Bobby McGarraugh Park

General Location

Cherry Street between S and P Street

General Description

Bobby McGarraugh Park sits in a south facing depression that shelters users from the wind and provides an intimacy to the location. It now includes a grass play area, picnic shelter, young children’s play structures and a restroom. New play equipment was installed in 2010 and a new picnic shelter was built in 2011. In October 2013, the Park Board scheduled ‘Bulbfest at Bobby’s’, a community event to plant 3,000 spring flowering bulbs at the park. 

History

The 2.03-acre park site, formerly called Cherry Street Park, was renamed in 1996 to honor the late City Parks employee Bobby McGarraugh. It was once a City-owned gravel pit. Council minutes report on grading, topsoil distribution and playground equipment on 16 October 1973 and note an area planned for tennis courts. The 1975 Parks Plan recommended development and a grant proposal was submitted to IAC in 1976 for development funding. Council minutes (17 August 1976) note that IAC required that unopened street rights of way for Q between Cherry and Willow Streets and Rose between P and R Streets be vacated within the month for the proposal to be considered. Although this was done promptly by Council, there is no record that an IAC grant was received for the park. The 1991 Parks Plan mentions a grass volleyball court, picnic shelter and children’s play equipment.

Total Acreage

2.03 acres