Orginally
laid out as a "public square" and possibly as a site for
the county courthouse, later
named White Park in honor of the man who made the land
available in 1854, became
the first park in Champaign County in 1859.
Know as the "Commons", the two square block space was
"put to work" by settlers as a cow pasture on Aug 10,
1861, when the city council adopted a montion "to permit
calves to be turned into the City Park at $.35 per month."
An
Illinois Central Railroad executive, Benjamin F. Johnson
(1818-1894) donated $10,000 to the city for construction
of a fountain and bandstand in White Park. The fountain
was constructed with a bronze statue on top by renowned
sculptor Edward Kemeys (1843-1907). The Prayer
For Rain statue and Johnson Fountain were dedicated
on June 1, 1899.
CLICK
HERE to download a PDF copy of the Champaign Park District Facilities/Parks/Trails map.
Note: You may have to save it
to your hard drive first and then open it in Acrobat.
