Stowell-Peddy Park or Oldfield Park?

South Elgin is considering whether to rename the park in the Thornwood neighborhood to reflect a slice of the village’s agricultural roots.

Apparently “The 10-acre Park in the Thornwood Subdivision” isn’t cutting it and officials say a new name should celebrate the history of the area, which is near the Corron Elementary School.

The village board this month could consider a resolution to rename the park to the Stowell-Peddy Park, in honor of two longtime South Elgin families who owned the land. (Elgin Daily Herald 7/16/06)

Unless the two South Elgin families donated the land I think it would make more sense to honor South Elgin's greatest athlete, Brian Oldfield.

BRIAN OLDFIELD threw far...really, really far! He was the first man to throw 73', 74', and 75' in the Shot Put. he held the American and World records. He was a Munich Olympian and a National Champion Brian competitor in the World's Strongest Man and Superstars Competition. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. (Source: John Powell Associates)

He apparently wasn't a perfect human being, but perhaps it's better to name it after him than the people who sold them the land.

The Chicago Tribune featured Mr. Oldfield in a story just a couple of days ago.

Oldfield was a freaky combination of strength, speed and shrewd intelligence who burst out of Elgin to revolutionize his sport, perfecting a twisting windup that let him hurl a 16-pound iron ball farther than anyone on Earth.

Lusty, profane and rebellious, he became one of the memorable characters of the swinging 1970s, sparring with Muhammad Ali, trading barbs with Don Rickles and reveling in tales of the "sado numbers" he inflicted on biker gangs.

"When God invented man, he wanted him to look like me," he was said to have bragged in 1975. (Chicago Tribune 7/13/06)