In 1893, the Humboldt Park lagoon was created as an artificial lake, complete with a boathouse and rowboats for rental. Twenty-five years later, the park added 28 additional acres, bringing it to its current footprint. Early photographs from the period show mature trees, attractive pathways, an island in the lagoon, and a concrete footbridge to it. (See more Humboldt Park history in The Bay View Historian in articles by Ron Winkler)
The history of Humboldt Park traces the results of forward-thinking individuals in 1890 who were motivated by civic pride, community engagement, and the critical roles that natural environments play in our well-being.
Fast forward to today, 53 walkers recently completed walking “audits” to the park from six nearby census tracts. These park volunteers observed the calming effects the park had after walking a half mile or so to reach it. Along the way, they also logged information on sidewalk and road conditions, lighting, traffic safety, and more. They, too, were motivated by civic pride in our neighborhood and found respite in the natural environment of Humboldt Park.
Today, each of us can join those early advocates and current volunteers by contributing to the year-end fundraising campaign for Humboldt Park. Your gift to Humboldt Park Friends will help us attract native pollinators by planting along the south shore of the lagoon, providing educational opportunities to people of all ages with events ranging from Tree Day to nature walks and forums in the pavilion. We are also planning infrastructure improvements to make the park more accessible to people with varying degrees of mobility.
