the public square aka the city park
In 2015
the public square was created in 1882. it is now on the national historic register, as are the buildings surrounding it.
1900 - Everyone loves the park. ice cream socials.
It's love at first sight for every visitor to Table Rock....
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1909, a park scene
1911 - the bandstand appears to be wood
1916 band concert
July 28 1916. One of many concerts in the park.
1918 - fundraiser for a "new" bandstand - from the picture above showing a wooden bandstand, obviously a replacement, the present brick one
undated -- look at what appears to be a city well in the PRESENT LOCATION OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN PAGODA, OR PERHAPS A LITTLE EAST OF IT.
Looks like an old fashioned pump in front of the white screen, to the left side of it.
Below, a windmill is located on the southwest corner of the park.
a photograph dated both 1921 & 1927 on the back
Play this slideshow to see details of this photo:
1923 - park improvement, plants added around the bandstand
1924 -- water fountain pagoda built, band concerts
Joe Hayak is employed as a caretaker, a job he will do to high prasie. "A beautiful pagoda" is being built over the water fountain, will have brick pillars. The water fountain had apparently been there for a while, and was going to be put in working order. There are also complaints about the now old bench seating at the band stand.
April 21, 1924
Thanks to Delores Penkava for sharing this photo, which is annotated as being from 1921 or 1922. However, the brick water fountain pagoda was not built until 1924, so that date is slightly off.
1927 - band concerts
joseph hayak, extraordinary caretaker of the park
June 29, 1927
A 1927 article praises raising Joseph Hayak's TLC of the park, "loves the park as he would a child" and creates beautiful beds of flowers, beautiful grass and trees.
July 26, 1927 - Praising Joseph Hayak's TLC.
it turns out that joseph hayak is a veteran of the indian wars
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1928 the park is much in the news. new seats in front of the bandstand, a fundraiser for benches and also for the public restroom west of the square. n the news. new seats in front of the bandstand. fundraiser for th
The park in the summer of 1927 was never lovelier but there are not enough seats for the people who come to town to trade and to attend band concerts. "Our little tourist park" needs seats.
February 27, 1928
Caretaker William Volkman is constantly busy. "Three flower beds are a mass of bloomig flowers...artistically arranged" and everying is "so clean that the park is a scene of marvelous beautify." There are new seats in front of the bandstand, and the trees provide wonderful shade.
July 27
November 23
November 30, 1928
undated. look at the buggies parked along the park perimeter. the businesses on the south side of the square (most of which burned down 1920) look busy.
1936 - be careful of things in the park or else
1939 - mill stone added to the park
undated
1941 - pictures by arvid blecha
Arvid Blecha took this picture from the water tower. While the eye is drawn to the buildings beyond, you can look down at the park to see how fresh mowed grass, the water fountain pagoda, and also a curbing around the inner perimeter of the park.
Looking east in this picture taken by Arvid Blecha from the water tower the bandstand is revealed in its original form prior to the 1948 addition of a dance platform/stage.
1948 - dance platform (the stage) added
1959 - painting park benches
1997 - the lights restored
2022
June 25, 2022, the afternoon of the dedication of the new dance floor & seating area
A major renovation was undertaken by Kim Vrtiska under the sponsorship of the Table Rock Community Club. The focus of the efforts was a dance floor and seating area were added on a concrete pad in front of the stage that had been created in 1948 as a dance floor.
Night of the dedication of the new dance floor & seating area, June 25, 2022. Photo by Kim Vrtiska for his Facebook page Dreams in Dry Places.