From the Archives: Local Kids Have Been Playing at Virginia Reed Park since 1948

The Lemont Area Historical Society has generously offered to share photos and accompanying information with Patch readers each week, depicting people, places and things from the village's storied past.

This week's featured photo shows future Lemont leaders discussing the important events of the day on the merry-go-round at Virginia Reed Park at 51 Eureka Drive in the 1960s. The park opened in June 1948 after several Lemont moms got together to build a neighborhood park for their children.

The group, later known as the Singer-Warner Mothers Club, cleared the land, raised funds and purchased teeter-totters, a sandbox, horizontal bars and a slide. The park was named in memory of the club's first president, Virginia Dillman Reed, who led the effort the build the neighborhood play area.

The historical society is hoping local residents may be able to help name the children pictured on the merry-go-round. If you know any of them, tell us in the comments!

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Discover more about Lemont history at the historical society museum in the Old Stone Church at 306 Lemont St. The museum is open to the public and welcomes visitors. For more information, visit the LAHS web site at http://www.lemonthistorical.org/ or contact lemontahs@sbcglobal.net.

The Lemont Area Historical Society also invites readers to share their photos of Lemont’s past, to be added to the LAHS archives.

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