Hubbard Park is a

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, containing about 1 ...

park in the village of

Shorewood, Wisconsin Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 13,859 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first white se ...

that received landmark status in 2000. It is located on a nearly five-acre, 1,400 feet long strip of land between the

Milwaukee River The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the ...

and the former

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

, now converted into part of the

Oak Leaf Trail The Oak Leaf Trail (formerly 76 Bike Trail) is a paved multi-use recreational trail system which encircles Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Clearly marked trail segments connect all of the major parks in the Milwaukee County Park System. Histor ...

. It was named for William J. Hubbard, a former Village Board president. The park also contains Hubbard Park Lodge, a restaurant, and visitors access the park through a pedestrian tunnel running under the Oak Leaf Trail from a parking lot at the intersection of North Morris Blvd and East Menlo Blvd.

History

This riverside site has been home to a resort and a series of amusement parks. Prior to the park's 1922 purchase by Shorewood Village President William J. Hubbard, the land had been used as an Indian hunting grounds, a resort (Ludemnann's-on-the-River), a mineral spring park, an amusement park, a terminal yard, cow barns, fishing shanties, and a distribution route for ice cut from the river. In 1936, the WPA-funded Community Lodge (now called the Shorewood River Club) was built to hold community events, a function it still performs today. North of this is Hubbard Park Lodge, originally the Scoutcraft Cabin, designed for use by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. These state-funded workers also graded and terraced the land, created pathways and a spring-fed pool and fountain. In 1962, the Shorewood Women's club remodeled and updated the building.

Gallery

File:Hubbard Park view 1.JPG, Hubbard Park view (looking south) File:Hubbard Park Youth Pavilion.JPG, Youth Pavilion File:Hubbard Park pedestrian access.JPG, Pedestrian access tunnel (looking east) File:Hubbard Park vehicle access.JPG, Vehicle access tunnels (looking west)

References

Protected areas of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Parks in Wisconsin {{MilwaukeeCountyWI-geo-stub