Wicker Park (Chicago park)
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| Wicker Park | |
|---|---|
 Fountain on Wicker Park | |
 Interactive map of Wicker Park | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Wicker Park, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°54′28″N 87°40′36″W / 41.907744°N 87.67676°W |
| Area | 4.03 acres (1.63 ha) |
| Created | 1870 |
| Operated by | Chicago Park District |
Wicker Park is a 4.03-acre (1.63 ha) public urban park in the Wicker Park neighborhood of the West Town community and West Side district, in Chicago, Illinois. It is named after Charles G. Wicker and Joel H. Wicker.
In late 1868, the Chicago Board of Public Works announced the desire to build a park "lying west of Milwaukee Avenue and south of North Avenue. The grounds are of considerable capacity and are laid out in a tasteful and attractive manner as a park."[1] Present at the meeting was alderman Charles G. Wicker, who, with his brother Joel H. Wicker, purchased a 4-acre (16,000 m2) parcel of land to the City of Chicago in 1870.[2] The City of Chicago installed a small reservoir inside the triangular park.[2]
At the end of the 19th century, the neighborhood around the park was subsumed into the surrounding Polish Downtown, and the area immediately surrounding the park became known as "the Polish Gold Coast".[3]
In 1890, the West Park Commission filled in the reservoir and replaced it with lawn.[2] Several years later a cut-granite fountain was installed.[2] In 1908, the fountain was replaced with a wading pool and additional trees were planted in the park.[2]
In 1934, the West Park Commission was consolidated into the Chicago Park District.[2] The Chicago Park District installed a fieldhouse on the site in 1985.[2]
Memorials and historical markers
A statue of Charles Gustavus Wicker, the park's namesake, sweeping with a broom can be found on the west side of the park; the statue was designed by Wicker's great-granddaughter, Nancy Deborah Wicker-Eilan.[4] Another marker in a garden just west of the fieldhouse honors Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who resided in the Wicker Park neighborhood during World War I and later served as Prime Minister of Poland.[5] A third marker describes the history of the park's fountain.[6]
Facilities
The dog-friendly park includes areas for baseball, gyms, a spraypool, a water playground, and a walking path.[2]
