Stalls and exhibition halls were built on the grounds for the fair, surrounded by a large wooden fence.

However, this use severely damaged the grounds, due to the different troops entering and leaving Camp Sullivan, as it was a marshaling center.

Following the war, efforts by local resident George Merritt started to improve the grounds, with the addition of a fountain and a small pool with a rock foundation of considerable size.

[6][7] William Jennings Bryan was notified that he would be the Democrat nominee for the Presidency of the United States on August 7, 1900.

The park continued to deteriorate until 1980 when the Lilly Endowment and Krannert Charitable Trust granted funds for its improvement.