This park is named for George Wood Wingate (1840-1928), best known for co-founding the National Rifle Association (NRA). A Union general in the Civil War, Wingate was disturbed by the inadequate skills of the Northern soldiers, feeling they lacked discipline and were poor marksmen. In an effort to address these problems and to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis,” he created the NRA with Colonel William Church (1836-1917) in 1871.
Discover the history of Wingate Park