Preserving Riverside Land Remains an Ongoing Mission

American soldiers were just returning home to the Fox Valley from World War II, reuniting with family and loved ones while attempting to settle back into the ways of normal life.

Part of that return to normalcy involved community building—making riverside towns like Aurora, North Aurora and Montgomery attractive places for families to live, work and play.

It didn’t take long after the war to get the ball rolling. Residents approved—by a 3-to-1 margin—a proposal to create a park district system, and in 1947, the Fox River Valley Pleasure Drive and Park District was born.

“This is evidence enough that residents are interested in developing this area for better play and recreation and to restore and preserve the natural beauty of the Fox River for use and enjoyment now and for the future,” said W.L. McCullough, first president of the park district.

At the time, the Fox River was a filthy dumping ground, its shores lined with war-time manufacturing plants. Water conditions were so bad that residents were not allowed near the river due to its excessive pollution levels.

Changing the fate of the river—and local history—was of top priority.

The park district set forth with a mission to restore and preserve these precious riverside lands and scenic vistas along the Fox River. Today, 64 years later, those principles remain as pillars to the park district’s vision.

Though often taken for granted, the Fox River is a precious recreational resource, a vibrant centerpiece to each community it traverses. The Fox Valley Park District owns and maintains 22 miles of Fox River shoreline, allowing this water way to be accessed and enjoyed by the public as a shared treasure.

And it keeps getting better. Just recently, the park district added four more acres of beautiful green space along the Fox River that will be enjoyed by all for generations to come.

What used to be the site of the park district’s maintenance and park operations—adjacent to South River Street Park—is now an expanded park site that will soon double as a trailhead for the Virgil Gilman and Fox River trails.

Earlier this year, the park district consolidated its headquarters, refurbishing the existing building at 101 W. Illinois Ave. (the Cole Center) with hundreds of sustainable features and moving all of its administration, park and maintenance operations from the location at 712 S. River St.

Once moved, the demolition began as the park district removed the large, metal warehouse-type buildings that formerly housed its fleet of trucks, tractors, mowers and equipment. After cleanup, restoration of the site had a night/day effect, converting the area from a busy epicenter of modern machines to a quiet, serene, naturalistic setting of riverside beauty.

These days, it’s mostly human-powered traffic—by foot, bike and Rollerblade. Regional trails, like bike spokes, branch out south to Oswego, west to Sugar Grove and north all the way to Wisconsin, with numerous connections along each route.

Pay a visit to this newest vista along the Fox River, where a moment of reflection will not only stir remembrances of the past but also those of a promising future. Working together in support of these goals, we are continually leaving these lands in much better shape than we found them.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net