Grayslake Park District History

The Grayslake Park District was formed by referendum in 1959. It shares approximately the same boundary with the incorporated Village of Grayslake city limits and portions of the neighboring Village of Hainesville. The district’s parks provide access to nature and lakes, places for recreation, places for children to play, and other various planned activities administered by the Grayslake Park District. 

"The Park District currently manages 26 Neighborhood and Mini Parks, 6 Community Parks and a Par 3, 9 Hole Golf Course.  The park district encompasses:

- over 11 square miles of total area

- over 400 acres of total parkland

- a total of 15 dedicated natural, detention and retention areas"[2][3]

Grayslake Park District History  - 1959 to 1991 (8)
Grayslake attorney Joseph Sikes was one of many residents who believed Grayslake should have public recreational facilities and, while dancing with Louise Deichman at the annual Grayslake Fire Department Dance, he proposed the idea of forming a park district.  As he probably expected, Mrs. Deichman took the idea and ran with it.  She circulated a petition and easily obtained the required 100 signatures and, on March-30, 1959, Attorney Sikes filed the petition with the County Court.  Mrs. Deichman then took her cause to the Grayslake Lions Club, who for many years had sponsored summer recreational programs for Grayslake's children, and found them very receptive to the idea of forming a park district with a supporting tax base.

Her last obstacle was to find five candidates to run for the Park District Board of Commissioners and Mrs. Deichman organized an impressive slate.  Richard Bennett was a librarian at the Grayslake High School and represented the Northwest side, Oliver Anderson Jr. worked as an insurance underwriter and came from the Southern part of town, Robert Notson was employed with the Milwaukee Road and lived in the Northern section, and Gloria Roselli and Louise Deichman were housewives representing the Central and Southwest area, respectively.

The Special Election was scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 1959.  The votes were counted with 237 people in favor and 203 against.  The issue had carried by 34 votes.  The new Park District, even without basic parks or buildings, conducted a fairly active recreational program.  In late summer of 1960 the Board sent a questionnaire to the people in the Park District asking for ideas.  The results showed a desire for a park that would accommodate a swimming pool, and recreational facilities for both children and adults.  In answer to the questionnaire, an architect was retained to draw plans for a swimming pool, and a referendum to buy land and build the pool was set for July 21, 1962.  The referendum failed and the Board turned its attention to programming.

In June 1965 the Grayslake Park District purchased Jones Island from Mrs. Milton Jones for $15,000.  The commissioners were very excited about the island and pleased that Mrs. Jones had agreed to sell it to the Park District.  The Board had budgeted for "Land Acquisition" for five years and was proud that the purchase required no tax increase.

Between 1965 and 1966 the Park District contracted with the Grayslake High School building trades class to construct a park building on the corner of Harvey and Allegheny Road.  The Village halted the work as no suitable off-street parking plan was submitted.  Eventually Mayor Chard allowed the work to continue the Park District hired a private contractor to complete the building.  In 1967-68 the Park District obtained two acres of land across Allegheny Road from Jones Island and an off-street parking lot was constructed.

Over the winter of 1965 the Park District started formation of a swimming beach off Jones Island by dumping sand.  On February 19, 1966 a dump truck plunged through the ice into six feet of water at Jones Island causing a delay in the beach work. Sand was dumped each winter for four or five years to get the beach in suitable condition.

In 1968, Louise Deichman was named by the Board to inquire into a program for senior citizens.  She placed an ad in the Grayslake Times newspaper calling for interested participants to attend an October 9 meeting.  Twenty-five people attended the first meeting.  The senior citizen group has continued through the years and has grown into a very strong and influential group.

The weeds growing in Gray's Lake were a problem attracting a great deal of attention in 1969.  A "Save the Lake" fund was established and money was collected around town.  The Village donated certain monies for the project as well.  In May, or thereabout, the Park Board each year sprayed the lake for weeds.

