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Josephine Blackstock
Josephine Blackstock was the first director of the parks and recreation department in Oak Park in 1921. She was the director for over 30 years and in that time she oversaw the naming and design of five playgrounds and field houses. She insisted that each playground would be named for a noted children’s author rather than a local politician. Noted architect, John Van Bergen, designed the field houses in Carroll, Stevenson, Barrie, Anderson, and Field playgrounds. The Eugene Field playground won second place in a National Recreation association contest for the most beautiful playground in America under her guidance. Her innovations in playground programming included a playground newspaper produced by children and printed in the Oak Leaves; an orchestra and drama club for children and adults; an Aviation Club open to girls and boys, endorsed by famed aviator, Amelia Earhart; a junior police force; and numerous festivals and community-based activities. Blackstock was also educated in literature and writing. She wrote several short stories, plays, and one children’s novel titled: Wings for Nikias. She won fame for her novel about Greece during the time of World War II. One of her crowning achievements was in 1933 when she was asked to run all activities at the “Enchanted Island,” a children’s play area, during the World’s Fair in Chicago. Josephine Blackstock retired from being the park and recreation director in 1952. She moved out to California and often came back to visit with family and friends. She died during one of these visits in January 1956. |
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