The current condition of Agassiz Park can be contributed to two major events in the property’s history, both of which irrevocably altered the park’s character. One of these was the construction by the Calumet Housing Authority of several public housing structures along the park’s east side, a move which destroyed the park’s central gardens and forced the removal of the Agassiz statue itself. Another was the building of a municipal parking lot along the park’s western flank and the subsequent construction of a road to access that lot, a road known today as 4th Street.

Before the parking lot’s construction Agassiz park snuggled right up against a narrow alleyway set along the backside of Calumet’s main commercial district. Separating that alleyway from the park was a line of screening trees along with a narrow walking path, both of which can be seen in the aerial image above. Also residing along this end of the park was a collection of tennis courts as well as an area originally conceived as a children’s playground. With the arrival of the parking lot in 1956 and the subsequent construction of 4th Street all these things were lost, replaced instead by a cold swath of concrete and a line of shiny automobiles.

As originally constructed the municipal parking lot had space for nearly 200 automobiles, and ran along the entire length of the park from Elm to Scott Street. Originally made of gravel, the lot was later paved upon the arrival of 4th Street. Today the lot continues to be used by customers and residents of Calumet’s downtown, though its capacity has been diminished somewhat by the installation of 4th Street.

At some point in 4th Street’s life – probably around the time the grocery store was constructed – a decision was made to turn its northern end into a wide boulevard complete with a central meridian. The experiment was apparently a failure, since the meridian was removed and simply paved over.

At the opposite end of the park the old parking lot has been converted to display space for the adjacent GM dealer (aptly named Parkway Chevy). Here 4th Street makes its way through the space originally reserved for the amphitheater. The tall high rise building is part of the public housing project erected in the 1970’s, now used as senior housing.

A decade after the parking lot was plowed through the west end of Agassiz Park the public housing project ripped up the eastern end and the park was reduced to only a shadow of its former self. After C&H’s closure in the late 60’s the ownership of the remaining portions of the old park is a mystery. By 1995 it had been finally transferred into the village’s hands, which promptly tried to revive the dying public space with a facelift.

A major component of the new Agassiz Park’s facelift was the addition of several new recreational facilities. One of these facilities was an outdoor skating rink, which included this stately warming shack modeled to look like a small train station. Incidentally this faux station sits near where Calumet’s original Mineral Range station once stood.

Next to the rink space is a small basketball court, lying in the spot where the park’s original tennis courts were once located.

The park’s most recent addition are these regulation sized horseshoe pits, which also reside at the home of the old tennis courts.

As part of Agassiz park’s rehabilitation the village installed an array of new light fixtures along the parks walking paths and parking areas, as seen above. These lights have an older look to them, with a gooseneck stem and spherical bulb housing.

But then there’s this oddity, which stands near the warming shack. I guess it appears to be a light, but its the only one of its type that I could find along the old park grounds. Its possibly a remnant from the old ice rink, which is no longer used.

Though not nearly as grand as landscape architect Warren Manning had envisioned, the parks current configuration still provides a generous amount of green space in a village that sorely lacks such public spaces. Each year more amenities – such as the recently added horseshoe pits – are added to increase the parks attractiveness to area residents. Plans are also in place to help return the park back to some of its original glory as the village partners with the historic park in future rehabilitation work. Though it could never fully return to its former glory, Agassiz Park hopefully will once again be Calumet’s premiere green space.