The Jaycee Group acquired the land for Jaycee Park through the McMillen family.  Eventually the Jaycees turned the park over to the Grayslake Park District.  The Park District built a shelter and contracted Liberty Asphalt Company to construct four tennis courts, baseball diamond and playground equipment was placed in the park a short time later.

The winter of 1970 saw Park Board Commissioner George Patt measuring fish in the First Annual Ice Fishing Derby held by the Park District.  The following summer saw Park District programs expanded to include track and field, summer dances, camping, a fishing derby, inner tube regatta, golf outings and zoo trips to Milwaukee and Chicago.  On Saturday, May 22, 1971 a Special Election for a park improvement referendum was held in Grayslake.  The proposal was to build an outdoor swimming pool, additional tennis courts, improve parks, and purchase the American Legion Building on Seymour Street.  The referendum failed by a vote of 479 to 361.  In June 1971, the Park District issued bonds for the purpose of purchasing equipment and additional park property.  An agreement was reached on the purchase of the American Legion Building one month later with a purchase price or $35,000.  The Park District took possession of the building on October 1, 1971. 

In February 1973, the Park Board issued bonds in the amount of $15/000 to remodel the American Legion Building.  Previous bonds had been paid off and the new issue caused no increase in taxes.  On January 15, 1974 the Grayslake Senior Citizens held their meeting in the newly completed Legion, officially dedicating the building.  A teen center in the basement was established with calls going out for volunteer chaperones.  In the fall of 1974, twelve hundred acres of land, the Heart­land Development, was annexed to the Grayslake Community Park District.  Under the agreement, Heartland would set aside five acres of land as open space for every one thousand in population.  Negotiations between the Village and the developer broke down and building was delayed indefinitely.

After sixteen years of service, Louise Deichman resigned from the Park District Board on January 9, 1976.  On January 21, Mrs. Deichman was presented with a plaque commemorating her years of dedicated service to the Grayslake Community Park District. Mrs. Deichman wrote, "I feel the formation of the Grayslake Community Park District and the part I played in that formation was a great accomplishment of my life."

In June 1976, the Park Board entered into an agreement with Grayslake High School District 127 to share the expense of building tennis courts at the high school.  The courts were completed in the summer of 1977.  In 1989, the Park District extended the original agreement to a twenty-five year agreement for the cooperative use of buildings, equipment and courts.  It has always been a priority of the Park District to cooperate with other municipal bodies to render services at less tax dollars.

The park district acquired a third building in 1977 by purchasing the Standard Oil Bulk Plant on Lake Street for a purchase price of $20,000.  Behind the building was a large parcel of land owned by Mr. John Epstein.  On July 11, 1979, the Park Board voted to designate 14.67 acres of the Epstein property as a pro­posed Central Park and entered into negotiations with Mr. Epstein.  Twenty years after the Pete's Park issue, the people of Grayslake were again divided when, on June 9, 1980, the Park Board approved hiring Henry C. Tonigan to represent the Park District in condemnation proceedings on Central Park. 

The years between 1976 and 1980 were a busy time for the Park District.  Emphasis-was placed on park development and facility improvements.  The Jones Island and American Legion buildings donned new carpeting, paint, draperies, and paneling.  Great America donated three pieces of playground equipment and the Park District purchased and installed various other pieces. Recreation programs were expanded tremendously with over twenty-one programs being offered, as well as a 3.2 mile Grayslake Fun Run.  Annual events included the Fishing Derby, Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Party, Summer Picnic, and Christmas with Santa.

In 1981, the Friends of the Park Award were established to encourage and recognize individuals or organizations that have provided outstanding service to the Grayslake Community Park District.  Since that time, twenty-three fine people have been recognized through this program.  In the same year, the College of Lake County Landscape Construction class donated their energy to improve Jaycee Park, and the Board spent many hours researching the issue of constructing seawalls at Jones Island.  On March 3, 1982, the Board agreed that the seawall project was an urgent need and began looking into funding.  By December the work started and on August 10, 1983, the Board proudly dedicated the new seawall in a small ceremony.  To defray operational cost, on April 19, 1982, the Park District officially adopted a policy to implement and operate a fee system for admittance to Jones Island.  The fall of 1983 involved the Park District in a new venture a fitness center.  Newly vacant Woodview School provided the space and the Park Board purchased equipment with a loan from Grayslake National Bank.

