Staff writer
Since the announcement Oct. 20 by Marion City Council that the council may consider changing the name of Marion’s Central Park to Brooker Park, there has been a public outcry.
The office of the Marion County Record has received phone calls and visits from residents who are concerned about the possibility of the 100-year-old park’s name being changed.
Paul Brooker gave $50,000 to the city in 1999 for park improvements. At that time, a springs in the park was refurbished. Another $50,000 check awaits the city for additional park improvements but the trust requires the city to change the name of Central Park to Brooker Park to honor the former Marion resident.
It was also was noted that if the city does not accept the second $50,000 check and change the name of the park as required in the trust agreement, the city will have to repay the estate the original $50,000 that was given to the city in 1999.
About Paul Brooker
So, who is Paul Brooker?
Paul was born in 1910 in Marion, the son of C.C. Brooker who was the mayor of Marion in the 1930s. C.C. Brooker’s name is engraved on the wall at Marion City Auditorium with other commission members as a participant in the auditorium building project.
The Brooker family owned and operated a sales promotion business in Marion. The family business was separated in the 1960s, and Paul Brooker Sales was founded.
Brooker moved to Wichita where he lived the majority of his life. He died in 2000.
About Central Park
So, where did the name “Central Park” originate and why was it named that?
In the 1860s, settlers in covered wagons were told by surveyors that there was good, virgin farmland about 60 miles southwest of Emporia. The surveyors called it the best land in the territory which is where the city’s motto, “The Best Place I’ve Seen” came to be.
The town became known as Marion Centre — indicating the center of the county.
In 1875, residents decided to change the town’s name from Marion Centre to Marion.
According to historian Peggy Goertzen of Mennonite Brethren Studies on the Tabor College campus, Hillsboro, Central Park has always been a focal point.
“It was developed during an era of using words like ‘adornment for the city’,” she said.
In the book, “Marion County Kansas: Past and Present,” by Sondra Van Meter, the six-acre Central Park was purchased by the city in May 1894, from Levi Billings for $1,000. So, it appears that the original owner of the property, Levi Billings, named it Central Park.
Since that time, Central Park has been the location for Old Settlers’ Day, Art in the Park and Craft Show, Chingawassa Days, and a playground for generations of Marion children and visitors.
Even though no solid evidence was found pinpointing the exact reasoning for naming the park, it was apparent that the name was chosen because the park was located in the center of town and the site for community events.
When Goertzen was told that there was a possibility that the park’s name may be changed, she said, “That would be a shame.”