West Park and East Park | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

West Park and East Park

West Park and East Park | Wisconsin Historical Society

Simonsen Park, Racine, Racine County

Main and 14th sts. Designated as public space as early as 1842, Racine's West Park on College Street and East Park on Main Street remain as they were originally platted and are part of the Southside Historic District. Notable in East Park is a granite statue of President and Mrs. Lincoln by Chicago sculptor Frederick C. Hibbard. In 1867, Mary Todd Lincoln visited Racine and walked often in East Park, sometimes with her son Tad. Dedicated in 1943, the statue is rare for memorializing both the president and his wife.

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[Source: McBride, Sarah Davis. History Just Ahead (Madison:WHS, 1999).]