The Lowell Area Historical Museum is offering a weekly feature to explore local history. This week, museum staff is telling us about Recreation Park, which has long been the hub of social activity in Lowell. To learn more about Lowell history, visit the museum website to explore its collection of local artifacts and records.
Where the rivers meet there is a spot, in the heart of Lowell, named Recreation Park, occupying over 30 acres. It was the center of social activity in Lowell and a rare gem in all of Kent County. People began coming to Recreation Park when it was Train’s Track, a half mile race track for horses. From that it evolved into a park used for baseball, football, tennis, large gatherings, and of course, the Kent County Youth Fair.
The earliest known occupants were the Odawa, who had a village here. Lewis Robinson was next to occupy the land, and then Jarvis C. Train. Besides being a well-known businessman, Jarvis C. Train was one of the early horse racing enthusiasts. Horse racing was very popular at the time, and horse races were held at the ‘Old Fairgrounds’ defined as “On the river-flat hollow west of Oakwood cemetery.” It isn’t known how long the “Old Fairgrounds” were in use, but newspaper references before 1878 all refer to the “Lowell Driving Park” or “Lowell track” or “Lowell Horse Fair.” Later, J. C. Train made his own half mile race track on his land that we know today as Recreation Park. Horse race publicity after 1878 specifically refers to “Train’s track,” “Train’s Driving Park” and “Island Park Race Track.” In 1883, Train built grandstands at his Driving Park. In 1906, Train died as a result of a tragic accident, he was kicked by a horse.
The beginning of Recreation Park is difficult to pinpoint. Train donated the islands in the Flat River south of the mill, and at some point the land with the track and park was transferred to the city. For years Island Park was the best picnic spot in town, and the adjoining Recreation Park was known for its recreational opportunities.
The Board of Trade would lease the grounds, and then plan events and rent out the park. Numerous Home Coming celebrations where held there with picnics on the island, and baseball, horse races, balloon ascensions and foot races all at Recreation park. Horse races and baseball continued at Recreation Park, and in 1919 the American Legion was started, with an early project of furnishing Recreation Park with playground equipment. The Board of Trade planned events such as weekly band concerts, a free Chautauqua, and athletic tournaments. A new grandstand, complete with a foundation, was built inside the race track at the North end of the ball grounds. It was 26’X20’ with eight rows of seats. Fall harvest picnics were held at Recreation Park, one featured an exhibition drill by the National Guard of Lowell.
In 1926, the first of several “Field Meet” days for Kent County, was held at Recreation Park in Lowell. Programs were issued with score sheets for events. Hundreds of students from all over the county came to these events.
By now Recreation Park was well known as having one of the best half mile race tracks in the state, good baseball diamonds with grandstand, two standard concrete tennis courts and a large assortment of play equipment. In the summer two athletic directors, a man and a woman supervise village sports. Baseball teams traveled all over the state, with month long Saturday and Sunday double headers. Some events boasted over a thousand spectators. Horse racing was waning in popularity locally, but the Michigan ‘Fair Circuit’ was still popular. Lowell was proud of the fact that many of the horses in the circuit trained right here at Recreation Park.
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