Hummel Park

Hummel Park

Entrance sign at Hummel Park
Type Municipal (Omaha)
Location North Omaha
Coordinates 41°22′18″N 95°57′26″W / 41.37167°N 95.95722°W / 41.37167; -95.95722Coordinates: 41°22′18″N 95°57′26″W / 41.37167°N 95.95722°W / 41.37167; -95.95722
Area 202 acres (0.82 km2)
Created 1930
Status Open all year

Hummel Park is located at 11808 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska. Developed on 202 acres (0.82 km2) of land donated to the City of Omaha in 1930, the park was named after Joseph B. Hummel,[1] a long time superintendent of Omaha's Parks and Recreation Department.

About

Hummel Park is covered in a riparian forest. Located in north of the Florence neighborhood, the park includes hiking trails, including the Omaha Riverfront Trail North. There are also playgrounds (removed summer 2009), horseshoe pits, a Missouri River overlook, picnic shelters and a disc golf course that will be completed in 2008.[2] The overlook is located above the popular "Devil's Slide," a natural cliff. There is also summer day camp at the park which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2009.[3]

The Hummel Park Nature Center, operated by the Parks and Recreation Department, offers environmental education programs and special nature events.

History

The location of Cabanne's Trading Post is at the corner of Ponca Road and John J. Pershing Road in the northwest corner of the park.[4]

The park is also the location of several urban legends that report paranormal phenomenon, animal sacrifices, lynchings, and stories of modern murders and racist graffiti. There are rumors about a Native American burial ground in the park and there are several urban legends about albino people who dwell in trees within the park.[5][6][7] Other paranormal activity includes Native American drums and wolves howling at night as well as a mysterious stairway nicknamed the "Morphing Stairs" because there are always more stairs to count going up than going down.[8] However, these stories have been repeatedly dismissed by a variety of sources.[9]

According to a University of Nebraska historian, there is no validity to any of these rumors, particularly about lynchings in the park.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Joe Hummel, Omaha's first park commissioner". Nebraska Memories. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ Martin, A. "Calling all arms! Hummel Park Disc Golf Installation" Nebdiscforum. Retrieved 9/10/08
  3. ↑ "N.P. Dodge Memorial Park". City of Omaha. Retrieved 7/4/07.
  4. ↑ Jensen, M. (1999) The Fontenelle and Cabanné Trading Posts: The History and Archeology of Two Missouri River Sites, 1822-1838 Nebraska State Historical Society.
  5. ↑ (2005) "Hummel Park". Paranormal Research & Investigative Studies Midwest. Retrieved 7/17/07.
  6. ↑ (2005) "Hummel Park". Obiwan's UFO-Free Paranormal Page. Retrieved 7/17/07.
  7. ↑ (1998) "Nebraska", Shadowlands Haunted Places. Retrieved 7/17/07.
  8. ↑ http://hauntedplacesofusa.blogspot.com/2009/09/hummel-park-omahanebraska.html
  9. ↑ Cole, K. (2007) "Kevin Cole: This teen found Hummel Park myths to be just that," Omaha World-Herald. 3/31/06. Retrieved 7/17/07.
  10. ↑ Harrison, J. (2003) "Hummel Park not Horrifying," Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 9/25/07.

External links

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