Downtown Parks
How Park, is located in the 200 block of East Center Street, between Chestnut and East streets, in Downtown LeRoy. This Victorian sitting park, complete with fountain, benches, bird feeders and side gardens, was completed in 2000.
Kiwanis Park, at the intersection of Center and Main streets, is locally known as “the circle.” The park was originally a swamp area, and was later the site of the horse watering trough and hitching posts. The park includes an Indian chieftain statue, which faces toward what was once the Grand Village of the Kickapoo Indians. Also found in the park are a cannon from the Spanish-American war, commemorative markers, and the bandstand. The park is utilized for most of LeRoy’s community-wide celebrations and festivals.
Neighborhood Parks
Gaultney Memorial Park, located on the north west side of town on Green Street between Buck and Allen, the park and playground is named in honor of the Gaultney brothers, who lost their lives in World War II. In addition to playground equipment, this park has a butterfly garden and a sand volleyball court.
Bowman Park, located on East Center Street, between Pearl and Mill, and directly across from Crumbaugh Memorial Library. The park was named in honor of Randy C. Bowman, a long-time teacher and coach in the school system. In addition to playground equipment, this park also has a basketball court and a pavilion.
Lester C. Wilson Park, located on Pheasant Lane in the Golden Eagle subdivision, was named for another long-time faculty member. The park contains a pavilion, provided by the LeRoy Kiwanis Club, as well as play equipment and tables.
Falcon Ridge Park, at the intersection of Falcon Ridge and Marsh Hawk in Falcon Ridge subdivision, is the home of the Owens Memorial Playground, dedicated in 2007 in memory of Bob and Rosie Owens, who were in the grocery business in LeRoy for over fifty years. The playground was a gift from Bruce and Jan Owens and family, son and daughter-in-law of Bob and Rosie Owens, and is the first phase of this park, which will also include a pavilion and a full basketball court.
Howard Virgin Timber Park and James A. Bane Park,
are located east of LeRoy on U.S. Route 150, just east of Oak Grove Cemetery. The parks include a fishing pond, stocked by the city on a regular basis, as well as a virgin timber area with walking paths, pavilions, and a large meadow that will also soon be bordered by a native prairie grass and wildflower bed.
Brickyard Fields, is located southeast of town on County Road 21 (Bicentennial Drive), and is a park under construction. The long-range plan for the ground includes three soccer fields, with one completed, and two ball fields. Other amenities will be added over time.
The City of Le Roy
The City of LeRoy, in its annual budget, provides funds for parks and playgrounds work, expansion, and development. These funds are augmented by other funds in several ways:
Parkfest!!!!
PARKFEST! PARKFEST is a celebration of LeRoy’s parks and playgrounds, and is held in late September or early October, either in Downtown LeRoy or at one of the various parks. Local organizations and businesses help support the event, which includes food, games, hayrack rides, and other activities, and all proceeds are used for parks and playgrounds development.
Gifts and Memorials
Gifts and Memorials – A number of LeRoyans, and former residents, have made special gifts and memorials to LeRoy’s parks and playgrounds. There are memorial lampposts and a memorial fountain in How Park, a memorial bench in Kiwanis Park, and a memorial drinking fountain in Gaultney Park. In addition, there are memorial trees in several parks. Other private gifts have provided for a renovation of the city’s bandstand, the purchase of park benches and play equipment, and the decorative wall at the rear of How Park. Indeed, most of the flowers blooming in the How Park gardens were given from the flowerbeds of a number of local gardeners. A volunteer group, P.A.R.K.S., raised funds for all of the new play equipment in Bowman Park. The Kiwanis Club has provided pavilions for several parks, and annually builds picnic tables for use in all parks. In 2007, new playground equipment for Falcon Ridge Park was provided in memorial to Bob and Rosie Owens, and Steve Dean provided new equipment in Gaultney and Lester C. Wilson parks.
