Spanish-American War Park

I can't tell you how many millions of times (that's probably not much of an exaggeration) I've passed by this park during my life, but I have never stopped. Why, you ask? Well, where the heck are you supposed to park? I mean, it looks like such a lovely spot, but it looks impossible to get to in a car.

I happened to be driving past there on a recent Sunday, so I parked in the animal hospital lot next door and walked over. The park is a lovely green space, much larger than it looks from the street.


The statue is a copy of The Hiker. The original was created by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson, was erected in 1906 and is located at the University of Minnesota.

The inscription on the base of the Memphis statue reads:

The Hiker Typifying the American Volunteer who fought Spain in Cuba, the Philippines, and Boxer Rebellion. Erected in 1956 with funds raised by Spanish War Veterans of Memphis under the leadership of Fred Bauer, Commander

After I had spent a bit of time enjoying the park, I decided to circle the block to see if I could find easier access by car, and sure enough, it looks like you can pull off the street onto a grassy area on S. Cox and park. It looks like you can walk up a grassy way and end up in the park. It looks that way. I didn't get out to see, and there is no signage at all. The park is built on an old railroad right-of-way, and you can see from the google maps view that there's quite a long walk from S. Cox to the Central/East Parkway South intersection where the monument stands. If you come by car and come on a day when the animal hospital is open for business, I honestly don't know what people do. Does anybody even go to this park? Besides the dog-walkers at the animal hospital?

I think the park would be much improved and get more use with the addition of a sign or two directing traffic to a parking area and a sign indicating the way to walk into the park from S. Cox.