Basket with history.

[CEValkyrie]

The club is in the process of buying 2 baskets. The baskets came from Gilson Park in Wilmette. One is from #18 and I'm not sure of the other. I have some ideas of how to use the baskets but we want to get these historical Illinois baskets back on a course. Does anyone know what year the course opened or any other history of the course?

[JCleaveland]

I know David Barish and I both played there way back when.
I played it in the late 70's and early 80's with regular Frisbees .
It used the entire park. I'm sure David and I can share more Saturday.

[Chainmeister]

1976 or 7. I playes a lot of rounda tjwre. Those baskets arwe meaningful to me..

[CEValkyrie]

1976 or 7. I playes a lot of rounda tjwre. Those baskets arwe meaningful to me..

Were those the first baskets installed in Illinois?

[CEValkyrie]

It's pretty awesome that the band UFO played at that park. Eddie Trunk loves UFO.

[CEValkyrie]

I talked to Miles at Paragon. He's going to make a number plate that can be adhesived to the number plate. I want to make a cool number plate that has the historicl information. Anyone have any good ideas how to present it on the plate. Obvious information includes
Gilson Park
Wilmette, IL
Confirming this but First Illinois course to have baskets.

[Tom McManus]

I talked to Miles at Paragon. He's going to make a number plate that can be adhesived to the number plate. I want to make a cool number plate that has the historicl information. Anyone have any good ideas how to present it on the plate. Obvious information includes
Gilson Park
Wilmette, IL
Confirming this but First Illinois course to have baskets.

Maybe the years the course was in the ground.

[Tom McManus]

here is a little history:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesobczuk/2324947671/

[Tom McManus]

Here is the reverse side of the flyer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesobczuk/2324947851/in/set-72157602173546478

[CEValkyrie]

I talked to Miles at Paragon. He's going to make a number plate that can be adhesived to the number plate. I want to make a cool number plate that has the historicl information. Anyone have any good ideas how to present it on the plate. Obvious information includes
Gilson Park
Wilmette, IL
Confirming this but First Illinois course to have baskets.

Maybe the years the course was in the ground.

I think that is a great idea. We would need the year established and year removed.

[Jon Brakel]

If the course went in the ground in 1979 with baskets then I think it would be the first course in the area with baskets. I remember that it was'nt until 1980 that we started seeing courses with baskets. You have to remember that at the time information was slow. Last night when I briefly chatted with Brett I couldn't remember playing the Gilson Park course. Now that I've had time to look it over and see where the course was I believe that Bruce, his friend Dave Ioder and I played it in the early 80's. It would have been just before Adler was expanded to 18 holes and the cone targets at Adler were replaced with baskets. At that time I much preferred the cone targets over baskets. I wonder if the Wilmette park district might have any information?

[CEValkyrie]

Thanks for the reply. I actually just finished sendng the park district an e-mail.

[Jon Brakel]

Thanks for the reply. I actually just finished sendng the park district an e-mail.

I did also! Oh well, at least they will understand that the information is important to us!

I also sent an email to the guy who posted the picture of the flyer on flkr.

[Jon Brakel]

Also I should point out that the name of the park is Gillson with two Ls. Its easy not to notice the double L when it is preceded by an "i".

[gratefuldad]

wow, I was always under the assumption that West Park was the first in IL.  I love the history lessons, we need a Wiki or something for all the IL disc golf history. One of my favorite parts of the J-town Ice Bowl is Gary Lewis telling old stories while everyone is out playing. 

Good stuff thanks for sharing!!

[Chainmeister]

Thanks for the reply. I actually just finished sendng the park district an e-mail.

I did also! Oh well, at least they will understand that the information is important to us!

I also sent an email to the guy who posted the picture of the flyer on flkr.

I spoke with the Park Dist.  The course was in from 1977 through 1983. Yup, it appears Gillson was the first course in Illinois. West Park is certainly the longest active course as its still in the ground.

[Jon Brakel]

I spoke with the Park Dist.  The course was in from 1977 through 1983. Yup, it appears Gillson was the first course in Illinois. West Park is certainly the longest active course as its still in the ground.

I thought that we were talking about the first course with baskets. I thought that West Park was an object course going back to the very early 70s. I do agree that Gillson must be the first course in Illinois with baskets. By course I mean an actual park sanctioned course. I believe that West Park had tee signs and a course map sign when it was an object course.

Funny response from the guy with the flyer on flkr:

Jon,

Sorry I don't know anything about Gilson Park in Wilmette. In the summer of 1979 I visited relatives in Palatine Ill and picked up the WXRT sheet from a record store in a huge mall in Arlington Heights. My interest lays with the radio stations, the Frisbee Golf reference is purely coincidental.  i monitor my flickr page views and I see the two side of that sheet have nearly 80 views. Now I know why it got so many hits.

steve sobczuk
waterloo, ontario

[Jwt4412]

Brett's write-up over at TALKdg

http://talkdiscgolf.com/?p=160

[JCleaveland]

Question
If was the 4th annual Frisbee day in 79. Won't that make the !st in 76.
The Park Dist. said  it was in from 77 to 83?

Thanks for the reply. I actually just finished sendng the park district an e-mail.

I did also! Oh well, at least they will understand that the information is important to us!

I also sent an email to the guy who posted the picture of the flyer on flkr.
[/quote]
I spoke with the Park Dist.  The course was in from 1977 through 1983. Yup, it appears Gillson was the first course in Illinois. West Park is certainly the longest active course as its still in the ground.
[/quote]

[Jon Brakel]

Question
If was the 4th annual Frisbee day in 79. Won't that make the !st in 76.
The Park Dist. said  it was in from 77 to 83?

Frisbee day was probably initially held without disc golf. It may have even been the first Frisbee day inspired the park district to install a course. They might have even had a disc golf demonstration at the first one with a portable basket.

Brett, please make sure you get the spelling of the park correct on the number plate. Its Gillson park with two L's.