History of the Gurnee Park District
 The Park District has a rich history, which goes back to the early 1800s.
Early settlers arrived in the area now known as Gurnee in 1835, following the Treaty of Prairie Du Chien with the Indians which provided for the settlement of northern Illinois. The settlers came to Illinois from the east to acquire inexpensive land and build homes. An article in an early Chicago Tribune states “An obscure hamlet, Wentworth remained such even after 1870 when the name of its post office was changed to O’Plaine.” This was shortened from Aux Plaines, the early spelling of the Des Plaines River. In 1873, the first train went through on the newly-built Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. In 1874, the town was renamed Gurnee Station. It was later shortened to just Gurnee. The name Gurnee was said to have come from a Louis J. Gurnee who did the surveying for the railroad; however, other sources indicate Walter S. Gurnee, one of the first settlers in the Chicago area and one-time Mayor of Chicago, was the person whose name was given to the town.
On May 8, 1928, Gurnee became incorporated as a Village. In 1930, the population of Gurnee was 503. The Village experienced slow growth over a forty-year period. In 1970, the population was 2,735. The 1990 census records a population of 13,701. Early interest in parks and recreation originated with the Village when a Recreation tax was passed in 1941 and a Recreation Board was appointed.
In August 1953, the Village purchased the local gravel pit which became Gowe Park, from Mrs. Cora McCullough. A beach was added and the Village Recreation Board conducted a swimming program. The park was named for Verne Gowe, a coach and teacher at Warren High School, who organized many community recreation programs. This was one of the first parks in Gurnee. In 1956, the Lions Club and American Legion built a bathhouse at the beach.
On July 1, 1968, the Village entered into an agreement with the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) and Gurnee Grade School District #56 to purchase the property now called Viking Park, from the Independent Order of Vikings Valhalla Association.
In 1968, a committee was appointed by the Village to consider the feasibility of creating a Park District. Members of this committee were Verne Gowe, Frank Potter, John Schellenger and Bob Jacobs. On September 7, 1968, voters approved the referendum establishing the Gurnee Park District.
In 1971, the Park District purchased approximately 29 acres of the Viking Park property from the Village with the assistance of Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds. Viking Park was developed in 1973 and 1974. Shortly thereafter, the dance hall that was originally built by the Independent Order of Vikings was restored; a new restroom and concession building was built, a lighted ballfield was constructed, the parking lot was expanded and a new playground was built in 1984 and 1985.
The 1990’s saw the expansion of parks as the population of Gurnee soared and there was an influx of new residential, commercial and industrial development. Parks were developed at Providence Village (Kings), Westgate and Russell Road (O’Plaine Park) in 1991. Southridge Park was built in 1992. Pembrook Park (Betty Russell Park) began in 1991 and was completed over the course of several years. Ravinia Park was built in 1996, followed by University and Shaw Parks in 1997. In 1998, Vineyard Park in the Elysian Fields subdivision and Timberwoods parks were constructed. In 2000 Providence Park was completed in the Providence Oaks neighborhood. Concord Oaks Park was turned over to the park district by the homeowners in 2001. Between the years of 1990 and 2000, the population of the Gurnee Park District went from 16,701 to 31,834, a 110% increase.
The District sought partnerships with the school districts and Warren Township in order to provide indoor and outdoor programming space for residents. This included gymnasiums for indoor athletics, fields for outdoor sports and camps, classrooms for preschool, dance and afterschool CARE, and the use of the high school indoor pool and Laremont School pool for swim lessons.
In the years since 2000, the park district has developed new facilities to serve the public. The Viking Park Community Center was expanded in 2001. It houses administration and finance offices, a dance room, meeting room and three preschool rooms. The 1500-bather capacity Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center was built in 2002. Funding for the aquatic center was a cooperative effort of the Village of Gurnee and Gurnee Park District. The 40,000 square foot Hunt Club Park Community Center was completed in 2006. This new community center includes a full gymnasium, preschool, dance studio, meeting rooms, family activity room, a rock climbing wall and fitness center.
During these same years, the park district acquired approximately 25 acres of woods in the Churchill Hunt neighborhood and 125 additional acres of wetlands in the Village Park area, all of which will be preserved as natural areas for future generations.
The Park District currently has 24 playgrounds, six outdoor tennis courts, 23 outdoor basketball courts, 21 soccer fields, 16 baseball or softball fields, six outdoor volleyball courts, three small skate parks, 14 picnic shelters, one fishing area, four outdoor ice rinks, a band shell, the dance hall, and the summer kitchen. Gowe Park was sold to the Warren Township High School District in 2008 and the beach was closed.
Throughout the growth and development of the Gurnee Park District, the board and staff have fostered an open relationship with residents through interest and attitude surveys, citizen advisory committees, volunteer work days, public hearings, feasibility studies and strategic plan advisory committees. A comprehensive park district website has made communication between the community and its park district even stronger.
New mission and vision statements were adopted with the most recent Strategic Plan in February 2008. The mission is “enriching people’s lives by promoting fun and preserving nature”. The vision of the Gurnee Park District is to provide the community with a sense of pride in their Park District and to be the most effective, efficient and responsive government that the community will ever encounter.
Board of Park Commissioners
* Ruth Ann Bratzke 1968-1971
* Roger Wittenburg 1968-1970
* James P. McGill 1968-1973
* William E. Potter 1968
* Gerald Richardson 1968-1975
Jack Anderson 1970-1973
J. Richard Mota 1968-1974
John R. Shaw, Sr. 1971-1997
Gerald Keefe 1973-1976
Thomas Smolich 1973-1976
Christine Thompson 1974-1995
William Bouma 1975
Joseph A. Trierwiler 1976-1991
Joan O’Connor 1976-1979
William VanHulzen 1976-1981
James Strang 1979-1985
Roslyn Faulhaber 1981
Arthur Welton, Jr. 1981-1995
Michael J. Kolar 1985-1989
Jack Porter 1989-1991
Julie Werst 1991-1995
Gerald Jutila 1991-1993
Victoria Paddock 1993-present
Steven Kaplan 1995-1998
Donna Kolar 1995-2010
Michael Hampson 1995-2001
Susanne Kolb 1997-2002
Jack Lepper 1998-1999
Russ Johnson 1999-2011
Wendy Vieth 2001-2003
Libby Baker 2003-present
Charlie Williams 2002-2009
Jim Goshorn 2009-present
Michelle Klemz 2010-present
Gerald Crews 2011-present
* five original Park Commissioners
Executive Directors
James Strang 1971-1973
Marilyn Stroud 1974-1977
Betty Russell 1977-1996
Charles Balling 1996-2006
Susie Kuruvilla 2006-present
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