Bruce Park

Located at the 4-way stop downtown, Bruce Park is the oldest park in Darien. In the spring of 1837, John Bruce traveled from New York state to this area that is now known as Darien, Wisconsin. He purchased all of Section 27, the present site of the Village of Darien, and he set aside a three-acre section to be known in perpetuity as "The Commons."  Historically, this area was used as a place for soldiers to drill.  As a result, a settlement quickly grew up around the park.  This settlement was known as "Bruceville" until 1840, when the community was renamed Darien. Our village gets its name from Darien, New York, which was the previous home of several prominent families that had settled here. "The Commons" was eventually named Bruce Park in honor of John Bruce.