Once shaped by farmland and vast open acres, North Caldwell values its historic past and has put time and thought into the development of Walker’s Park in order to preserve this. From a home, to an ice skating rink, to its current state as a sprawling park, Walker’s Park has served many different purposes for North Caldwell residents and is home to fond memories for our longtime citizens.
After Elwood “Woody” Carl Walker’s marriage to Carlee Walker in 1946, the couple moved to North Caldwell in 1949 to start a family. At the time, no one knew the significant impact Walker would have on his community.
Walker was born in Schaller, Iowa, in 1921, and attended Cornell College. He received a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Colorado. Throughout his many years as a resident, Walker was very involved in town activities. He became a founding member of the West Essex Lions Club empowering volunteers to improve the well-being of the community, a member of the Board of Adjustments and the Historic Preservation Commission for the North Caldwell Town Council, served on the volunteer fire department as Assistant Fire Chief and served on the North Caldwell Board of Education to create Grandview Elementary School. Walker was most known, however, for being the owner of Walker’s Park, the sprawling property that he and Carlee enjoyed making available to North Caldwell residents for skating, an annual Christmas tree lighting and many other events. Walker lived in North Caldwell for over 60 years before he passed away in 2013, earning the title of “Mr. North Caldwell” for his service to the town.
Starting in the early 1950s, Walker and his wife leased the property to the borough for $1 so residents could ice skate on the frozen pond during winter and enjoy holiday events; they continued this tradition for decades. Families were quick to take up Walker’s offer, bringing their children to skate and ultimately creating some of their most cherished moments. There was a ramp leading to the ice, a warming hut with a wooden stove to escape the cold and most importantly, hot chocolate to sip that the Walkers provided. According to Ted Hines, a former North Caldwell Resident, when the Walkers hosted their 12th Night Christmas tree burning party, residents brought their Christmas trees to the field between the Walkers’ house and pond to burn the trees under the supervision of the North Caldwell Fire Department. During the warmer months, the Walkers hosted the annual Fireman’s picnic on their property, where residents enjoyed potato sack races, corn on the cob, barbecues, watermelon and even clams on the half shell.
In 2017, according to NJ.com, Walker’s family sold the property to North Caldwell for $2.75 million, a purchase that was financed through bonds the town’s citizens paid for, creating the park. The Borough now offers recreational use of the property for citizens, keeping with the intentions of the Walker family. The park was restored and continues to be open for fishing. It is periodically stocked by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Future improvements are planned for the site in accordance with NJDEP regulations.
As North Caldwell continues to pursue new improvements to the park, Walker’s Park will hopefully continue to be a vessel for memories for all North Caldwell residents in the coming years.
