Island Park postcard
Located on a stretch of land in the St. Joseph River, Island Park was the first public park in Niles, thanks to the efforts of the local Women’s Progressive League. Founded in 1912, the Women’s Progressive League In Niles formed with a purpose to “work in civic improvement” and an objective of “the cultivation of higher ideals of civic life and beauty—the promotion of out-door art, public sanitation and the general welfare of the city.” The group’s first major project was to establish a public park for the community. Island Park was dedicated in the summer of 1913. A major flood in 2018 forced the Park’s closure. The park is open again after the bridge was repaired in 2021. 
Members of the Women's Progressive League at Island Park , dated June of 1914.
The women in the photo are (left to right): Mrs. Hunter, Mrs. Montague, Ruth Tuttle, Irene Reum, Mrs. Jerome, and Miss Coolidge
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