Editing El Paso, Illinois (section)

=== Jefferson Park ===

Established on May 26, 1857, Jefferson Park, one of El Paso's original parks, was donated by Wathen during the city's platting.<ref name="identitycrisis">{{cite news |last=Haas |first=Merlin |title=City of El Paso historic parks suffer an identity crisis |newspaper=El Paso Times-Journal |date=July 4, 2001 |volume=11 |issue=15 |page=1 }}</ref><ref name="elpasostory136">{{cite web |title=El Paso Story: The Centennial Book of El Paso, Illinois |url=http://www.allendrake.com/elpasohistory/epstory/pgtx136.htm |year=1999 |publisher=Heartland Bank & Trust Company |author=Joel Dudley, Derek Campbell, George Drake, Jim Drake, supervised by Allen Drake |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> Enclosed with an iron fence in 1877 to protect it from wandering cattle, the park also featured a bandstand that became a focal point for community events and summer concerts.<ref name="identitycrisis" /><ref name="elpasostory135" /><ref name="elpasostory136" /> The Kiwanis Bi-centennial Memorial was built in 1976 by the Kiwanis Club of El Paso as part of the celebration of the United States' bicentennial to honor this milestone and commemorate the community's involvement in the celebration.<ref name="identitycrisis" /> The Kiwanis also added a picnic shelter to the west of the memorial in 1997 followed by a second shelter to the south of the first.<ref name="elpasostory329">{{cite web |title=El Paso Story: The Centennial Book of El Paso, Illinois |url=http://www.allendrake.com/elpasohistory/epstory/pgtx329.htm |year=1999 |publisher=Heartland Bank & Trust Company |author=Joel Dudley, Derek Campbell, George Drake, Jim Drake, supervised by Allen Drake |access-date=20 January 2025}}</ref><ref name="identitycrisis" /> The park currently offers a children's playground, picnic tables, shelter, and an outdoor stage.<ref name="elpasoiljeffersonpark">{{cite web |title=Community Facility Details: El Paso Community Building: Jefferson Park |url=https://elpasoil.recdesk.com/Community/Facility/Detail?facilityId=5 |website=El Paso Parks and Recreation |publisher=City of El Paso, Illinois |access-date=20 January 2025}}</ref> The block on which the park resides is also home to the El Paso District Library, which occupies the southern triangle of the block.<ref name="identitycrisis" /> Jefferson Park is known colloquially as Library Park by locals.<ref name="identitycrisis" />