Born in Dolores, Texas — a former Mexican village that woke one day to find a U.S. border drawn around it — Nicolas Castillo took work wherever he found it, keeping his family with him. In the 1920s, his search for a better life landed him on the West Side of St. Paul.

Castillo, a musician and community activist, became such an integral part of the West Side’s large Mexican-American community that the city chose to name a small park after him in 1988, a few months after his death. That park, at 149 Cesar Chavez St., recently underwent a major face-lift.

On St. Paul’s West Side, Parque Castillo reopened to the public this week following a five-month renovation.

On hand to cut the ribbon was Castillo’s widow, 99-year-old Tomasa Castillo, who was joined by a who’s who of local elected officials and well-wishers. Related Articles 2 men shot, 1 fatally, near bar on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue

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The renovated space, which was previously home to little more than a tot lot, now features a splash pad, improved landscaping, walkways and two new play areas — one for 2- to 5-year-olds and another for 5- to 12-year-olds. It also features new public art — a monument to Nicolas Castillo funded by the Toro Co.

The park still features its central stage, which holds performances during the neighborhood’s popular annual Cinco de Mayo festival.

Nicolas Castillo died on Oct. 26, 1987.

“My dad is smiling with joy over this park, and I know that he would love the fact that it is packed with little kids and families from the West Side,” said Virginia Castillo-Hernandez, daughter of Nicolas Castillo, Sr., in a written statement. “October 26 is the anniversary of my father’s death, so it is a perfect time of year to celebrate the renovation of the park that means so much to our family.”