Another St. Charles First – Pottawatomie Park the First Public Park in the State

Last month I wrote about some St. Charles firsts. The recent (albeit short lived) heat wave last week got me thinking about another – the first public park in the state. I figured since the St. Charles Park District is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, a short history of Pottawatomie Park was in order.

The history of the park stretches back more than 175 years. Originally the land that the park now occupies was owned by the Ward family. First purchased by Calvin Ward in 1834, the land later was owned by Lorenzo Ward, his son. Lorenzo built his large home at the top of the hill near what is today the golf course. 

By the late 1880s, a group of developers was interested in the land for use as a resort complete with a grand hotel and park. With the location of the land right next to the picturesque river banks and surrounded by trees, what better spot was there? In 1892, the first pavilion was built at the river’s edge.

Over the years weather and use took their toll on the pavilion and it was torn down; today a new version of that same pavilion stands in the same location. The pavilion was to be the first step in building the new resort, but sadly the rest of the plans were never completed and the idea for the resort fell to the wayside.

In 1912, plans for a park were resurrected when Pottawatomie Park became the first public park in the state under the new Illinois Park Act. In an effort spearheaded by resident Bert Norris, the land was purchased by the St. Charles Township Park District and Pottawatomie Park was established. The name Pottawatomie was chosen to pay tribute to the Potawatomie Tribe that lived in this area until the early 1830s. 

From its early days, Pottawatomie Park was a place where many residents would gather to enjoy a leisurely Sunday afternoon. Families and companies would host picnics and many would enjoy boating along the river. When the trolley line ran through town people would travel to St. Charles from Chicago to enjoy an afternoon in “the country.”

During the Depression, Pottawatomie Park received several improvements and additions funded by the Works Progress Administration. The WPA laid water pipes throughout the park which allowed for the stone drinking fountains. The pool, baseball fields, amphitheater, a recreational building, improved tennis courts, and 9-hole golf course were also built with WPA funds. Because of connections from Lester and Dellora Norris, well-known golf course designer Robert Trent Jones was contracted to design the new course, which was one of the nicest 9-hole public courses in the area and remains so today.

Chet Anderson started offering boat rides in the 1940s on his boat “The Honeymoon Queen,” which was replaced by the “St. Charles Belle.” Today, Anderson’s family continues the tradition of paddle wheel boat rides up and down the river on the  “St. Charles Belle II” and “The Fox River Queen.”

Water slides have been added to the pools, a mini golf course is a popular attraction, and visitors are able to rent canoes or peddle boats to use while exploring the river. 

With so many offerings, it’s not hard to understand why Pottawatomie Park remains one of the most popular and well-remembered destinations in St. Charles. Share one of your favorite memories of Pottawatomie Park or stop by the park and enjoy some old fashioned fun one of these hot summer days and make some new memories!