#86 Mead Island – 1300 N Bitting
What We Did: There is nothing to do here, because unless you have a boat, the park is inaccessible. But the history of the park is fascinating.
Background: A five acre island located on the Little Arkansas River was conveyed to the Park Commission in 1978.
On Mead Island (no bridge or convenient method of transportation), is a grass house which was indicative of the homes that the Wichita Indian tribe lived in.
The structure was built in 1927 by 20 descendants of the tribe, now living in Oklahoma. It consists of a pole and willow rod framework, thatched with grass.
The island is named after James Richard Mead (1836-1910) who established a trading post at the mouth of the Arkansas River and became the founder of Wichita.
I was a mystery, but with the help of someone much smarter than me, we figured out who is the honoree of this next park.