Underground Railroad (1800s)
In Johnsons Park, roughly where Feeding America is today, was a rest stop for slaves taking the Underground Railroad. This site harbored an untold number of African-Americans escaping slavery on their way to freedom in Canada, including both Joshua Glover and Caroline Quarrls.
18th Street (1920s)
This is a picture of Johnsons Park Neighborhood from the early 20th century.
Resident Displacement (1955)
In 1955 thousands of residents on Milwaukee’s North Side were displaced when their homes were demolished to make room for a new expressway. The state government and federal courts halted the project and Johnsons Park was created in an attempt to mollify the community.
Johnsons Park Initiative (2002)
In a 2002 report, the Public Policy Forum listed the park as one of the most neglected in Wisconsin. Perserve our Parks, a nonprofit focusing on maintaining quality green spaces, reached out to the Center for Resiliant Cities for help. The center, a nonprofit organization striving to create healthy neighborhoods, partnered with other community groups and launched the Johnsons Park Initiative.