Wicker Memorial Park gets its name from the family that once owned the land. Its legacy as a sprawling township park can be traced to a group of 16 local men, who purchased the property and then donated it to Highland, Munster, Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago residents. Today, Wicker Memorial Park is owned and operated by the North Township Trustee.

In addition to welcoming throngs of visitors each day, the park has also welcomed notables, such as President Calvin Coolidge, who dedicated the park to World War I veterans in 1927, and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama days before he made history by becoming the nation’s first African American president in 2008.