Laura Bradley Park
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Japanese Garden area in Laura Bradley Park, Peoria, Illinois, around 1920
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Nearest city
| Peoria, Illinois
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Area
| 100 acres (40 ha)
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Park in Peoria, Illinois, United States
Laura Bradley Park
, also known as
Bradley Park
, is a park in
Peoria, Illinois
, United States.
[1]
It historically contained a wading pool for children and flower gardens.
[2]
[3]
As of 2022
[update]
, it offers sports facilities, picnic sites, hiking opportunities on paved tracks, and a Japanese bridge.
[1]
The 100-acre (40 ha) park was given to the city of Peoria by
Lydia Moss Bradley
(1816-1908) in memory of her daughter Laura Bradley, who died in 1864 at the age of 14.
[2]
Japanese Garden
[
edit
]
A Japanese garden area was constructed by Peoria parks workers under the direction of Chicago Japanese garden builder
T.R. Otsuka
in Spring 1918, according to that year’s report
[4]
of the park district board of trustees: “After the general plan had been adopted by the board, Mr. T.R. Otsuka, a Japanese landscape artist, from Chicago, was engaged to supervise the laying out of the walks, placing of stones, and general planning. A Japanese temple, or tea house, was constructed on the highest elevation.”
In 2021, a wooden pedestrian bridge from the 1930s that spans Dry Run Creek was replaced with a concrete bridge for $1.3 million dollars.
[5]
[6]
The Japanese bridge also underwent renovations for $30,000.
[5]
The Peoria Park District reopened both bridges in April 2022.
[6]
In 2020, the park district board voted to remove a controversial
Christopher Columbus
statue.
[7]
[8]
[9]
A statue of the Greek goddess
Hebe
had been erected at the Main Street entrance until it was damaged by a car in 1954.
[8]
References
[
edit
]
40°42′13″N
89°37′23″W
/
40.7036394°N 89.6230745°W
/
40.7036394; -89.6230745