7 hours ago in Local Springfield Park Board members and others cut the ribbon as Douglas Park is now Duncan Park Photo: Saga Communications Exit Stephen Douglas, enter Otis Duncan as the namesake for one of Springfield’s best-known parks. Duncan was born in 1873. The son of a Springfield grocer, he went on to become one of the highest ranking African American officers in the military by the end of World War I. Colonel Duncan had descendants on hand for Tuesday’s ribbon cutting. Gale Lynn Borders’ great grandfather was Duncan’s first cousin. “I always heard stuff growing up about my family, and then, as the time went by, we started hearing more and more,” she said.