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(Vintage photos are courtesy of Rick Hitchcock Design Group.) Begun in 1981 for Naperville's Sesquicentennial celebration, the Riverwalk along the winding west branch of the DuPage River is the community's natural treasure in the heart of downtown. The Beginning... The inception of the
Naperville Riverwalk dates back to 1930 when 32 Naperville The group purchased land on the south side of Jackson Avenue, including an old quarry, and the project became Centennial Beach, a unique recreational area in the downtown area. In the early planning stages of the Naperville Sesquicentennial, a river walk was selected as a lasting, living memorial to the City’s founders. The original section of the Riverwalk, now extending from Hillside Road to the Jefferson Street Bridge, was built from the Main Street bridge west to the Eagle Street bridge. Planning... With local businessman
Jim Moser leading the charge with concept sketches The concern with
listing names is that many people who helped behind the scenes ---and out
front --- will be left out. The
Riverwalk was then and is now the centerpiece of the thriving Naperville
community----embraced by thousands and thousands of local citizens, thanks
to their generous donations of time, talents and money. Funding for the original phase came from a public participation campaign with the City of Naperville offering to match up to $200,000 of the amount collected or pledged. The highly successful campaign produced $588,000 in cash! Local businesses contributed another $30,000 in labor and material (Remember 1981 dollars!) and local citizens contributed countless hours of manual labor ---especially in laying the brick pavers. Always growing... Beginning in 1982, the Riverwalk extended westward, behind Centennial Beach and the Judd Kendall VFW Post. During this next period, both the City and the Park District began annual appropriations of $100,000 in most years. The Park District assumed primary responsibility for maintenance of this community linear park. In late 1995, the Riverwalk Commission began considering the expansion of the Riverwalk from the Washington Street Bridge to Hillside Road. Originally the project was called “Riverwalk Renaissance.” When Ed Channell and Glen Ekey took over as leaders of the proposed $500,000 community campaign to be matched with funds by the City and the Park District over five years, the name was changed to Riverwalk 2000 to designate the timeline.
On June 21, 2001, the citizens of Naperville celebrated the dedication of the Riverwalk's one-half mile extension from the Washington Street Bridge to Hillside Road.
From pocket change to $100 commemorative bricks, from $10 gifts to $40,000 plazas, from volunteer spirit to gifts in-kind, the campaign raised more than $650,000.
In addition, a generous donation of more than an acre of prime real estate, known as the "Cock Robin property," was recently received by the City of Naperville. When developed, Fredenhagen Park, named in memory of Grace and Walter Fredenhagen, will significantly enhance the Riverwalk extension.
Thank you!
We are looking for historic pictures of the Naperville Riverwalk. If you have any that you would like to share, please e-mail spenny47@aol.com. |
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citizens
contributed $500 each---a most generous amount amid the depression --- to
purchase land for a park to commemorate Naperville’s centennial year in
1931.
designed by architect
Charles George and a plan endorsed by Mayor Chet Rybicki and the city
council, thousands of local citizens stepped up to help. 
Originally introduced as "Riverwalk Renaissance," by the Riverwalk
Commission
on April 20, 1996, the "Riverwalk 2000" project was launched on
February 26, 1997. Led by Ed Channell and Glen Ekey, the campaign was charged with
raising $500,000 in private funds to match allocations from each the City of Naperville and the Naperville Park District over five years.