Estabrook Park
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Estabrook Park
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| location = Shorewood, Wisconsin, United States
| coords = {{Coord|43.098293|N|87.904689|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|126.25|acre|abbr=on}}
| created = {{Start date|1916}}
| operator = Milwaukee County Parks Department
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| open =
| website = https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/Estabrook1.pdf
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Estabrook Park is a Milwaukee County park in the village of Shorewood, Wisconsin and is home to the {{convert|1081|ft|abbr=on}} WITI TV Tower and the historic Benjamin Church House.{{cite web
| url=https://milwaukeehistory.net/education/county-landmarks/shorewood/
| title=Shorewood Landmarks
| publisher=Milwaukee County Historical Society
| accessdate=2017-11-06
}} It was named for Charles E. Estabrook, a distinguished Wisconsin lawyer and politician,{{cite web
| url = https://www.friendsofestabrook.com/history.html
| title = History of Estabrook
| publisher = Friends of Estabrook Park
| accessdate = 2020-05-31
}} and is located on a nearly 125 acre, strip of land between the Milwaukee River and the former Chicago and North Western Railway, now converted into part of the Oak Leaf Trail.
Amenities
There are picnic areas, soccer fields, a disc golf course, a softball diamond, a dog park, a beach volleyball court, a skatepark, and the Estabrook Park Beer Garden.{{cite web
| url = http://www.estabrookbeergarden.com/
| title = Estabrook Beer Garden
| accessdate = 2020-05-31}}
File:Estabrook Park picnic area signage.jpg|Picnic area signage
File:Estabrook Park playground.jpg|Northern playground
File:Estabrook Park dog park and signage.jpg|Dog park and signage
File:Estabrook Park Picnic Area Signage and Playground.jpg|Picnic area signage and southern playground
File:Estabrook Park playground with whitetail deer in the foreground.jpg|Southern playground with whitetail deer in the foreground
File:Estabrook Park soccer field signage.jpg|Soccer field signage
History
The riverside site was home to the Milwaukee Cement Company from 1875 to 1911. The park was established in 1916, and the first parkway in the Milwaukee River Parkway system was added in 1927. Significant development took place in the early and mid-1930s, led in part by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1937 Milwaukee County constructed a dam at the park to raise water levels for recreational purposes.{{Cite web|title=Estabrook Dam Removal|url=https://www.milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/dam-removal/estabrook-dam-removal/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=Milwaukee Riverkeeper|language=en-US}} A year later the Benjamin Church house was restored and moved to the park in 1938. The WITI TV Tower was erected within the park in 1962. In 2018 the dam was removed.
File:Estabrook Park Maintanance Headquarters.jpg|Estabrook Park Maintenance Headquarters
File:Estabrook Park historical marker.jpg|Historical marker
File:Estabrook Park Historical Plaquue.jpg|Estabrook Park Historical Plaque
Pond
There is a small pond, sometimes called Estabrook Park Lagoon, covering about {{convert|1|acre|abbr=on}} to a maximum depth of {{convert|6|ft|abbr=on}} and with a small island near the north end.{{cite web
| url = https://www.lake-link.com/lakes/lake.cfm?LakeID=2756
| title = Estabrook Park Lagoon
| publisher = Lake-Link Inc.
| accessdate = 2020-05-31
}} It is reported to contain panfish, trout, goldfish, chinese mystery snail, and Eurasian watermilfoil.{{cite web
| url = https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/LakePages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=8800&page=facts
| title = Estabrook Park Lagoon
| publisher = Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
| accessdate = 2020-05-31
}} There have also been sightings, depending on the season, of painted turtles, red-eared sliders, common snapping turtles, muskrats, American bullfrogs, American toads, Canada geese, mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teals, great blue herons, green herons, red-breasted mergansers, hooded mergansers, pied-billed grebes, ring-billed gulls, and belted kingfishers in and on the water. Canada geese, mallards, and wood ducks have been observed to lay eggs, incubate them, and hatch broods of goslings and ducklings.
File:Estabrook Park Pond.jpg|Estabrook Park Pond, facing west
File:Canada goose and goslings on shore of Estabrook Park Pond.jpg|Canada goose and goslings on shore of Estabrook Park Pond
File:Great Blue Heron on Estabrook Park Pond.jpg|Great Blue Heron on Estabrook Park Pond
File:Painted turtles and red-eared sliders sunning themselves on a log in Estabrook Park.jpg|Painted turtles and red-eared sliders sunning themselves on a log in Estabrook Park
File:Estabrook Park Fishing Plaquard.jpg|Estabrook Park Fishing Plaquard
File:Estabrook Park Fishing Notice Plaquard.jpg|Estabrook Park Fishing Notice Plaquard
Beer garden
"Estabrook Beer Garden brought back the tradition of public beer gardens to Milwaukee."{{cite web
| url = https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Beer-Gardens
| title = Beer Gardens
| publisher = Milwaukee County
| accessdate = 2020-07-17
}}
"Estabrook Beer Garden is part of the Milwaukee County Park System, developed and operated under contract by ABC Estabrook INC d/b/a Estabrook Beer Garden."
File:Estabrook Park Beer Garden.jpg|Beer garden
Disc golf
There is a 20-hole disc golf course covering much of the northern end of the park.
File:Estabrook Park disk golf marker.jpg|Estabrook Park disk golf marker
File:Estabrook Park disc golf course pay station.jpg|Estabrook Park disc golf course pay station
File:Estabrook Park disc golf course target.jpg|Estabrook Park disc golf course target
Antennas
There are four broadcasting antenna in and near the park: one, free-standing tower antenna located entirely in the park at the south east corner, and three triangular lattice guyed mast antenna located just across the Milwaukee River from the park, each with a guy-wire anchor located in the park. From north to south, they are:
File:Estabrook Park pond with antenna towers.jpg|Estabrook Park pond with antenna towers across the river in the background
File:Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 1 in Estabrook Park.jpg|Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 1
File:Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 2 in Estabrook Park.jpg|Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 2
File:Estabrook Park soccer field with antenna tower across the river in the background.jpg|Soccer field with antenna tower across the river in the background
File:Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 3.jpg|Antenna mast guy-wire anchor 3
File:View of WITI TV tower and Benjamin Church house in Estabrook Park.jpg|View across soccer field of WITI TV Tower and Benjamin Church House at south end of park
File:Witi tv tower shorewood wisconsin.JPG|WITI TV Tower detail in southeast corner of park
File:Milwaukee Formation section.jpg exposed along the river]]
Geology
The park comprises a mostly flat plateau at about {{convert|650|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level, a bluff descending about {{convert|50|ft|abbr=on}} to the Milwaukee river at about {{convert|600|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level, and some flat areas along the river bank. The Milwaukee Formation is exposed on the descent to the river.{{cite map
| author = USGS
| author-link = USGS
| year = 2018
| title = Milwaukee, WI
| url = https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/tnm-delivery
| publisher = USGS}}
Gallery
File:Estabrook Park Plaque.jpg|Estabrook Park Plaque
File:Estabrook Park Stairway.jpg|Estabrook Park stairway down bluff to Milwaukee River
File:Milwaukee River.jpg|Milwaukee River along west edge of park
File:Estabrook Park Underpass.jpg|Estabrook Park underpass to Wilson Drive
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/Estabrook1.pdf Milwaukee Country Parks: Estabrook Park Map]
- [https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/LakePages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=8800&page=facts Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: Estabrook Park Lagoon]
- [https://www.friendsofestabrook.com/ Friends of Estabrook Park]
Category:Protected areas of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin