Gunn family celebrates park's 100th anniversary

An engraved stone was unveiled Friday during the 100th birthday celebration of Gunn Park. The stone was dedicated to the Gunn family who were in town to join in the celebration. The stone will be placed at Shelter House No. 7. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

A park is a very special place,
Giving time to sit in silence, or stroll;
To escape the frenzied pace.
What is a town without such a space?
An expanse of buildings and streets without a soul.

A century ago a generous spirit gave this park,
That all might enjoy the wonders of nature
As they watch children swing and play.
He must have envisioned from the start
The good time you will have here today.

Nearly 55 members of the Gunn family attended the weekend celebration of the 100th birthday of Gunn Park. The family showed up wearing T-shirts displaying W.C. Gunn's family tree on the back. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

These words were written by B.J. Maguire, Jr., about the park which bears the name of his great-grandfather W.C. Gunn. Maguire was one of the nearly 55 descendants of Gunn who visited Fort Scott over the weekend to celebrate Good Ol' Days and the 100th anniversary of Gunn Park.

"It's kind of a remarkable thing to get all these people here," Maguire said.

The Gunn Park Committee hosted a birthday party for Gunn Park following the Good Ol' Days parade Friday evening in which Maguire talked about his great-grandfather. Local historian Don Miller also spoke about the history of Gunn Park, and local teen Addi Brown led the singing of "Happy Birthday."

Maguire, a retired pediatrician from Tulsa, Okla., said the family was excited to come back to the place which Gunn felt so dear about. He said the family has had reunions in the past but they had been "nothing of this magnitude."

"It really is a unique opportunity," he said. "We were excited."

Gunn Park is not Gunn's only contribution to Fort Scott. Gunn's grandson, William G. Calhoun, has written several books about Fort Scott, including the Pictoral History of Fort Scott.

"Our family has been very interested in the history of Fort Scott," Maguire said. "We've got a lot of ties to Fort Scott."

Calhoun's daughter, Carol Wood, added, "I still have a soft spot for [Fort Scott] ... We're all just grateful to the town."

With three generations of the Gunn family represented, the impact of Gunn proved to be evident.

"It is interesting that a man that's been gone, I think he died in 1922, still has such influence on his expanded family and it serves as the impetus for us to get together," Maguire said.

Rumors among the family were floating around of making the event an annual occurrence. Maguire said, "It wouldn't be a bad idea ... I would favor getting together more often."

Gunn Park was originally opened in 1905 under the name Fern Lake Park. In 1910, Gunn donated land to the city with the guidelines that the city would use the land for park purposes. In appreciation for the donation, the city renamed the park in Gunn's name.