Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and Works Progress Administration was the basis for the construction of Abilene's swimming pool, stadium, rose garden, and other buildings located in this park. This park project under the WPA was one of thirty such projects over the state sponsored by the federal government.
Construction of the swimming pool, later labeled by experts as "the finest pool in the state of Kansas," was begun December of 1936 with sixty men working four days a week. These men used shovels and wheelbarrows to dig out the pool area and horses to haul the dirt away. A second and third stone quarry had to be located on area farms as they ran out of natural stone putting up the park buildings.
As construction of the swimming pool neared completion, the stadium was started. Due to changes in plans being made after appropriations and bonds were secured, money was unavailable to complete the stadium with a roof, as had been planned. The pool and stadium were completed in 1937 and 1938 respectively.
In June of 1944, this 40 acre park was dedicated to Dwight D. Eisenhower and has since been known as Eisenhower Park. It was from the park stadium on June 6, 1952, that General Dwight D. Eisenhower announced his candidacy for President.
————
A portion of Eisenhower Park and its WPA Structures have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
Comments 0 comments