BRIDGEVIEW PARK DISTRICT
Bridgeview Park District
The Park District began by several Bridgeview residents. They wanted their community’s adults and children to have open space and facilities in their village for recreation. These residents pooled their own money, hired an attorney, circulated petitions, and held a referendum which was passed by the voters in the village. Hickory Hills Park District supporters lodged a legal challenge, and the courts threw out the formation of the Bridgeview Park District. It seemed both districts claimed the same territory. The originators were undaunted and with the cooperation of many volunteers, a second effort was made to get our Park District established. This second attempt was successful in 1965.
The newly elected Park Board of Commissioners, Kenneth MacIntosh, James Simon, Joseph Allen, Donald Mullen, and John Nieman now had their work cut out for them. The board along with the aid of their attorney engaged the services of a professional community development company. They specialized in studies of land needs for the recreational purposes of communities. The company compiled information for the current and projected size of the population of Bridgeview. They also compiled information on open lands within the village. They presented the Park Board with their findings and a master plan for park development. It was suggested in this Master Plan that seven neighborhood parks and one large, main park be purchased. With this plan, no child would have to cross either railroad tracks or major thoroughfare to be able to play in a park. The land was acquired slowly through purchases from private owners and paid for from money received from land sales. The physical basis for our Park District began to take form.