Some of Muncie’s most cherished parks honor the people who provided their land. Heekin Park commemorates James Heekin1, McCulloch Park pays tribute to George McCulloch2, and Westside Park was named after Aldo Q. Westside (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). Hidden a block south of Muncie’s main commercial strip, Jack’s Park follows the same routine. I always wondered who Jack was. Why does he have a park?
Muncie’s park system was booming in the years following World War II. The city operated seven recreational properties in addition to McCulloch, Heekin, and Westside! Unfortunately, the department struggled to keep up with growing demand. Cowing Park was added to the city’s roster in 1951. A swimming hole called Municipal Pool at the old Phillips quarry came the following year3.
Just west of the new Granville Park neighborhood near Muncie’s northern reaches, Jack’s Play Center was added to the fold in 19594. The city purchased the 2.7 acre, L-shaped plot from J.J. Fisher for a dollar to provide a playground for neighborhood children5. As it turns out, Fisher had a grandson named Jack.
Born in Virden, Illinois, in 1894, J. J. Fisher moved to Muncie at twenty-five to work for the Broderick Company foundry. Over a forty-one-year career, he eventually became superintendent of the forge shop. Unfortunately, Fisher died of a brief illness less than a year after donating his homestead to the city. A longtime member of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church, he left behind an enormous extended family6.
Jack Fisher’s donation included a house at 401 E. McGalliard Road, but the rest of the tract hadn’t been developed. Some of the earliest equipment that Muncie’s newest park received were pre-cast concrete turtles, toadstools, and “rimp-romps” made by Richard Kishel. An assistant art professor at Ball State and art teacher at Burris Laboratory School, Kishel designed his first playground features in 19597. Unfortunately, the three of the tortoises were beheaded by vandals soon after they were installed8.
Around 1964, the park received playground equipment, a shelter house, a picnic area, additional landscaping, and a Little League baseball field9. A fence was added in 196510. Despite the improvements, Muncie’s park system was crumbling. Citizens began to write the parks department in the late 60s. Grounds work, more playground equipment, off-street parking, and a water fountain could improve Jack’s Park, they said11.
Some upgrades, like a new basketball court and dusk-to-dawn lighting, were eventually made in 197812. Unfortunately, the biggest change to Jack’s Park occurred the following year when officials demolished J.J. Fisher’s old house and sold the McGalliard Road frontage of the park to Steak n’ Shake for $110,00013.
City officials intended to use the proceeds to repair the ancient Tuhey Park swimming pool, but locals were adamant that the funds be used towards improving Jack’s Park. J.J. Fisher’s grandson, city policeman named Jack Fisher, even attended a hearing to discuss the matter himself14! Unfortunately, official wishes won out. The Steak n’ Shake money was spent at Tuhey15.
New playground equipment was finally installed at Jack’s Park in 198316. Aside from additional upgrades, little has changed over the past 40 years. Accommodations include the basketball court, picnic table, mature trees, new equipment, and a new walking trail. Several of Dick Kishel’s creations survive in various states of repair near the northeastern side of the park. I hope they continue to inspire new generations of imaginative play along with the typical assortment of rides and slides.
I never spent time there as a kid, but Jack’s Park was as good a place as any to hoop with my friends in our early twenties. It may not have the acreage or legacy of Heekin, McCulloch, or Westside, but that makes its history even more important. More than sixty years after he died, J.J. Fisher’s benevolent legacy continues with the two-acre park that bears his nickname.
Sources Cited
1 Mauzy, R. (1960, May 3). McFadden Says…The Muncie Evening Press. p. 6.
2 Grieves, C. (1976, August 21). 23 area homes, sites to be featured on DAR driving tour. The Muncie Evening Press. p. 3.
3 Reuter, S.J. (1961, August 26). City Parks Struggle to Keep Pace With Growth. The Muncie Star. p. 72.
4 (see footnote 3).
5 Greicus, A. (1959, August 4). New Park Ground Bought at McGalliard and Elm. The Muncie Star. p. 1.
6 Services Thursday for J.J. Fisher (1960, March 30). The Muncie Star. p. 2
7 Asst. Prof. Richard Kishel of Ball State Art Department Designs New Playground Equipment (1959, October 25). The Muncie Star. p. 18.
8 Vandalism Reported in City Parks (1961, September 12). The Muncie Star. p. 3.
9 Collier, W. (1964, May 23). Parks, Pools Groomed for Opening Here. The Muncie Evening Press. pp. 1-11.
10 Greicus, A. (1965, September 14). Park Department ’s Fees Show Increase. The Muncie Star. p. 10.
11 Collier, W. (1968, February 21). Much Needs to Be Done in Parks, Harris Says.
12 Legal Notices (1978, December 11). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 36.
13 Satterfield, E. (1979, April 10). Bicentennial Park Funds Available, Board Learns. The Muncie Star. p. 8.
14 Yencer, R. (1978, August 24). Residents Say Land Sale Money Should Go to Improve Jack’s Park. The Muncie Star. p. 36.
15 Yencer, R. (1980, August 30). Funding OK’s for Pool Work at They Park. The Muncie Star. p. 1.
16 Machino, B. (1983, May 21). Despite some problems, city parks strive to be ‘paradise’ for youngsters. The Muncie Evening Press. p. 10.
