Gately (James) Park

In the years during and after World War II, the population of Gately Park's Pullman neighborhood increased by more than one third. Established in 1947 on former Pullman Car Company land, Gately Park was part of a ten-year Chicago Park District plan to increase recreational opportunities in under-served Chicago neighborhoods. Park improvements began in 1950 and included a grandstand, locker rooms, and an office building. High school football teams from both the Chicago Public Schools and the Catholic League quickly put the new facilities to use. In 1953, the park was named for James H. Gately (1883-1972), a longtime businessman in the nearby Roseland community, and then President of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. (Gately himself voted against the name change, which broke with tradition by naming the park for a living person.) Appointed Commissioner in 1945, Gately was elected President of the Board in 1946, serving in that position until 1967. During his long tenure, the park district sold $79 million in park improvement bonds, increased the total number of parks from 135 to 430, and expanded overall park acreage to 6,800 acres. In 1959, Gately oversaw the transfer of more than 250 city-owned parks to the Chicago Park District.