There are 56 parks with 56 different, matchless names in Dublin. Each tells a story of their namesake. In May, 2012, a new park was dedicated in Dublin—Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park, formerly Riverside Drive Park—telling a very vivid and historical story of where its name originated.
General Kosciuszko was the original owner of the property. He was given approximately 500 acres of land along what is now Riverside Drive as payment for his contributions during the Revolutionary War.
Kosciuszko was an important officer during the Revolutionary War. He was appointed the rank of Colonel by the Continental Congress and served as a military engineer from 1776 to 1783. He was responsible for the design of the fortifications of what is now West Point, was instrumental in the strategy of the Battle of Saratoga and was personally recognized by George Washington as instrumental in the success of the Continental Army over the British. Kosciuszko went on to fight for democracy in his native Poland. Kosciuszko was a man of high morals and genuine concern for the personal freedoms of all men during a time when slavery and serfdom was common throughout the world.
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park is a heavily wooded, 36.5 acre park that features many amenities including 1.7 miles of jogging/hiking trails through rain gardens, a 20-car parking lot with pervious pavement, a gazebo, fishing ponds and a sinkhole overlook. Many of the maple, American beech and oak landmark trees have been around since the times of the Wyandottes, who used the area for their annual maple syrup sugar camp.
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