Howell Park (Dixon, Illinois)

 memorial, park, fishing area, sculpture, place with historical importance, walkway, bench (furniture), riverwalk, green space, memorial plaque

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815-284-3306
3 1/2 Acres ~ Riverwalk ~ Benches
www.dixonparks.com/howell.htm

E. N. Howell, a Dixon merchant, grew up boating on the river and had a great interest in landscape gardening. In 1909, he purchased a lot on the north bank of the river and sent for O. C. Simonds to plan the grounds. As President of the newly formed Lowell Park Commission, Howell approached Simonds to design the landscaping of Dixon's parks as well.

Already famous for landscaping the grounds of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago as well as parks and residences in, eventually, forty-eight states, O. C. Simonds was considered to be the first designer of importance to have understood the beauty of native plants of the Midwest.

In connection with the City Beautiful Movement in the 1890s and, more specifically, Dixon Beautiful in the 1910s, Howell stated the importance of beautifying the river banks. In 1915, O.C. Simonds & Company went to work, and improvement of the north bank from the dam east to Jefferson Avenue began and continued as funds permitted.

When Edward Nelson Howell passed away, new Park Commission President Louis Pitcher presented plans for a permanent memorial to Howell on the river bank. Designed by Simonds to view the beautiful river, a concrete seat veneered with native stone, a concrete platform, and a rock garden were dedicated in 1931, and the park was named "Howell Park."