In 2005, the Chicago Park District renamed this park to honor Mary Richardson Jones, a prominent abolitionist and women's rights advocate who lived with her husband John in Chicago during the second half of the nineteenth century.

The Joneses moved to Chicago in 1844 or 1845 and opened a tailor shop at what is now the corner of W. 9th Street and S. Plymouth Court (about four blocks north of the park). They became wealthy members of Chicago's black community and used their influence to advocate for equal rights for black Americans. The Joneses welcomed abolitionists and other activists, both black and white, into their home.

When the Joneses moved to Illinois, they encountered the state's Black Codes, a series of laws that infringed on the rights of free blacks. They fought for an end to the Black Codes, which prohibited black people from voting, running for political office, and testifying against white people in court. The codes also required free blacks to pay for and carry certificates of freedom.

The Joneses offered refuge for enslaved black people using the Underground Railroad to escape bondage. Before the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, blacks fleeing bondage in states south of Illinois often ended their flight in Chicago. The 1850 act allowed slave owners to search for escaped slaves in northern states, including Illinois. As a result, instead of stopping in Chicago, many fled to Canada, relying on homes like the Jones' for safety during their flight.

Soon after the end of the Civil War, slavery, and the Black Codes, John Jones became the first black person to hold elected office in Cook County when he was elected to the position of Cook County commissioner. They continued their advocacy work until their deaths: John fought against segregation in schools and Mary supported women’s suffrage.

Their home site was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2004.

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