The former DeKalb Tourist Camp Ground, located in Annie’s Woods, was established to serve Lincoln Highway travelers during the early days of automobile tourism. These campgrounds offered free tent sites, water, and basic amenities before motels became common. The site, once part of Joseph Glidden’s property, was named for his niece Annie Glidden, who loved the wooded area along the Kishwaukee River. In 1917, Annie and the DeKalb Women’s Club donated the land to the city, marked by a cobblestone entrance pillar. The Kiwanis Club added stone entrance walls in 1923, and the park became one of DeKalb’s first four parks when the Park District was formed in 1935. Renovated in 2013 with modern amenities, the park remains a popular recreational space and a tribute to Annie Glidden’s legacy.