Hale Park
History
Lying adjacent to Hale Elementary School, Hale Park is among a number of sites within the city that are operated jointly by the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Board of Education. The park district acquired the property in 1947, as part of a ten-year plan to increase recreational opportunities in under-served neighborhoods in post-World War II Chicago. Hale Park is now home to an outdoor swimming pool (ca. 1968) and a modern fieldhouse, designed by the firm of Schroeder, Murchie, Laya, Associates, Ltd., and dedicated in late 1998.
In 1953, the park was named for American patriot Nathan Hale (1755-1776). Hanged by the British as a spy, Hale may be best known for his famous last words: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my county."
