Lake Atalanta Park - Rogers AR

City:: Rogers, AR
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers, Paths and Trails
New Deal Agency:: Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Started:: 1936
Completed:: 1937
Quality of Information:: Good
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Atalanta Lake Park in 1937. Located in Rogers AR, the park and lake development secured recreational opportunities for area residents for years to come.

The Fort Smith office of the WPA notified the town officials in Rogers that funds for the project were approved in 1936. Its total cost was estimated at $53,667 and sought to improve approximately one hundred acres. The original project “contained a restaurant, swimming pool, ice skating rink, boat rentals, a tennis course, miniature golf and more. It was not only a city park, but a destination for tourists.”

Due to a lack of maintenance and funds for upkeep, many of the park’s amenities fell into disrepair over the years. Recently, the town has renovated park trails and streams, built new boardwalks, and constructed new playgrounds among other amenities. According to town boosters, “Lake Atalanta has been restored to its glory.”

“Get out there and explore this historic WPA park, originally built to offer employment to jobless residents during the Great Depression. It became the centerpiece of a large city park then, and will certainly serve the community in its renovated state for years to come.”