Cherokee Park Totally Explained

Everything about Cherokee Park totally explained

Cherokee Park is a 409-acre (1.6 km²) municipal park located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It was designed, like 18 of Louisville's 123 public parks, by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture. Beargrass Creek runs through much of the park, and is crossed by numerous pedestrian and automobile bridges.
According to The Trust for Public Land, Cherokee Park has 500,000 visitors annually, making it the 38th most popular municipal park in the United States.

History

Cherokee Park opened in 1892, has always been a major draw, and was a key factor in sparking development in nearby parts of town.
   Much of the land comprising Cherokee Park was originally part of a military land grant in 1773 to James Southall and Richard Charlton. Eventually a portion of it passed to Judge Joshua Fry Bullitt, who sold it in 1868 to foundry magnate Archibald P. Cochran. Cochran established an estate there called Fern Cliff, which operated as a museum for a while but has since been demolished.
   In 1887, a city park system was proposed with three large suburban parks: east, west and south. The eastern park would be comprised of wooded land from six estates of the time, including Cochran's (which was sold to the city after his death in 1889). The other estates bore the names Bonnycastle, Barret, Wilson, Alexander and Belknap. The initial name of the park was to be Beargrass Park, but in 1891, as was fashionable in the late 19th century, a name that evoked the romantic imagery of native Americans was chosen.
   Cochran's name lives on in Cochran Hill, which became notable in the late 1960s when two tunnels were dug under it at a cost of $1.9 million so that I-64 wouldn't have as extreme an impact on the park as it was run through it. The twin tunnels remain, running for about in length under the hill. Various groups, including one called Save Our Parks, formed as early as the 1940s to oppose running highways through the parks, and were largely responsible for forcing a tunnel as a compromise.
   The tunnels, which opened in 1970, are one of three sites in Kentucky deemed "exceptionally significant" by the Federal Highway Administration. This designation, in turn, means it'll be very difficult for the stretch of interstate running through the park ever to be widened.

Tornado damage in 1974

Much of the park was heavily damaged in the April 3, 1974 tornado Super Outbreak. The tornado was an F4 on the Fujita scale. A city forester surveying the aftermath said, "I don't believe that anyone alive today will see Cherokee Park as it was before the storm."
Because of the loss of thousands of mature trees, a massive re-planting effort was undertaken, financed in large part by a grant from the United States government under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. However, to qualify for these funds, the park had to be restored to its pre-tornado design as faithfully as possible. The original Olmsted plans were consulted for the park's "rebirth" (as it was called at the time), with 2,500 trees and 4,600 shrubs planted in the restoration effort.

Crime

Vandalism and petty crime has long plagued Cherokee Park. Vandalism was reported as early as 1936. In the 1950s into the mid-1960s newspapers reported with amusement on the serial theft of elements of the Hogan's Fountain monument - especially a bronze turtle - with headlines such as "Cherokee Park Turtle on the Loose Again" and "Bronze Turtle Steps Lively - Flees Cherokee Park Nest". According to a park commissioner, after the vandals saw the stories in print, they'd always deposit the stolen pieces, which weighed about 100 pounds, somewhere in the park. Eventually they were all bolted down from beneath such that vandals were unable to remove them. More seriously, the Daniel Boone statue at the park's Eastern Parkway entrance was toppled on May 21 1962, causing severe damage to it. Park officials claimed police had seen but not arrested a crowd of youths drinking openly near the statue earlier in the day, police denied the charge.
A 1970 newspaper article looked back on the tradition of turtle thievery with nostalgia, reporting that Hogan's Fountain had by the 1970s become a nightly gathering place for hundreds of teenagers, who openly sold and used drugs, despite an increasing police presence, usually arresting youths on loitering charges and chasing out dealers of more serious drugs such as heroin.

Landmarks

Cherokee Park contains many landmarks and points of interest. Many are self-contained areas within the larger park, set apart from each other by the natural terrain and creative use of landscaping. Because of the size and design of the park, many events can occur at the same time without interrupting each other.

Big Rock - A large rock in Beargrass Creek, which also lends its name to a picnic area and playground nearby. The rock itself is used for picnics, and as an ill-advised jumping spot (its flat surface offers about an drop into the shallow creek water below).
Scenic Loop - A 2.43 mile (3.9 km) mixed-use road around much of the park, with separate lanes for pedestrians and motorized vehicles
Frisbee Field - A Large open field used for many purposes, most commonly soccer and Ultimate
Baringer Hill - Commonly called "Dog Hill," "Kite Hill," or "Hill Number One." Once popular for kites, after a renovation in the late 1990s it has become better known as a gathering point for dog owners. This occasionally attracts the ire of park visitors who don't appreciate canines, especially those who, in violation of local ordinances, are unleashed. Opening in 2007 is a fenced dog park, located at the top of Cochran Hill.
Hogan's Fountain - A dog- and horse-watering fountain located atop a hill on the Scenic Loop, Hogan's Fountain was financed by the Hogan Family of Anchorage, Kentucky, in 1905. The fountain was sculpted by Enid Yandell, and features the Greek God Pan. It was officially unveiled on August 31 1905. The name Hogan's Fountain is also often extended to the nearby hilltop area, which includes a large Gazebo, baseball diamond, children's fountains and a basketball court. This spot was once known as Bonnycastle Hill. Hogan's Fountain is a popular place for group meetings, family reunions and picnics.
Lover's Lane - A secluded, heavily forested stretch of scenic loop just past Hogan's Fountain
Cochran Hill - A hillside between Frisbee Field and Lexington Road, and site of a dog park (opening in 2007)
Christensen Fountain - A recently restored fountain near the Lexington Road entrance
Nettleroth Bird Sanctuary - Located in a quiet corner of the park, between Scenic Loop and a residential neighborhood

Entrances

As the city of Louisville expanded around the park, many developers donated land to the park in exchange for the right to connect roads to it. The numerous entrances have made navigating the park notoriously confusing to visitors. Neighborhoods with entrances to the park include Cherokee Triangle, Bonnycastle, Highlands-Douglass, Crescent Hill and Seneca Gardens.

Features

Archery range - Near Beals Branch Road

Ballfield - At Hogan's Fountain

Baringer Spring - Rustic stream crossed by several wide wooden bridges and scenic walkways, entrances at Frisbee Field and at Baringer Hill

Fullcourt basketball - At Hogan's Fountain

Bike trail - Throughout park, crosses the scenic loop in many places. The scenic loop itself, with two moderately steep hills, is popular with road bikers.

Bridle trail

Golf course & clubhouse (9 holes)

Hiking trails - All are mixed use trails

Horseshoe pits - At Hogan's Fountain

Picnic pavilions - Large pagoda-style structure at Hogan's Fountain

Picnic tables - At and near Hogan's Fountain

Playgrounds - At Hogan's Fountain, Big Rock and Baringer Hill

Rugby field - Also used for Frisbee and Soccer

Restrooms - At Baringer Hill, Hogan's Fountain and Big Rock

Spray pool - At Hogan's Fountain

Tennis - Off Barret Hill Road

Willow Pond - Off Grinstead drive, next to golf course

Dog run - Opening August 2007, located atop Cochran Hill

Activities

Walking/Hiking (see link below)

Running/Jogging (see link below)

Dog Walking (Baringer Hill - aka "Dog Hill")

Bike Riding (trails and road)(see link below)

Fishing (willow pond)

Sledding

Picnics

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Rugby (see link below)

Soccer

Ultimate Frisbee

Archery

Weddings (occasionally)

Live action role-playingFurther Information

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