Ellicott Creek Park, a 165-acre county park in the Town of Tonawanda near Buffalo, was one of Erie County’s earliest park developments. Established in 1926 on former private land and expanded in 1936 and 1937 with tax-foreclosed property, it was extensively improved in the 1930s through Works Progress Administration projects. Ellicott Island, built to improve navigation on Ellicott Creek under landscape architect Charles Ellicott’s guidance, became part of its setting. After heavy popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, the park declined from the 1970s into the early 1990s before county repairs in the late 1990s revived use. It now offers varied recreation, trails, creek access, and a designated off-leash dog area.