Burdette Park facts for kids

Burdette Park is a fun place for families and friends in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. It's a special park because it's the only one in the county not run by the City of Evansville. Burdette Park offers a great outdoor space with about 170 acres of wooded hills in Southwestern Indiana. It's a perfect spot for recreation and learning about nature.

The Story of Burdette Park

How the Park Began

The idea for Burdette Park started in 1927. A group called the Everett Burdette American Legion Post 187 bought 40 acres of land near Evansville. They wanted to create a fun place for their members and their families. The land was chosen because it had beautiful scenery and natural springs, including a special salt spring.

Work on the park began in April 1928. Many volunteers helped clear the land and build the "Clubhouse." This two-story building is still standing in the park today!

By 1931, the American Legion Post formed a special group to run the park. This group didn't aim to make money. By 1933, more than 3,000 people were visiting the park every week.

Burdette Park faced challenges during the Ohio River flood of 1937.

Growing During Tough Times

The park continued to grow even during the Great Depression. This was a time in the 1930s when many people didn't have jobs or money. Government programs like the WPA, CWA, and FERA helped. These programs gave funding and workers to build things.

To get help from these programs, the American Legion gave the park to Vanderburgh County in 1934. Later that year, the county and the Legion worked together to manage the park. In 1936, Burdette Park officially opened to everyone. About 15,000 people came to the big opening event!

Facing Floods and Changes

In 1937, the city of Evansville was hit by a huge flood from the Ohio River flood of 1937. Burdette Park also suffered a lot of damage. But after a lot of hard work, the park was able to open that summer. In 1938, the county and the WPA provided $300,000 for big improvements and new buildings.

During World War II, fewer people visited the park. After the war, in 1945, plans were made to fix up the park and build a new dance pavilion. This was finished in 1946. The park had some good years after the war, but by 1948, the money it made started to go down.

By 1950, the group running the park needed $5,000 from the county to fix the salt pool and roller-skating rink. They told the county they couldn't run the park anymore after that year.

New Management and a New Pool

The county agreed to take over running the park. In 1951, the Vanderburgh County Park Board was created. With new management, and the start of daylight saving time, everyone hoped the park would make more money.

However, in 1954, the special salty water source for Burdette Park's salt pool started to run out. It needed a lot of fixing to keep it safe and clean. By 1956, people were talking about bringing city water pipes to the park.

By 1959, fewer people were visiting again because the salt pool was getting worse. The county park board worked with the city of Evansville to bring a very long water pipe, 11,000 feet, to the park. This made it possible to plan for a brand new swimming pool, fresh water, and proper drains.

In 1960, money was approved to build a huge swimming pool, like the ones used in the Olympics, to replace the old salt pool. The new pool opened on August 19, 1961. It is still one of the biggest swimming pools in the middle of the country today!