Fontenelle Park

Last updated
Fontenelle Park
TypeMunicipal (Omaha)
Location North Omaha
Coordinates 41°17′49″N95°58′55″W / 41.297°N 95.982°W / 41.297; -95.982 Coordinates: 41°17′49″N95°58′55″W / 41.297°N 95.982°W / 41.297; -95.982
Area108 acres (0.44 km2)
Created1893
OpenAll year

Fontenelle Park is a 108-acre (0.44 km2) public park located at 4575 Ames Avenue, at an intersection of Fontenelle Boulevard in North Omaha, Nebraska. In the late 1940s, the park made headlines across the Midwestern United States as the possible home of a minor league baseball team. [1]

Fontenelle Boulevard is a roadway in the Omaha boulevard system located on the north end of Omaha, Nebraska. The boulevard shares its namesake Logan Fontenelle with several local institutions and fixtures, including Fontenelle Elementary School and Fontenelle Park.

Nebraska State of the United States of America

Nebraska is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. It is the only triply landlocked U.S. state.

Midwestern United States region that includes parts of Canada and the United States

The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the American Midwest, Middle West, or simply the Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It was officially named the North Central Region by the Census Bureau until 1984. It is located between the Northeastern United States and the Western United States, with Canada to its north and the Southern United States to its south.

Contents

History

Land for the park was acquired in 1893 in accordance with a grand parks and boulevards schema for Omaha planned by Horace Cleveland in 1891. [2] The Fontenelle Boulevard was also part of this plan. Despite the support of prominent Omahans like Harold Gifford Sr., [3] there were immediate protests from city residents who felt the park land was located too far from the city. Due to lack of funds and criticism, it remained essentially prairie grass for another decade until city growth expanding northwest from Downtown Omaha created demand for improvement.

Horace Cleveland American landscape architect

Horace William Shaler Cleveland was an American landscape architect, sometimes considered second only to Frederick Law Olmsted. His approach to natural landscape design can clearly be seen in projects including the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts; the boulevard system in Omaha, Nebraska; Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island; and St. Anthony Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Harold Gifford Sr. (1859-1929) was a ophthalmologist, a discrete philanthropist, and an ardent nature enthusiast. He was born in Milwaukee, WI, obtained his PhD from the University of Michigan, and traveled to Europe for his post-graduate work alongside the most well-respected ophthalmologist of his day. Returning to the United States, Gifford settled in Omaha, NE, were, with his wife Mary at his side, he went on to become one of the city's most prominent surgeons.

Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline of Chicago Street on the north, also including the CHI Health Center Omaha. Downtown sits on the Missouri River, with commanding views from the tallest skyscrapers.

In 1911 the park was graded, loads were built and the golf course was laid out. By 1916 it was one of the most popular and best-patronized-parks in the city. [4]

Omaha hosted the American Legion World Series in 1939 at Fontenelle Park, where local favorites Creighton Prep won the championship over a team from Berwyn, Illinois. In 1947 John Rosenblatt explored the park as the possible location for the city's new Triple-A minor league baseball team. However, neighborhood opposition forced the city to look elsewhere, and the stadium ended up in Deer Park, where it eventually hosted the Omaha Royals and was named Rosenblatt Stadium in honor of its advocate. [5]

Berwyn, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Berwyn is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, coterminous with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,657.

In 1998 a major rehabilitation of the park was completed that included a renovation of the park’s lagoon, a new playground, ball field improvements and installation of improved walkways. The park pavilion was also fully renovated. [6]

Modern facilities

Today Fontenelle Park has a popular lagoon, a playground, and long, meandering paths function as terrific ways to exercise. Two basketball courts, four tennis courts, and two football fields join a nine-hole golf course to host sports throughout the park. The park pavilion currently houses the Joe Edmondson YMCA. [6] The golf course is one of the oldest in the Omaha area, sprawling over hillsides and nestling within a wide, shallow valley. Numerous maple and pine trees line the perimeter of the course, and a large, duck-filled pond is in the center of the course. [7]

Lagoon A shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs

A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs. Lagoons are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. They have also been identified as occurring on mixed-sand and gravel coastlines. There is an overlap between bodies of water classified as coastal lagoons and bodies of water classified as estuaries. Lagoons are common coastal features around many parts of the world.

Basketball court space equipped for playing basketball

In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with baskets at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished and completed with a 10 foot rim. Outdoor surfaces are generally made from standard paving materials such as concrete or asphalt.

Tennis court venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches

A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be used to create a tennis court, each with its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the game.

Recently the Omaha North High School Vikings baseball team renovated the baseball fields, and today they are popular for their tidiness, appearance, and usage. [8]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Niebling, D.M. and Hyde, T. (2004) Baseball in Omaha. Arcadia Publishing. p 38.
  2. ↑ History of Omaha. Douglas County Historic Society.
  3. ↑ Street Names. Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved 9/25/07.
  4. ↑ City of Omaha Planning Department. (1992) Omaha's Historic Park and Boulevard System. p 39-41.
  5. ↑ Niebling, D.M. and Hyde, T. (2004) Baseball in Omaha. Arcadia Publishing. p 38.
  6. 1 2 "Fontenelle Park," City of Omaha. Retrieved 9/25/07.
  7. ↑ "Fontenelle Park". VisitNebraska.com. Retrieved 9/25/07.
  8. ↑ Fontenelle Park. Creighton University. Retrieved 9/25/07.
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