Before sharing a Press Release from Knox County, let me use my “Mega Bullhorn” via the keyboard to jump up on a soapbox for a pet peeve.
The information is good news, but why not take a moment to explain a little Knox County history to folks here that are the younger generation or for those that have moved here and is the reason we have all these housing units being built.
Carl Cowan Park is about a mile east of Concord Park. Concord today has a dog park, tennis court and a Par 3 golf course in it’s day Concord Park was the county’s “white” pool. Yes during segregation, it was a pool for white folk.
Carl Cowan Park hosted the county’s ”black” pool, the pool for people of color. Even after we (my wife, oldest son) moved to Southwest Knox County in 1992 and the county operated both pools, NOT the color biases since (i am assuming the 1960s) we preferred the Carl Cowan Park pool and bought Summer memberships there.
Neither park has a pool now. Carl Cowan Park has a splash pad.
Who was Carl Cowan? (This is taken from a Knox County document, they (Knox County) have the information)
Carl Cowan was born in Knoxville and lived on College Street, near the Knoxville College campus, with his father and mother, Hugh and Maggie, and his younger brother, Clause. A gifted athlete and scholar, Carl credited part of his success to his inquisitive nature and the early lessons he learned in telling right from wrong. As a young child, he his brother and friends enjoyed running footraces along College Street, as well as football, baseball and sledding in the winter.
Mr. Cowan attended Knoxville College and was active in student civic, social, and athletic organizations, He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, played halfback on the Knoxville College football team, among other extracurricular pursuits. Mr. Cowan eventually became a teacher and coach at Knoxville College in 1926-27, becoming the first paid coach in the Negro Division. Mr. Cowan was later to say that he believed amateur school sports and professional sports ultimately aided in the fight for desegregation and civil rights for all.
Mr. Cowan went on to receive his law degree from Howard University College of Law, Washington, D.C. which led him to his life’s work: using the existing laws to advance the rights of people of color in the United States.
After receiving his law degree from Howard University, Carl Cowan practiced law in Knox County from 1934 until 1980. Mr. Cowan was a member of Knox County Court and was appointed the first African American Assistant District Attorney in Knox County in 1953.
Perhaps he will be best remembered for his work as a civil rights attorney. Mr. Cowan was the plaintiff’s attorney for the NAACP, where he challenged segregation in Knoxville, Clinton, Sweetwater-Madisonville, Johnson City school systems, and the University of Tennessee. His wife, Esther, an English teacher, was part of the historic desegregation of Austin High School and East High School. Carl Cowan was a close associate of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and was instrumental in the 1954 landmark Supreme Court decision that ended the legal racial segregation of the public schools in America.
Throughout his life and even after his retirement, Carl Cowan remained active in professional, social and civic organizations. He served in TVA, the Knoxville College board of trustees, the Knox County Draft Board, the Republican Primary Board, and the Shiloh Presbyterian Board of Trustees. Mr. Cowan received the Meritorious Service and Outstanding Service awards from the NAACP, the Whitney Young Freedom Service Award from the Knoxville Area Urban League, and the Brotherhood Award from the Knoxville Round Table of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In addition, Mr. Cowan was presented with numerous awards recognizing his support of the YMCA, the Girl Scouts, and other groups focusing on youth and athletics.
Carl Cowan was a member of the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, the Knoxville College Hall of Fame, and was honored by Knoxville College with a Recognition Day and a State of Tennessee Joint House Resolution for his commitment to improving the general welfare of minority groups in Tennessee.
Carl Cowan often said, “Change is hard to come by, but change will come” and thanks to his efforts, it did. He will be remembered as a great man who helped change the face of Knoxville and the nation.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Knox County Parks & Recreation will begin demolition and construction of a new Carl Cowan Park splashpad on Monday, Oct. 3.
Carl Cowan is the county’s oldest and has served as a backdrop for the community to gather and play since its installment more than 15 years ago.
Fuel Tank Maintenance Company, FTM Contracting, will construct a new woodland forest themed splashpad and it’s expected to be up and running prior to the 2023 season.
“Our team is working hard to build park facilities that create lasting and memorable experiences that highlight the best of what these parks and their neighborhoods have to offer,” said Parks & Recreation Senior Director Joe Mack.
Although the splashpad area will be temporarily closed during construction, Carl Cowan Park offers a host of other noteworthy amenities including multi-use sports fields, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, fishing areas, and paved and natural surface trails that will still be accessible for public use.
Carl Cowan Park is located at 10058 South Northshore Drive.
