Cottonwood Park
4.3 (24)park
4.3 (24)A cozy Austin playlot with a playground and tire swing, named after the neighborhood's historic trail trees.
Description
Acquired by the Chicago Park District in 1973 with federal housing assistance and officially named in 1998, the site honors a specific chapter of Austin history. Five huge cottonwood trees once stood in a row near Central Avenue and Race Street, believed to have been trail trees planted by Native Americans to mark an important overland route. One immense tree stood directly in the center of the intersection until an 1874 lightning strike toppled it. Today the playlot remains an active community space with no structured programming, directing organized park activities to nearby Moore Park.
