Goodholm Park
Introduction
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Goodholm Park takes its name from Andrew Goodholm who was born in Filipstad, Sweden in 1861. Goodholm immigrated to Kansas in the 1880s and then to Oklahoma City in 1894 when he established the Acme Milling Company, the largest flour mill in the city. For many years, Goodholm’s family home stood at the fairgrounds and operated as a history museum. Goodholm also served on the city council and later formed a real estate company with partner Edwin Sparrow.
Images
Goodholm Park Merry-Go-Round
Tennis at Goodholm Park
Goodholm Building, c 1910
Goodholm Mansion (Home of Andrew Goodholm) 211 NE 4
Backstory and Context
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Text-to-speech Audio
Goodholm Park takes its name from Andrew Goodholm who was born in Filipstad, Sweden in 1861. Goodholm immigrated to Kansas in the 1880s and then to Oklahoma City in 1894 when he established the Acme Milling Company, the largest flour mill in the city. Goodholm also served on the city council and later formed a real estate company with partner Edwin Sparrow. For many years, long after the family had left Oklahoma City, the Goodholm residence stood at the fairgrounds and operated as a history museum.
In what was considered a bold move at the time because it was so far from downtown, Goodholm & Sparrow developed this section of the Jefferson Park neighborhood between Robinson and Hudson. The developers made use of a natural ravine running through the area to define the layout of streets and lots which created the unusual shape of this park and its sister, Sparrow Park. Originally, Goodholm Park was a “play” park with a baseball diamond, tennis courts and playground equipment and Sparrow Park was a “garden” park covered with flower beds and a large rose garden. The developers donated the land for these two parks to the city in 1909 on the condition that the parks would bear their names.
Sources
"Popular Park Given to City by Pioneer." Oklahoma City Advertiser (Oklahoma City) August 7th 1953. , 5-5.
Huff, Alice. "Energetic Elders Follow Tennis Tradition." Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) July 27th 1984. , 3-3.
"Jefferson Park." Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) August 3rd 1909. , 14-14.
Gateway to Oklahoma History https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc318430/m1/1/
Gateway to Oklahoma History https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc426340/m1/1/
Metropolitan Library System Special Collections https://www.metrolibrary.org/node/42771
Metropolitan Library System Special Collections https://www.metrolibrary.org/node/42647