The Park District celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 1984.  A resolution by the Village declared May 7-13, 1984 as Park District Week, and the Park District enlisted the help of high school art students to colorize the Park District logo.  Jacqueline Cullen was a young, bright and enthusiastic woman hired by the Park District in 1980 to operate its preschool program.  When the need for a new director arose in October 1985, Jackie Cullen was appointed to the position.  After just four months, Jackie resigned due to failing health.  Tragically, she died of cancer a short time later.  In March 1986, Jackie was officially named a Friend of the Park, and in 1989, the Alta-Glen park site was dedicated as Jacqueline Cullen Park.

The early eighties marked the start of a housing boom in quiet Grayslake.  The Village Board had a developer donation ordinance in place to provide parkland in new developments.  The Park Board, however, chose to adopt a policy of accepting cash in lieu of land, and the Quail Creek, Avon-on-the Prairie, Drury Lane Estates, Highland Lake Estates, and Neville developments were all accepted without parks.  Louise Deichman's wish for recreation­al open space was slipping away.

The Board addressed the needs of the disabled in 1985 by attempting to establish the Avon Special Recreation Association in cooperation with the Round Lake Park District.  The issue failed with 696 voting in favor and 984 voting against.

In the eighties, so soon after its inception, the Park District suffered a tumultuous period, a time when some of its own Board members questioned its viability.  When in 1981 a Board member publicly proposed dissolution of the Park District, it became more than apparent that a group saw itself elected to dismantle the Park District rather than to further its goals.  Dissolution came up again in late 1986 when the Board president brought an attorney to a board meeting to discuss the possibility of the Village government taking control of the Park District.  The election of 1987 saw all seven Board seats expiring.  Six new candidates were elected to the Park District Board of Commissioners.

The new Board's first year was an ambitious one.  In June 1987 the Mayor, Park District and High School publicly supported the concept of building a swimming pool.  A committee was formed and a feasibility study started.  The Board proposed a Lake Manage­ment Committee and, after the completion of a lake study by the Lake County Health Department, the committee was formed and consisted of five citizens - two appointed by the Village, two appointed by the Park District, and one citizen-at-large.  In September, the Board passed a motion to form a Residents Advisory Committee to assist and supply input to the Park District, and the search began for up to eleven citizens to serve on the committee.  Also in September, the groundwork was set to save tax dollars by establishing a maintenance agreement between the Park District and School District 46. 

The first acquisition of parkland with developer donations was finalized in May 1988 as the Park District bought a park-site at the corner of Alta and Glen Streets in the Neville Subdivision.  The Park District changed its cash in lieu of land policy and dedicated itself to preserving open space.  In April 1988, the Board officially supported the purchase of Picket Fence Farm by the Lake County Forest Preserve District.  The first priority of the Board was to obtain an adequate amount of usable parkland in each development.  Secondly, cash was to be accepted for park development and application of Illinois Department of Conservation matching grants.  Thirdly, the Park District adopted a policy of preserving environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands, woodlands and basins, whenever possible. As a last priority, the District negotiated for cash for other needs, such as a weed harvester for Gray's Lake, in an attempt to ease the financial burden placed on the taxpayers.  The Park District was, from 1988 to 1992, able to increase its land holdings from 26 to 272 acres.

Late 1988 saw the Park District working with the Grayslake Historical Society to help them find or construct a building for a museum.  The Park District levied a tax for a museum fund on behalf of the Historical Society, and in April 1989 received a grant from the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency.  The grant paid 50% of the cost of a consultant to speak with the Histori­cal Society on their proposed building.

