle I" in the 1960s, the "St. Charles Belle II" in 1981, and added the "Fox River Queen" in 1987. The Pottawatomie Park paddle boat business is today managed by the St. Charles Park District.

Since the early 1990s, the St. Charles Park District has added many improvements to Pottawatomie Park. Opened in January 1991, the 27,000 square foot Pottawatomie Park Community Center provided the community with a gymnasium, locker rooms, dance studios, craft studios, pre-school rooms, and office space for the St. Charles Park District. In 2003, an 18,000-square-foot addition to the Center enlarged the space for adult activities and substantially increased the size of the preschool program areas. The original Pottawatomie Park Pavilion was dismantled in 2000. The Park District rebuilt the pavilion in its original location and according to original plans with the help of private donations. In 2009, the St. Charles Park District dedicated the Pottawatomie Park Pavilion Tower in honor of James and Joann Collins for their contributions to Pottawatomie Park and the City of St. Charles.

Sources

■ Doty, Marie. "Pottawatomie Park: The Jewel of the Fox." Beacon News 21 Aug. 1986: E:6.

■ Heun, Dave. "Family Still One With St. Charles." Daily Herald 4 February 2009.

■ Heun, Dave. "Park's Roots Imbedded Deep in History." Kane County Chronicle 24 March 1993: History Ed:l.

■ Heun, Dave. "Park Workers Make Splash with Visitors." Kane County Chronicle 24 March 1993, History Ed: 1.

■ Larson, Scott. Pottawatomie Center Set to Open January 13." Kane County Chronicle 4 Jan. 1991: A:5:1.

■ "Park Project Going Strong in All Lines ." St. Charles Chronicle 16 Jan. 1936: 1.

■ Pearson, Ruth Ann. Reflections of St. Charles. Elgin: Brethern Press, 1976.

■ Reinert, Judy. "Master of the River." Kane County Chronicle 10 Apr. 1996: Dl:2.

■ Sherlock, Barbara. "On Banks of the Fox River a Pavilion Rises From Past." Chicago Tribune. 3 October 2000.

■ Smith, Lisa. "$200,000 from the Finish St. Charles Park District to Decide Whether to Fund Rest of Tower Project." Daily Herald 16 July 2004. 

■ Weger, Eva. "Pottawatomie Community Center Opens Its New Wing." The Sun 10 December 2003.

■ Zehnder, Tony. "Pottawatomie Park Setting is a Natural Meeting Place." St. Charles Chronicle 3 July 1974: 1.