Woodland Park - Shawnee, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 19.957 W 096° 55.402
14S E 688739 N 3911908
A venerable old park on the north side of downtown Shawnee.
Waymark Code: WMA6QD
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/24/2010
Views: 4
Woodland Park, four blocks in area, is directly north of the auditorium and is dominated by a big swimming pool, with ample dressing rooms. Concrete tennis courts and picnic facilities under the tall native ash and elm trees add to the park's attractiveness. At its center is the Beard Log Cabin (private), the first residence in Shawnee. [Oklahoma: A History of the Sooner State, 1941]
Woodland Park is now known as Woodland Veterans Park, and still retains the appeal it had when the American Guide was published in 1941. The trees described then are still standing, and the sidewalks appear to be the same ones tread on back then.
A few things have been altered. The swimming pool remains, with its showers and rest rooms. Where there were once 12 tennis courts, there are now just two, plus a volleyball court. There is a small playground for the children, and a band stand with wooden bleachers where many outdoor activities take place. There are nine picnic tables, six water fountains, and a paved parking area on the east side.
Back in the 1950's, the Boy Scouts dedicated a replica of the Statue of Liberty which stands at the park entrance on E. Highland Street. The historic Beard Cabin mentioned in the Guide has been moved to the Santa Fe Depot Museum in Shawnee.
On the southwest corner of the park is a lovely veterans memorial area, with flags for each branch of the military, and several dedicated stone benches. At the time of this posting, additional items are being added to the veterans area.
This is the signature park for the City of Shawnee. It sits just north of the historic Auditorium, the Carnegie Library and the Pottawatomie County Courthouse.