Day 408

Once the site of a village built by the Wiechquaeskeck (or Wickquasgeck, or Weckquaesgeek) tribe, this expansive field acquired its name from its use as a National Guard parade ground during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It became a temporary home for 15 bison in 1907 (not the first time such creatures were kept at Van Cortlandt Park), and, along with the rest of the park, served as an Army training facility during World War I. Turned into a full-fledged recreation area in 1938, the recently reconstructed Parade Ground now contains, beneath all that snow, ten cricket pitches, six soccer fields, two baseball diamonds, two softball diamonds, and a 1.5-mile running path.