Clark Park
The property on which Clark Park now sits was first used for traveling circuses coming through Butte. On December 12, 1905, Senator William A. Clark purchased nine acres of land to make a public playground for the “boys of Butte” (Butte Miner- Dec 13, 1905, page 1) with plans to make baseball and football grounds. By doing this, the issue of securing ball grounds at Clark’s other property, the Columbia Gardens, was obliviated. Upon the purchase of the grounds, the park was named for Clark.
By 1914, the city of Butte was leasing the park without charge. In 1915, two skating rinks were created for use free of charge.
In 1921, the grandstands were built, funded by the Butte Electric Railway. The largest gathering of people at the grandstands occurred at the Clark- Anode baseball game in 1923 with 9,382 paid admissions plus 800 children admitted for free. The grandstands were host to countless baseball and football games over the years, including the Bobcat-Grizzly football game from 1926 to 1937, as well annual mid-winter carnivals.
By 1928, the Anaconda Company owned the park. In 1938, the company deeded the park to the people of Butte, granting the city official ownership.
On May 2, 1957, the grandstands caught fire and were a total loss. Over the coming years, the needs of the park were reevaluated and in 1977 a $300,000 reconstruction project ensued creating a new skating rink and baseball field and a warm-up building.
In the 1980s, with the closure of the Columbia Gardens, much of the playground equipment found a home at Clark Park. The cupolas that once graced the dance pavilion were converted into picnic gazebos. The cowboy swings were installed, as well as the umbrella swing.
In 2010, a splash pad was added to the long list of playful opportunities available at the park.
Images
