Parks, Playgrounds, and Public Spaces: A Forgotten Legacy

By - Harry Bulkeley

When pioneers first came out here to Forgottonia, life was no picnic. Literally, they didn't have time for such foolishness as packing a picnic lunch and waltzing out to the park. First of all, it was hard enough to put food on the table, let alone in a basket. Secondly, there weren't any parks where they could picnic even if they wanted to go. Land was too valuable to waste on grass and plants unless you could eat them.

After a few years, when things had settled down and life got a little easier, folks enjoyed going out for some fresh air. Unfortunately, there still weren't any parks. Young cities and towns were too busy providing basic services to buy and take care of playgrounds.

But every town did have one place that was green and serene and often shaded with tall leafy trees. That was the local cemetery. As strange as that may sound, cemeteries weren't regarded as scary. They were places to go to remember loved ones who had passed. The grass was kept down, and trees were planted. You could spread a cloth near great aunt Gertrude's marker and enjoy some fried chicken and dandelion salad and remember her funny hats.

It wasn't that people hadn't thought about parks. New York City's planners proposed the idea in the 1840s and by 1858 the first section of the Central Park was opened. It was then, and still is today, one of the great ideas in urban planning. Still, small towns out here in Forgottonia couldn't be bothered with such frivolity. There were roads to build and businesses to encourage.

Among those businesses out here were the railroads. Those big puffer bellies required two things to make steam- coal and water. There were lots of sources of coal, but the water had to come from somewhere nearby. So, the railroads began building lakes from which they could get water. Those lakes were surrounded by vacant land close to many towns, and eventually, the railroads saw an advantage in giving those open spaces to the cities. Even robber barons had a heart, plus then somebody else could provide the sheep to keep the grass under control. Eventually, those spaces became public parks.

At about the same time, baseball was sweeping the country on its way to becoming our National Pastime. Obviously, a big field was needed to play the game. Space was easy to find in small towns, but big cities wanted to play in it, too. In fact, as baseball became an urban game, one of the selling points was that fans could come to the park in a "country setting."

By the turn of the 20th century, municipalities large and small were setting aside land for public parks. Often, they were on land surrounding the courthouse or other civic buildings. Folks living in small houses or apartments wanted a place to "take some fresh air," especially if they had spent all week working in a smoky factory.

As the automobile became more ubiquitous, folks were less interested in taking a Sunday stroll through the park. They would rather careen down a dirt road at 25 or 30 miles an hour. Still, the parks remained and even spread with attractions of the new rovers. In Galesburg, Lincoln Park had a cage with two live bears in it!

Towns kept up their baseball diamonds and eventually, at least where I grew up, "going to the ball park" became a regular occurrence back in the days when your mom told you to get out of the house and don't come back 'til the street lights come on.

There were not just ball games at the park. There were playgrounds and tennis courts and on Wednesday night concerts by the high school band. Girls worked in the concession stand while the boys tried to impress them by hitting a home run (or more often, striking out).

Big city houses usually had very small yards. In smaller towns, the lots could be bigger, but folks still felt the need to get out and mingle with their friends and neighbors. Most didn't mind that their taxes were going to provide a green space for galavanting.

The next time you have a family reunion or go for a walk in a public park, remember that it is there because someone long ago planned it.