Mount Prospect dedicates pocket park across from village hall to Busses

The Edwin and Elsie (Meyn) Busse Pocket Park across from Mount Prospect village hall was launched Saturday in a ceremony that included village officials, Mount Prospect Lions and members of the Busse-Meyn family.

The park, at the northeast corner of Emerson and Busse Avenue, was built on the former site of two homes the village purchased in April 2018 from the family and demolished to make way for the park.

"This is the perfect spot for this pocket park," said Mayor Arlene Juracek.

"It's perfect because it just adds so much to the usability and enjoyability and the unifying thematic quality of our downtown."

And the park was dedicated in honor of descendants of the village's founders, complementing village hall, the historical society campus and the historic buildings in the Busse Triangle.

Edwin Busse was the nephew of Mount Prospect's first mayor, William Busse. Elsie's father, John Meyn, was the village blacksmith. Her brother Herman Meyn was Mount Prospect's second mayor.

Juracek thanked the Busse family for working with the village to make the location a reality and thanked the Lions for donating the pavilion.

Fred Steinmiller, Lions Club president, and Ed Murphy, the Lions' Legacy Committee chair, also spoke.

"It turned out fabulous," Vicki Miller, granddaughter of Edwin and Elsie (Meyn) Busse, said of the park. "We're very thrilled that this happened."