Union Park Now: The Children's Playground 1

This photo taken in 2008 and shows the playground as it appears today. That's the sidewalk on the right hand side. Looking at the center, you can just see the outline of the Wading Pool. There are probably a few more trees in the play area than there were during its heyday, but it's still a great place for kids to play.

Union Park Now: The Children's Wading Pool 4

This is a photo of the wading pool as it appeared in the Fall of 2008. The cement work is actually in very good condition although it's difficult to see with all the mud. This photo is taken facing towards the entrance of the park. As you can see the water stagnates in the pool. There is a small trench or crack in the upper left hand side of the pool; the trench was put in to drain the water. The plumbing is still intact, but is plugged up.

The dirt is encroaching on the top of the cement and covering it up. If it is not cleared soon, plants will start to grow and the pool will deteriorate even more. You can already see that happening on the lower left hand side of this photo. Hopefully, someone will clean up the debris one day.

Union Park Now: The Children's Wading Pool 3

Here's another view of the Wading Pool taken during the summer of 2003. Note the tree at the end of the pool where the picnic pavilion once stood. Also, a crack in the wading pool is visible on the right-hand side; the idea was to drain the standing water in the pool. However, as you can see, water still accumulates there. Additionally, the pool is often caked in mud during different seasons.

The Children's Playground, Union Park, postcard 5

The Pagoda or picnic pavilion in this scene was located at the west end of the Wading Pool; it replaced the benches that were visible in a previous post. I'm still researching the construction of this pavilion. From the clothing of the young woman and children, this postcard appears to have been taken after 1910. The set of swings were there before the pavilion was built.

Union Park Now: The Children's Wading Pool 2

This photo of the wading pool was taken from the southwest end.

Union Park Now: The Children's Wading Pool 1

This photo was taken at a similar angle to the image in the previous post. The Death Pavilion and the sand pits are long gone, but you can still see the swimming pool in the background.

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.

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.