President Ulysses S. Grant dedicated a spectacular park on this site on July 1, 1880. Built by the Ft. Scott & Gulf Railroad and designed by the famed landscape architect George Kessler, the park covered 40 acres from Shawnee Mission Parkway to 65th Street and from Grandview to the Railroad tracks.

An attraction visited by thousands, Merriam Park featured a zoo with bear pits, a lagoon used for summer sailboating and winter ice-skating, and a horse-drawn carousel.

Park visitors also enjoyed tennis, croquet, baseball and square dancing. A personal dream of park superintendent George Kessler was realized when he brought to the park a tree from every country in the world.

On stepping off the train platform, visitors were greeted by the sound of band concerts and the vision of "MERRIAM" spelled out in flowers.

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Show me all markers in:  Merriam, KS  |  Johnson County  |  66202  |  Kansas  |  United States of America

Community of Excellence
City of Firsts
Incorporation of Merriam
The South Park Community
Education in Merriam
The Bear Pit
The Trolley Line & Hocker Grove Amusement Park
Merriam Park & George Kessler
The Founding of Campbellton
The Overland Trails

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