City Park -Tyler, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 32° 21.688 W 095° 18.161
15S E 283332 N 3582833
The City Park was purchased from Mrs. Fannie Heffler on September 26, 1930, for $4,000.00. It is located on a 1.85 acre site and is one of the oldest parks in the city.
Waymark Code: WMQZ3V
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/17/2016
Views: 1
City of Tyler Website
A natural spring is located within the park. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a wading pond of natural iron ore rock to contain the fresh spring water. They constructed a small ledge for citizens to sit on as they cooled their feet in the natural spring water. The original gate valve for controlling the flow of water out of the pond is still working and is in use. This wading pond was constructed long before there were any community or city pools within the city. The date etched into the cement of the pool is 1941, so it is assumed that was the construction date. In addition to the WPA iron or rockwork in the wading pond, picnic tables, benches, bridges, a sandbox, and a lined creek through the park were constructed.
The City Park underwent a facelift in the late 1990’s with the installation of a new irrigation system, a covered pavilion, and new picnic tables. However, the spring pond remained hidden and forgotten behind dense brush on the edge of the park until recently, when City employees began clearing in this area.
The Spring Pond is historically significant to Tyler and the United States because it represents a period of our history when our nation was making every effort to put people back to work following the Great Depression. The WPA work within the City Park is a fine example of the many WPA projects within Tyler that needs to be recognized and preserved.