Como Park's Early Years

Como Park's Early Years (HM2E46)

Location: Saint Paul, MN 55103 Ramsey County
Buy Minnesota State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 44° 58.713', W 93° 8.761'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 302 views
Inscription
Creating the Park
Saint Paul set aside land for parks as early as 1849 but did little to develop these areas because green space was plentiful and accessible in the small metropolis. As the population grew, however, creating parks became a priority. In 1873, the city purchased land along Lake Como, a beautiful setting located a convenient distance from the city. Although many felt the $100,000 purchase was too costly, it went forward thanks to the support of prominent citizens.

For fourteen years, Como Park received few improvements. When the Saint Paul Board of Park Commissioners was formed in 1887, though, its first project was to expand and develop the park. The board enlisted nationally renowned landscape architect Horace W. S. Cleveland to draft a comprehensive landscape design. Inmates from a nearby workhouse provided much of the labor to start implementing the plan, which included grading and constructing roads and planting more than 5,500 trees and shrubs.

A Changing Landscape
Only part of Cleveland's vision for the park was completed before Frederick Nussbaumer became superintendent of the park system in 1891. While Nussbaumer carried out large parts of Cleveland's plan and appreciated the importance of preserving the natural setting, he knew that visitors also enjoyed more decorative features—and



he was well aware that their taxes paid for the park's operation.

Nussbaumer created diverse and exotic gardens that drew enthusiastic crowds. Palm trees lined the Banana Way and giant lily pads floated in the Aquarium pond during the hot summer months. Elaborate topiary sculptures were also popular. Other areas were inspired by gardens in France and Japan.

Good Sports
Recognizing the importance of recreation, Nussbaumer developed baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and other areas for sports and play in the early twentieth century. High demand required a second round of construction in 1914, including facilities for skiing and for ice skating.

Caption: The landscape around the streetcar line was beautified with flowers and trees.
Caption: By the late nineteenth century, Como Park's naturalistic landscape became more ornamental with the introduction of topiaries, including a globe and an elephant.
Caption: Like this girl, people felt as if they were "in Japan" when visiting Como Park's Japanese Garden.
Caption: Downhill skiers enjoyed winter recreation at Como Park in 1917.
Quote: "Como Park is the favorite pleasure and recreation ground of the people." —Superintendent Frederick Nussbaumer, 1914
Details
HM NumberHM2E46
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, February 5th, 2019 at 10:01am PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15T E 488487 N 4980577
Decimal Degrees44.97855000, -93.14601667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 44° 58.713', W 93° 8.761'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds44° 58' 42.78" N, 93° 8' 45.66" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)612, 651
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1224 Lexington Pkwy N, Saint Paul MN 55103, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
The Melan Arch
0.02 miles
Streetcars to Como
0.02 miles
The Picturesque Landscape
0.02 miles
The Hamline Plaza
1.25 miles
Al Avila
1.48 miles
Terry Reynolds
1.48 miles
Kenneth Wayne Stauffer
1.48 miles
Tom Greenwade
1.48 miles
Marti Wolever
1.48 miles
Phil Rizzo
1.48 miles
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?