In 1935, the park was named Coburn Park for Thomas Coburn, who sold the property to the City for $20,250 by referendum that same year. A newly formed City Park and Playground Commission, appointed by the City's Board of Commissioners, aided plans for the approximate seven-acre site. The following year, shuffleboard courts, a tennis court, and other improvements, including the bandshell, were constructed primarily by WPA workers. The Works Progress Administration was created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the New Deal Plan to help the country recover from the Great Depression. In 1979, the park was renamed Craig Park to honor two former mayors, James Newman Craig and Thomas Craig. From art shows to Greek glendi festivals to 4th of July picnics, it is the City's central gathering spot.