Wendt Park

Known for years as Roscoe Park for the street on which it is located, Wendt Park was among numerous neighborhood parks established by the City of Chicago in the years following World War II. The city purchased the Roscoe Street site in 1952 to serve the recreational needs of the densely-populated Lake View community. Shortly thereafter, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation developed the site as a playlot, transferring it to the Chicago Park District in 1959. The park was thoroughly rehabilitated thirty years later. In 1983, the park district renamed the park in honor of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth R. Wendt (1910-1982). A resident of Chicago’s north side for his entire life, Judge Wendt was educated at St. Vincent’s School, DePaul Academy, and Marquette University. After a brief stint on the Chicago Cardinals professional football team, Wendt returned to school to obtain a law degree from John Marshall Law School. He served as a state representative from 1952 until 1962, when he was elected to the Cook County bench. He presided over the Narcotics Court, and later served on the Criminal Court. Nationally known for his expertise in narcotics law, he sometimes prompted controversy with his lenient sentences, often for first-time offenders.