A LOOK Back: Stephenson Park

Fred M. Stephenson poses in front of the rock entrance to Stephenson Park in 1934. Established in 1892 as “South Park,” the park was renamed Stephenson Park in honor of City of Edmond manager, Fred M. Stephenson in 1934. The newly-refurbished Stephenson Park of the thirties included tennis and croquet courts, an elaborate rock garden in the ravine, and the planting of trees and shrubs.

The Civil Works Authority, a precursor to the Works Progress Administration, constructed the rock wall entrances and matching bridges in the park in 1934. The park has been updated at various points since then, including the addition of the Rocketship Slide in the late 1960s. The park underwent a complete, $7 million overhaul in 2023 and officially reopened on April 18, 2024.