Lewis E. Hinkley
The small natural island that is now known as Wingfield Park was purchased sometime in 1909 by attorney Lewis E. Hinkley. Hinkley then transformed the area by building walkways from natural foliage such as wild rose bushes, willows, cottonwoods and poplars. He named his island “Belle Isle,” French for beautiful island, because of its beauty.
The park officially opened in 1911 with Hinkley promoting it as a pleasure resort. This resort featured a dance hall, small boat rentals, and a 700-seat open air theatre where guests enjoyed the latest motion pictures with live orchestras. Starting in July of 1911, famed aviation pioneer Eugene Ely took off from and landed from a section of the park that had been converted into a runway.
Image:
Belle Isle Map. Source: Mary B. Ansari Map Library, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries.