History of Howard Park

History of Howard Park. How It All Began. , Howard Park is South Bend's first and oldest park that was officially dedicated on August 18, 1899. The ground was named in honor of Judge Timothy Howard (1837-1916) who had a long and varied career in state and local politics, serving as city council member, state senator, and chief justice in the Indiana Supreme Court. He then went on to become president of the Northern Indiana Historical Society., The land being considered for Howard Park prior to the 1899 dedication was an unlikely location at the time. It was then a flood plain that paralleled the St. Joseph River, acting as a sponge that absorbed excess water during periods of flooding. It was thought of as nothing more than "an overflowed swamp waste,” and extended from Jefferson Street to the southern end of the park. When frozen, this area was used for ice skating. Because it was regarded as a breeding ground for Malaria during the summer months, people viewed it as a health hazard and the city decided to eliminate it. From 1878 to 1895, this land was slowly filled in with waste from the city. In some places, this fill was from ten to fifteen feet deep., On July 10, 1893, the park commissioners took the first action looking to the permanent improvement of the grounds and on a Friday evening in August 1899, the park was formally dedicated in one of the most splendid civic demonstrations ever witnessed., In July 1906, a beautifully elaborate fountain was donated to the city by John M. Studebaker, president of Studebaker manufacturing corporation. It was made of bronze and stood about twenty feet tall. The old fountain has recently been restored and relocated to Leeper Park., Continuing its transformation, Howard Park welcomed an ice-skating rink and multi-purpose facility in 1958. The warming house, concessions, restroom facilities and a service center were exciting new features to the park. The opening of the rink drew a crowd of 4,000 skaters and spectators, and several hundred had to be turned away. The beloved ice skating rink saw generations of families for over 50 years.