Shawnee Park was first planned in 1890 to be one of the free flagship parks in Louisville's new park system. All three were found on the geographic edges of the city. In Shawnee's case, it was the western edge bordering the Ohio River. The land at the time was still mostly used for truck farms, but it was clear residential development was imminent even without the park. Shawnee was the slowest of the parks to create, as much of the land was already owned by investors who thought they could increase the sale price by holding out.