The street sign used to be posted on the southwest corner. Now it is on the northwest corner. The street names were painted on two sides of one piece of steel and mounted atop a round post sunk a couple feet in concrete. We had wiggled the post fairly loose and could even raise it up an inch or two. The present signage is mounted on a square post. The street names are printed on one side with two signs mounted back to back. Progress.
The area map of the hood. From Park Hill Cemetery on the west to Evergreen Cemetery on the east. And from Wood Street to the north to Forest Park on the south.
This picture was taken on Lake Drive near the Lily Pond. The view is looking west toward the Pavilion, which can be seen through the trees.
I don't know who these guys are in this row boat. Boat fishing was never allowed in the lake as far as I can remember. The rental boats - paddle and row - that were available near the Pavilion could not be taken past the Big Bridge seen here on the right. So what's up with these two?
Looking toward the east from the westside over Park Hill Cemetery, this picture postcard from 1946 shows the Animal House in the lower left and the Pavilion near the center.
Here is the satellite photograph from Aril 12, 1998. The coordinates are about 89W 00' 3.5" x 40N 27' 4.0". North is at the top and west is to the left. The Big "Japanese" Bridge is just about in the center of the picture. Park Hill Cemetery is across Morris Avenue to the west. The tennis courts are visible on Summit Street near the upper right corner.
There were two kinds of turtles commonly seen in Miller Park Lake. The small logoon area was home to the majority of the snapping turtles in Miller Park. The largest part of the lake west of the Big - Japanese - Bridge was where many softshell turtles were found. They would often be seen sunning themsleves on the cement slab that went around the entire south bank of the lake along Lake Drive. Softshells were very quick to run into the water if spooked. We caught these a few times and usually let them go again.
Returning to the subject of fishing in the small lagoon at Miller Park Lake, the above photograph is a period postcard picture of the lagoon from the road near the north bank looking east toward Summit Street. The Monkey Island would have been just off camera view to the right or south. Summit Street is the bridge that is seen in the background. Immediately across Summit Street is the empty lot, or simply – the lot. South on Summit Street would lead to the tennis courts on the west side. In the trees near the tennis courts were two small cement ponds referred to as the “Lily Pond.” The ponds were full of volleyball-sized rocks. Among these rocks were scores of minnows, tadpoles, and frogs. Some crawdads could be seen but so many more crawdads were available in the Miller Park Lake that no one took them from Lily Pond.
Despite photographic evidence to the contrary, the Miller Park locomotive was never equipped with a wind-up key so children could watch the locomotive wind its way up and down the park's meandering pathways. This article came from the PANTAGRAPH.
The city bus stopped at the corner of Miller and Low. The bus came south on Low Street from Wood Street. It then turned left and went east on Miller Street to Lee Street. Another left turn onto Lee and the bus was headed back north toward downtown Bloomington. The bus ride cost one dime. You could ask for a free transfer - which we usually did - and get onto another bus near the courthouse and continue to your destination. The above pictured bus is a 1956 General Motors TDH-4512. I think all of these were retired by 1978. The top picture shows a bus token - good for one fare.
There were loads of crawdads in the lake, but especially around the Little Bridge. The Little Bridge was at the east end of the lake. It was just that - a little bridge. It was about ten feet long and three or four feet wide. It separated the two larger western segments of the lake from what was referred to as the Lagoon near Summit Street. There was also a Big Bridge that the city called the Japanese Bridge. We just called it the Big Bridge. The Lagoon had the greatest population of snapping turtles and frogs (and tadpoles). This was likely due to its mostly stagnant water. At one point in its history, the Lagoon had a Monkey Island. I do not have any pictures of the platform built in the middle of the Lagoon about thirty yards from either shore. There were actually monkeys out there. They were gone by the early to mid sixties. I know of kids who swam out to the "island" but I never did.
Little pieces of white bread rolled into balls and wrapped around a small barbed hook also served us very well as bait for the bluegills. We would often then step on the bluegill to smash their guts against the cinders a bit and then use them for bait to catch the crawdads that lived under the Little Bridge.
This is the original animal house at the Miller Park Zoo. It was not unusual to hear the lions roar at night. The zoo is located across the parking area from what used to be the swimming beach. Swimming in the lake and a visit into the animal house were often a part of summer days.
This three inch anti-tank gun from World War II has been in Miller Park for at least forty years. It was used in 1944-45. Sometime in the seventies it was re-painted a non-WWII kelly green color. For a long time the gun was on the big sidewalk in front of the Pavilion and was then moved to its present location. It sits on the north edge of the park near Wood Street and Summit street. It is also very close to the War Memorial Monument. In the background of the picture you can see the old Park Store and Laundramat. Allin Street runs north from the park in front of the Park Store and perpendicular to Wood Street.
Miller Park is a public park on the west side of Bloomington. It is located in the southwest part of the city, on a large block south of Wood Street and east of Morris Avenue. The east border of the park is Summit Street. Miller Park features a pavilion, an artificial lake, a zoo, softball fields, and two war memorials, the park also includes a mini golf course, sand volleyball courts and a playground. During the hot and humid summer months an outdoor theater presents productions for the public. Each July 4 the park is host to thousands of citizens for a fireworks display which is launched over the lake.
Miller Park is one short block to the west of Low Street across Summit Street. The Pavilion is on the south edge of the park near the lake, the playground, and the zoo. It is used for all sorts of activities and classes including dances, weddings, and senior citizen functions. The Pavilion at Miller Park was built at a cost of $45,000 in 1905, and was one of the finest pavilions ever put in a public park. It was designed by reknowned Bloomington architect George Miller and is noted for its excellent accoustic properties for dance bands. This unique landmark was restored in 1977 and is quite impressive with its rambling porches, chandelier lighting and interesting design. The Pavilion originally had a red tile roof that was replaced with red shingles in the 1977 renovation. The top color postcard picture shows the back of the Pavilion from the south. The above black and white postcard picture is looking at the front of the building from the north. The top picture shows what I think is supposed to be the dome of the old courthouse. I don't know for sure. It used to be covered in chicken wire and birds were kept inside. Kind of like a Zoo annex.
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