The Wading Pool, Union Park

This is the "Children's Wading Pool at Union Park, Dubuque". The pool was designed to be a miniature version of the one at Ogden Park in Chicago, IL. The end near the photographer is rounded; the other end is straight edged. You can see benches at the end of the pool. The water depth varied from 3" at the straight end to 12" on the curved end.

A picnic pavilion was later built at the straight end; I am currently unable to locate a date for its construction. In the background on the far left hand side you can just make out The Death Pavilion. In the background center, the covers for the sand pits are visible. Also, if you put the postcard under magnification, you can see slides, swings, and gliders.

The wading pool still exists today. However, rain water and mud tend to fill it up.

Union Park Now: Scene in the Playground

This is the same scene of the playground that was pictured in the previous post. You can almost picture the girls with their big hair bows still standing there.

The Death Pavilion is long gone. The Wading Pool is still there to the right. Also, at the end of the sidewalk, you can barely see the swimming pool that was built in 1923 and remains today.

The Children's Playground, Union Park, postcard 4

A postcard used in 1914 shows the entrance to the Children's Playground. I'm guessing that the building on the left is the pagoda that later became known as "The Death Pavilion". The people on the right in the background are crowded around The Wading Pool. This is one of my favorite postcards. It has a magical quality to it and takes you back to a different era.