History of the Waterbury Neighborhood

History of the Waterbury Neighborhood. . , The Waterbury neighborhood began in the early 1890's when the Des Moines Railway extended the trolley car line from downtown along Ingersoll Avenue to Polk Boulevard. This provided residents access to the Ingersoll Amusement Park and Greenwood Park. The Ingersoll Amusement Park, was established in 1890 by streetcar mogul Jefferson S. Polk. The park featured exotic animals, a bandstand and a wooden roller coaster located along Polk Boulevard., In 1897, the first Golf and Country Club of Des Moines was organized on 40 acres of land, leased from Colonel Harry Polk, located just west of Polk and north of Waterbury Road. The club quickly grew in popularity, and expanded to 60 acres by the early 1900's. A large, state of the art clubhouse was built on the corner of 49th and Harwood Drive. The club thrived until 1924, when the property was bought by the Country Club Investment Corp. The land was soon sold for individual homes, being one of the first neighborhoods accessible by the use of motor cars., In 1917, the F.C. Waterbury family acquired the land occupying the former amusement park which they developed over the next decade. During the development stage, the Waterbury area was one of the first neighborhoods designed to follow the natural topography of the land., The Waterbury area is home to many diverse architectural styles including distinctive brick Tudor Revival homes, traditional two-story Colonials and period Arts and Crafts bungalows. The combination of architectural styles, picturesque landscapes and rich history provide the unique charm that defines the Waterbury Neighborhood.