The Grayslake Park District joined forces with High School District 127 in 1988 in a project called Cooperation in Action.  In an effort to save tax dollars on duplication of facilities, the two split the $148,000 cost of putting waterlines, drainage, softball and soccer fields in Central Park for the cooperative use of the High School, Park District and the community.

1988 closed with the Park District joining the Chamber of Commerce, taking delivery of a twelve-passenger van generously donated by Rockenbach Chevrolet, offering an open-door policy of waiving non-resident fees to encourage program participation, and establishing a Living Tree Memorial program.  The Grayslake Exchange Club was the first to purchase a tree in commemoration of a birthday, anniversary or death, with the Park District planting and caring for the tree, as well as providing an engraved plaque.

A new alternative to dealing with the weeds in Grays Lake presented itself in 1989 - a weed harvester.  Originally the purchase was to be a cooperative effort between the Village of Grayslake, the Grayslake Park District, Round Lake Beach, Highland Lake, and Third Lake, but it was soon discovered that by sharing the harvester, no municipality would be afforded adequate usage.  The Grayslake Park District then chose another direction and looked to developer donations to purchase the weed harvester. Negotiations were successful and the weed harvester was purchased by the summer of 1990.

The Village's Greenway Corridor System called for a pedestrian bridge over the Avon-Fremont drainage ditch, which would connect the Avon-on-the-Prairie and Quail Creek subdivisions.  The Park District was to work in conjunction with the Village on this project.  It was also in 1989 that the Park District considered present­ing the residents of the Park District with a large community park in the center of town.  Central Park expansion discussions were held with Laurie Epstein and the Park District director. 

In December 1989, the Park Board planned to finance the purchase of central park with a combination of developer donations that issuance of Alternate Revenue Bonds, and an Illinois Department of Conservation grant in the amount of $400,000.  In 1986, a previous Park Board had returned a $65,000 grant to the Illinois Department of Conserva­tion, so the Grayslake Park District was just completing a two-year probation penalty from that agency.  On April 5, 1990, State Representative Virginia Fredericks called with the news that a grant in the amount of $400,000 had been awarded to the Grayslake Community Park District.  The Central Park Expansion was within reach, and the Board spent much of 1990 working to acquire the needed developer donations.

The Central Park Expansion was not the only item on the Park District's agenda in 1990.  The subject of a pool had surfaced once again, and a committee of nineteen residents was assembled to conduct a feasibility study.  The next step was to ask the people and, in the spring of 1991, the Residents Advisory Committee incorporated the question of a pool into the most comprehensive resident survey ever done by the Park District.  Its intent was to obtain resident input on a five-year plan, and the three-page survey was randomly mailed to five hundred homes.  All streets in Grayslake received a survey with the number of surveys within a street being directly related to the number of dwellings on that street. The results showed that 82.1% of the respondents were very satisfied with the programs in which they had participated, and that 72.5% wanted a community center with 54.3% allowing a tax increase to cover the cost.  The clear message regarding the pool was that the community wanted a "no frills" indoor pool and was willing to allow a moderate tax increase to fund the project.  The survey also shoved an overwhelming trend toward the expansion of open space.  In light of this survey, it became apparent that the Central Park Expansion would be crucial in the future needs of the Park District.

By early 1991, the negotiations were complete and the Park District was ready to buy the additional forty acres in Central Park for a total cost, with closing expenses, of $910,000.  The funding was to be 44% ($400,000) from the Illinois Department of Conservation grant, 46% ($417,917) from developer donations, and 10% (92,000) from the taxpayers.  The cost per acre to the taxpayer would be less than $2300.  Due to the reimbursement structure of the grant, it was necessary for the Park District to purchase the property "up front', and on March 20, 1991 the Board authorized issuance of $710,000 in bonds to complete the purchase.  Because of the filed petitions, the Board was forced to complete the financing with an installment contract through the bank, and the acquisition was finalized in September 1991.