Circa 1858, after tracks were laid through California, the Missouri Pacific Railroad built the Central Hotel to house railroad employees. Later, Dr. J.P. Burke, a local doctor who practiced medicine in California for about 50 years, purchased the property and lived there with his family, which remained in residence until 1968. In 1990, California Progress, Inc., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the future of California, Missouri, purchased the property to build a park in memory of the Central Hotel and Dr. J.P. Burke for their contributions to the community.