History of Green Bay's Parks

Eisenhower Park

This park is located next to Eisenhower School and was absorbed into the Green Bay park system when Preble and Green Bay were consolidated in 1965; therefore, the only history on it is that the property was apparently purchased in 1956. A portable shelter was put in with playground equipment, sandbox, two tennis courts, 1 basketball court, 1 softball and 1 baseball diamond and 1 horseshoe pit. After consolidation, a permanent shelter was constructed and hockey and ice-skating facilities installed.

In 2006, a new playground was installed through a KABOOM! Project. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. The City and School District each contributed $5,000. Home Depot donated the balance and volunteers from Home Depot, the school and community did the work with assistance by Parks Department staff.

Incomplete

Eisenhower Park was one of the parks of the Town of Preble until the town consolidated with Green Bay in July of 1965. The park as taken over by the city contained 7.6 acres. 1 The town had purchased the property in several transactions in 1956 and 1960. 2

March 2, 1956
Bought 2.52 acres for $3,528 from John Nelson's heirs. (Warranty deed, Vol. 333, D 99.)
May 31, 1956
Bought 8.61 acres for $12,180 from Katherine Seifert by land contract; the deed was subsequently executed on April 27, 1960. (Warranty deed, Vol. 362, D 632; recorded June 9, 1956.)
April 12, 1960
Bought another small parcel (acerage not given) for $350 from John Nelson's heirs. (Warranty deed, Vol. 362, D 50.)
April 27, 1960
Bought another small parcel (acerage not given) for $700 from Katherine Seifert. (Warranty deed, Vol. 362, D 631; recorded June 9.)
May 23, 1960
Sold about 3 acres for $6,000 to Preble-Humboldt-Bellevue School District (Warranty deed, Vol. 363, D 279; recorded July 5.)

In addition, a 30 foot strip across the north edge of the property became half of Amy Street and a similar 30 fooot strip on the south edge became half of Lilac Lane. 3

Notes

1 Park Sites, Former Town of Preble, one undated Page 13 of some larger report. PRF file Park Areas: Preble Park.
2 Informal combined abstract for Town of Preble parks, handwritten version, dated 11/64; same information, typed version, undated; photocopies of covers from the actual abstracts, Northern Abstract Company, no date visible in the copies. PRF file CONSOLIDATION: Preble and Green Bay. (The typed version is also found in PRF file Park Areas: Preble Park.)
3 Ibid.
Only annotated statements have been verified. Any other historical statements are unverified and based on personal knowledge or informal notes kept by the Green Bay Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department.
Last update: July, 2013
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