Location:
11500 S. Homewood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60643
Supervisor:
Rebecca Regaldo (Kennedy Park)
Phone Numbers:
Main
(312) 747-6198
Hours
Park Hours
Description
Located in the Morgan Park Community Area, Blackwelder Park is a 5.18 acre recreational destination enjoyed by park patrons and their families.This park features a soft-surface playground, basketball court and a softball field. Park patrons engage in a variety of activities at Blackwelder Park include basketball and softball.
History
In 1969, local resident Mary A. Riggins wrote to the Chicago Park District concerned that neighborhood children were forced to play in the streets. Riggins suggested creating a park on an under-used Little League ball field, the last large tract of vacant land within the community. Using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant funds, the Park District acquired the property in 1972. A few years later, the Park District began grading and resodding the site, and installing playground equipment and athletic fields.
In 1979, the park was named for Gertrude Blackwelder, a former resident of the Village of Morgan Park. In 1844, Englishman Thomas Leeds Morgan began buying thousands of acres of land south of Chicago. After the Civil War, Morgan's homestead became the site of Morgan Park, a new residential suburb incorporated in 1882. Among Morgan Park's early residents were Isaac S. and Gertrude B. Blackwelder, whose home at 10910 Prospect Avenue quickly became a social center for the community. Isaac Blackwelder was the president of the Village of Morgan Park prior to its annexation to Chicago. Gertrude Blackwelder was a founder of the Morgan Park Women's Club, and a member of the community's school board. She is also said to have been "the first woman to cast a ballot in the State of Illinois." Morgan Park's annexation to Chicago brought improvements and services, spurring residential development after 1900. The community's population more than doubled between 1930 and 1960, with growth continuing through the following decade, as increasing numbers of African-Americans moved into the integrated neighborhood.
Map & Facilities
Blackwelder Baseball Field
Blackwelder Football/Soccer Field
Blackwelder Spray Pool
