Logan Field House

Logan Field House. First in Neighborhood Recreation. , Did you know that neighborhood recreation in Minneapolis began at Logan Park?, The ten-acre First Ward Park was one of the first purchased in 1883, the year the Park Board was established. First named Washburn Park, it was re-named Logan Park in 1893 after Major-General John A. Logan (credited with founding Memorial Day)., Logan Park was designed for neighborhood residents to enjoy, to quietly take in fresh air and stroll along its curving paths. It had no special features to attract visitors until the field house was built, the first one in the city., In 1912 a warming house and restroom typical of Minneapolis parks cost $80,000. The field house cost $40,000. The library provided some of that funding for a reading room. Other spaces included a large meeting room/gym, warming room, office, restrooms and showers. The showers were used by laborers returning home in the evening, as many houses did not have showers yet. The multifunctional field house and the first full-time staff for recreation transformed the strolling grounds into a modern neighborhood park., Events and programs like holiday parties, community sings, sports, preschool activities, arts and crafts, and club meetings drew neighbors of all ages and backgrounds together every day of the week. The field house was unique in the city until the 1960s. It was torn down and replaced in 1972., Logan Park field house, ca. 1914, Children's bubble time, 1921, Girls gymnasium class, 1923, Community sing, ca. 1920, What was a "community sing?" , A "community sing" was a competitive singing event held outdoors in a park. Beginning in 1919, they evolved from group singing at war bond rallies during world war one. They were accompanied by bands that played commonly known popular tunes., The success of "sings" drew a local news paper to promote them by sponsoring a championship. Judges scored events at different parks, which sparked rivalries between neighborhoods and fuelled participation., In 1920, Logan Park won the banner and also received a letter of congratulations from President Warren Harding., "Community sings were immensely popular. Crowds were reported to reach 10,000 at a single event. Community Sings ended in the 1950s, soon after TV arrived., Read more about them in David Smith, City of Parks: the Story of Minneapolis Parks. (Minneapolis, Minn. 2008), Chapter 14.