Des Plaines in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Lake Park History
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 21, 2025
1. Lake Park History Marker
Lake Opeka took two years to fill with 2 billion gallons of spring fed water!
1957 $1.00 Land Purchase
1961 Grand Opening
1963 Golf Course
1975 Lake Park Memorial Pavilion
2007 Good Shepherd Church Land Purchase
2011 Flight 191 Memorial Wall and Garden
2012 North Lake Park Opening
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1957.
Location. 42° 0.909′ N, 87° 53.725′ W. Marker is in Des Plaines, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Howard Avenue, on the left when traveling west. The marker is in Lake Park, next to the northeast corner of Lake Opeka. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1177 Howard Avenue, Des Plaines IL 60018, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: History of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Architecture (about 300 feet away); About Lake Park (about 400 feet away); Paul Schumann Farm (about 700 feet away); Vietnam Veterans' Moving Memorial Wall (about 700 feet away); Des Plaines War Memorial (about 700 feet away); Lake Park Memorial Pavilion (about 700 feet away); Cold War, 1946-1991 (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Des Plaines.
Regarding Lake Park History. The marker includes a photo of Frank Opeka, namesake of the park's Lake Opeka, a man-made lake created to provide dirt for the construction of nearby Interstate 90. Opeka was board attorney for the Des Plaines Park District in the 1950s and 1960s and was instrumental in the development of Lake Park.
The Flight 191 Memorial honors the 1979 American Airlines flight that crashed moments after takeoff on May 25, 1979, killing
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 21, 2025
2. Lake Park History Marker
The marker is next to Lake Opeka.
Also see . . .
1. Des Plaines Yacht Club history. The story includes a history of Lake Park and its man-made lake, Lake Opeka. (Submitted on March 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Lake Opeka & Lake Park Attractions. (Submitted on March 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 21, 2025
3. Lake Park History Marker
The other marker pictured is about native trees of Illinois that can be found in the park. In the background is the former Good Shepherd Lutheran Church building, which was acquired by the Des Plaines Park District in 2021 and is now a restaurant.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 26, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
