The park was established in 1903 through the donation of seven and a half acres of land by Dr. Bushrod Washington James, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 1910s it was used as a school playground. It has had a long association with local baseball; baseball players Rickey Henderson, Frank Robinson, Billy Martin, and Vada Pinson played at Bushrod in their youth. In the 1960s, the park was used as a practice field by the Oakland Raiders. The tennis courts are named for Don Budge who played here as a youth.