Woodward Park is a public park in Fresno, California, abutting the San Joaquin River, opened in 1968. It is named after the late Ralph Woodward, who bequeathed a portion of his estate to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Fresno, CA. The park has a multi-use amphitheater, an authentic Japanese Garden, a disc golf course, a BMX course, three children’s playgrounds, a lake, and trails that connect to the Lewis S. Eaton Trail.
History
Ralph W. Woodward was a longtime businessman and property owner in the Fresno area. His father, Oscar James (O.J.) Woodward was an early Fresno civic leader and banker who donated the large Memorial Fountain in Fresno’s downtown Courthouse Park in 1921. Upon his death, Ralph Woodward created a will requiring that one-fifth of his estate would purchase a public park and bird refuge site. The site was to be “selected solely by said trustees and conveyed to the City of Fresno, as soon as purchased,” the site shall be purchased “within a reasonable time. “Woodward was an outdoorsman and frequently went trap shooting on the San Joaquin River. Woodward died on March 6, 1961, and his will was filed for probate. One of the executors and trustees of the estate estimated the value at $1 million.
Various options were considered for the site, but the estate trustees settled on land next to State Highway 41 and Shepherd Avenue, with Friant Road skirting the eastern boundary in September 1964. The trustees purchased 185 acres (75 ha) of land for $296,000, and the city added 50 acres (20 ha) for $80,000, and the entire site was transferred to the city to develop a park and bird refuge, now named Woodward Park.
Features
Shinzen Friendship Garden
As Woodward was being planted and constructed, a group of Japanese-Americans, headed by local accountant Ben Nakamura, approached the city to set aside two acres of the park for a Japanese garden. A meeting between the Japanese-American group, the Fresno parks department director, and the son of the late Ralph Woodward produced a plan for the project, and they sought to raise $250,000 in donations for it. The city had formed a sister city relationship with Kochi, Japan, a few years earlier, in 1965, and looked to them to donate authentic Japanese buildings. Junk Removal Fresno
Rotary Amphitheater
The park houses a shaded outdoor pavilion named Rotary Amphitheater, which seats 4,000 people. The amphitheater was renovated in 2010 and has hosted performances by acts such as Deftones, Tech N9ne, Sevendust, and numerous others.
Check out other attractions like Baldassare Forestiere