FILLMORE : Downtown Park to Get a Name at Last

A contest to name Fillmore’s downtown park on Central Avenue comes to a close tonight, as the City Council is set to chose among four finalists.

The park has existed as long as the town itself, but has never had a name, according to City Clerk Noreen Withers. Withers said about 36 residents have entered the contest.

Fillmore’s Parks and Recreation Commission selected four finalists: “Freedom Park”, “Patriots Park”, “Fillmore Central Park” and “Railroad Park.”

The park covers two city blocks along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, and includes a gazebo and a cannon donated by a veterans’ organization in 1937, according to Dorothy Haase, unofficial town historian and curator of Fillmore’s Historical Museum.

Placed facing the street, the antique gun is an eye-catching feature, and “Cannon Park” has been used by some residents as an unofficial name. The cannon itself made history 25 years ago, when Haase said it was kidnaped by a not-so-sober citizen and trundled down the street.

The park is leased from Southern Pacific for a token $5 per year by the Chamber of Commerce. According to Chamber manager Marge Halter, the park is in constant use by the community for events ranging from art shows and barbecues to high school rallies and diaper derbies.

The person whose winning name is chosen by the council tonight will receive a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.