Historic Riverside Park

I thought I'd share some glimpses of my hometown with you since I'm still hanging out in Kansas. As kids, we ran through the town park and never gave any thought to the history or the fact that a small town had such a valuable well-maintained asset. Now I marvel at the work that went into the construction of Riverside Park. The park's just a few blocks away from Woodgate Farm (my aunt's home) along a bluff overlooking the historic Neosho Crossing for "the old Indian Trail" between Missouri and the Osage buffalo hunting grounds in central Oklahoma. The crossing was above the present dam and falls pictured here.

I can't write a post on the town park and look over this bluff without remembering the small town tale that I was told as a child. My father always said that the name of the town, Oswego, was coined when a distraught Osage Indian stood on the river overlook and yelled os we go as he leapt to his death in the river below. I guess the Indian must have had a Norwegian accent?

The land for the park was purchased around 1885 by a group of Oswego women who raised the money to pay for it by conducting food sales and ice cream socials. Most of the stone structures in the park were built by the WPA during the Depression.

In addition to all the stone shelters in the park and bathhouse, there are also trails (in particular a lover's lane) in the ravines around the park. I decided not to brave the mosquitos and ticks to take any photos in that area!

This little fish pond had koi in it when we were kids. We called them big goldfish!

The pool bathhouse is one of the structures built by the WPA in the 1930's. There's a rooftop deck where we occasionally had dances back in the 1960's.


The pool is still beautifully maintained and basically looks the same as it did in the 1960's!

The pool concession stand. We used to hang out here as kids. I loved the frozen Zero and Snicker bars!

Can you find the fossil and boot in the fancy stonework?

This little stone building actually has a fireplace in it! I'd always thought it was just a storage/maintenance shed, but now I wonder if there was a caretaker in it at one time?

Someone really does a good job keeping flowers planted in the park!

More stonework designs! I'd love to know the name of the WPA stone mason.

Gorgeous planting beds.

These new banners were purchased with the money from my aunt's memorial fund. Birds and flowers -- her two favorites hobbies! I can't think of anything more appropriate to honor her life!