DeWitt Park Clinton Iowa

DeWitt Park has been part of Clinton’s story since the mid-1800s. It was named for New York governor DeWitt Clinton—the same man who gave his name to both the city and the county. Early records from the 1850s and 1860s mention the park as a possible courthouse site.

In those early years, it was a simple square of open ground in the middle of town. As the city grew, the park gained trees, walking paths, and benches where people could rest after a long day.

By the early 1900s, DeWitt Park was one of the prettiest spots in town. The curved walkways, flower beds, and central flagpole made it a favorite stop for families and visitors. Band concerts and small community events often filled the park on warm evenings.

Eagle Point Park - Clinton, Iowa

The Castle at Eagle Point Park in Clinton, Iowa.

David and William Joyce built a park on the bluffs on the outskirts of Clinton in 1895. The Clinton & Lyons Railway made the trip possible, hauling sightseers to the top in mule carts where they could gaze down on the river.

A trip to the bluff was a moment of reprieve for busy families. They could spread out simple meals, breathe in the wind, and look over the river. The Joyces may have intended it as a business, but the park quickly became something larger—a shared space where the community could claim ownership of the view.

In 1925, the city purchased Eagle Point Park for $22,500. It was no small sum for the time, but the people of Clinton believed in the value of this place. The purchase meant the bluff would remain open, not parceled into lots or sold off to private hands.

The 1930s breathed new life into the park. The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) stepped in, hiring men who needed wages to feed their families and sent them to Eagle Point. With hammers, chisels, and sweat, they built stone and timber structures that looked as though they had risen from the bluff itself.