History of Green Bay's Parks

Preble Park

Preble Park was the primary park of the Town of Preble until the town consolidated with Green Bay in July of 1965. The combined park as taken over by the city contained 14.138 acres. 1 The town had purchased the property as three parcels in 1946 and 1947. 2

August 8, 1946
10.945 acres for $8,500 from Charles Katers. (Warranty deed, Vol. 264, D 109.)
October 3, 1947
1.32 acres for $1,100 from William K. Wesley. (Vol. 281 D 131; recorded September 20.)
October 22, 1947
1.87 acres for $1,000 from John J. Mackin et al.. (Vol 281, D 132; recorded September 20.)

The shelter and outdoor grills were apparently already in place at the time of consolidation. [missing] One of the first improvements the city made was to bring water lines into the park, from Avon Court and then from Skyline Boulevard. 4

The park's location on a hill invited children to use the park for sliding, both into Hillside Lane and along the entire length of Skyline Blvd., a practice which exposed them to extreme hazards which the park department asked the principals of the area schools to point out. 5

Beverage ethanol seems to have been a legacy inherited from the days as a town park, but in 1994 in response to complaints of noise and drinking in Preble Park the park board voted to only allow beer consumption at the park shelter and [only] for the people renting it. Beer consumption will no longer be allowed throughout the park. 6

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 [missing]
4 Contractor's Certificate for Construction of Water Main (Avon Court) dated March 15, 1966, for contract dated June 9, 1965; Contractor's Certificate for Construction of Water Main (Skyline Boulevard) dated September 20, 1966, for contract dated March 18, 1966. PRF file Park Areas: Preble Park.
5 Copy of letter from Chet Miller, Director, Park and Recreation Department, to Principals of Edison, Martin, Preble, and St. Bernard's schools, dated February 7, 1975. PRF file Park Areas: Preble Park.
6 Copy of memo from Tim Lang, Acting Director, Park & Recreation Department, to Protection & Welfare Committee, dated June 21, 1994. PRF file Park Areas: Preble Park.
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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