Council Point Park

Council Point Park is a park in Lincoln Park, Michigan. The park is 27 acres, and boarders the cities of Wyandotte and Ecorse. The point itself is formed by the northern and southern branches of the Ecorse Creek, right before the creek reaches the Detroit River. The land for the park was purchased in the late 1980s. The parks dimensions were courtesy of Wade Trim and Associates. This park includes a 2 mile jogging track along the Ecorse Creek, two baseball diamonds, two soccer fields, a picnic pavilion, a children's park including a jungle gym, an inline hockey arena, and a permanent restroom/storage building.

History

Council Point Park has a large impact on how the state of Michigan was formed. In 1763, Chief Pontiac, the chief of the Ottawa tribe in Michigan, called for a council along the Ecorse River^[1] of all of the tribes in the state of Michigan. The tribes that were present at this council were the Wyandot, Detroit Ottawa, and the Potawatomi. Pontiac was searching for a call to action, stating that not only does he and other Naives want the British gone, but it was a special task sent from the King of France to attack and remove the British from the former French territories. Pontiacs plan was to attack Fort Detroit in 3 days. After a few endeavors at the fort, Pontiac and his people finally took the fort and drove the British from the Michigan Territories.
When the park was first purchased by the city of Lincoln Park in the late 1980s, the city partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in order to clean up a small toxic waste spill. Hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals used in steel making, had spilled into the park and needed to be cleaned up before a park was created. The Department of Natural Resources cleaned up the land to make it a safe park.^[2]

Activities

Council Point Park has a variety of activities to offer. The park has two baseball diamonds in which little league games are hosted. The park also has two soccer fields that during the summer, youth games are held. There is a two mile walking/jogging track, that outlines the perimeter of the park. One of the parks new attractions is an inline hockey rink in which inline summer roller hockey leagues are played. Local inline hockey players can also skate year round. The park also includes a picnic pavilion in which many families and organizations host picnics and parties.

Entertainment

During Labor Day Weekend, Council Point Park hosts a Pow Wow to commemorate of Pontiac's great meeting back in the 1760s. The Pow Wow offers the opportunity for children and adults both to learn about the happenings of the Council of Pontiac, along with fun games and other activities. Council Point Park also has several different venues for visitors of the park to sit down and watch sporting events including baseball, softball, soccer, and inline hockey.

Geography

Council Point Park is a 27 acre park^[3] on the Eastern side of the City of Lincoln Park. The park is boardered by the Northern and Southern branches of the Ecorse Creek on the one side, and River Drive street on the opposite side. The Creek forms the boarders between the City of Lincoln Park, Wyandotte on the southern end, and Ecorse on the north eastern end.

References

1. ^ http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pontiacs-rebellion-begins
2. ^ http://miseagrant.umich.edu/greenways/greenway10-lincoln-park.html
3. ^ http://www.lincolnpark.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC=%7BAF2CA3D8-DECB-455D-A8B3-7CFCBA47B8B4%7D#{AB6846E5-C883-4567-8ECD-B055FAD7E437

External links

• Lincoln Park official page
• Directions

Coordinates: 42°13′39″N 83°09′58″W / 42.22756°N 83.166129°W / 42.22756; -83.166129