Lucy Wilder Morris

Lucy Wilder Morris. and Father Hennepin Bluffs Park. Did you know that this park began as a power plant easement? , A local amateur historian, Lucy Wilder Morris, convinced the St. Anthony Falls Water Power Company to grant an easement for a small park here in 1924. Lucy's interest in local history led her to publish "Old Rail Fence Corners: Frontier Tales Told by Minnesota Pioneers" in 1914. In 1922, ready for a new project, she founded the Daughters of the American Colonists (DAC) to preserve historic sites around Minnesota. The first DAC project was to protect the site at the east end of the Stone Arch Bridge, where, in 1680, Father Louis Hennepin was said to be the first European to "discover" and name St. Anthony Falls, with the help of native American guides, who had long revered the area., With an easement in hand and Lucy in the lead, the DAC developed the half acre site, adding fencing, a gate, trees, and importing a large boulder for a plaque. They also created a $500 endowment for 'perpetual upkeep.' Approximately $25 per year funded cutting the grass, pulling weeds, and maintaining the fence., The park was dedicated as Lucy Wilder Morris Park in 1924. The Park Board agreed to care for the park in 1931. In 1957, Northern States Power conveyed the deed for the park to the Hennepin County Historical Society, though the Park Board continued to maintain it. By the time the adjacent land became Father Hennepin Bluffs Park in 1977, its plaque and small iron gate had disappeared., It was not until 1989 that the Park Board actually acquired legal title to Lucy Wilder Morris Park., How did Lucy's park get lost? , Over the years, maintenance of Lucy Wilder Morris Park was limited. By 1970, it showed its age and Rolf Svendsen took it upon himself to clean up Lucy Wilder Morris Park., Svendsen arranged for a crew of 75 youth to re-develop the park and surrounding land. Using funds from the Council for Community Action, Burlington Northern, and Cutler-Magner Salt Company, with equipment and materials from the MPRB, they built stairways to the riverbank, brick walkways, and a small bridge to the nearby island., His work re-invigorated the area and began a park acquisition debate which took many years to resolve. It ultimately lead to the 1977 acquisition of the eight acres which is now named Father Hennepin Bluffs Park. A plaque about Lucy Wilder Morris Park was re-installed, but the park itself and its name became obsolete., The Minneapolis Park System provides a wide range of activities along the Mississippi, from historic hiking trails to biking and bird watching. Visit www.minneapolisparks.org to trace the footsteps of history!, The 125th Historical Markers Project , Celebrating 125 Plus Years of Inspiring and Unusual History of , the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.