Fontenelle Park
Encyclopedia
Fontenelle Park is a 108 acre (0.43706088 km²) public park located at 4575 Ames Avenue, at the intersection with 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.
in 1891. The Fontenelle Boulevard
was also part of this plan. Despite the support of prominent Omahans like Harold Gifford Sr., 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.
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.
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.
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.
, a playground and long, meandering paths function as terrific ways to exercise. Two basketball court
s, four tennis court
s, 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. 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.
Recently the Omaha North High School
Vikings baseball team renovated the baseball fields, and today they are popular for their tidiness, appearance and usage.
Fontenelle Boulevard
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.-About:Originally called Boulevard...
in North Omaha, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. In the late 1940s the park made headlines across the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
as the possible home of a minor league baseball team.
History
Land for the park was acquired in 1893 in accordance with a grand parks and boulevards schema for Omaha planned by Horace ClevelandHorace Cleveland
Horace William Shaler Cleveland was a noted American landscape architect, sometimes considered second only to Frederick Law Olmsted...
in 1891. The Fontenelle Boulevard
Fontenelle Boulevard
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.-About:Originally called Boulevard...
was also part of this plan. Despite the support of prominent Omahans like Harold Gifford Sr., 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
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
created demand for improvement.
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.
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
Berwyn, Illinois
Berwyn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, co-existent with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,016.-Demographics:...
. 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
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
and was named Rosenblatt Stadium in honor of its advocate.
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.
Modern facilities
Today Fontenelle Park has a popular lagoonLagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
, a playground and long, meandering paths function as terrific ways to exercise. Two basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles 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...
s, four tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game 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.-Dimensions:...
s, and two football fields join a nine-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
to host sports throughout the park. The park pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
currently houses the Joe Edmondson YMCA. 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.
Recently the Omaha North High School
Omaha North High School
Omaha North High Magnet School is a public high school located at 4410 N 36th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. The school is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school in the Omaha Public Schools district. North has won several awards, including being named a 2007 Magnet Schools of...
Vikings baseball team renovated the baseball fields, and today they are popular for their tidiness, appearance and usage.
External links
- 1920s postcard
- 1940s photo of the park
- Fontenelle Forest - photos and info about the park
