South Side in Billings in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Parks for the People

Billings; Neighborhood Parks

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

1. Parks for the People Marker

Captions: (bottom left) Looking southwest at North Park in 1910. North Park was the location of the first fairgrounds of Billings.; (bottom center) Portrait of Dorothy Gray in the Billings High School yearbook in 1914 which included the quote, "In her quietness there is a charm." A graduate of Cornell University, she became the landscape architect of Pioneer Park in 1921.; (bottom right) An aerial view of Pioneer Park and the surrounding North Elevation neighborhood in 1926.: (upper right) The pool at South Park. Open in 1914, the South Park pool was considered the largest city owned pool in the west.

Inscription. At Billings' founding in 1882, the Minnesota and Montana Land Improvement Company was responsible for selling the railroad's lots. They included two parks in the new town's design: North Park and South Park. These park lands would be owned by the Company until 1903, when the City of Billings purchased the deeds. By this time, North Park was being used as the fairgrounds and South Park was still left undeveloped. The two parks remain today and are integral pieces to the neighborhoods surrounding them.
As Billings continued to grow, so did its civic resources. In 1919, the city of Billings began to scout locations for twelve new park lands. One of the locations selected, just northwest of downtown, became Pioneer Park in 1921. It spans 31 acres and was developed by Dorothy Gray, a female landscape architect. In 1932, a bronze plaque was unveiled dedicating the park "To the Pioneers Who Founded the City of Billings."

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 45° 47.038′ N, 108° 29.912′ W. Marker is in Billings, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It is in the South Side. Marker can be reached from Montana Avenue (Business Interstate 90) near North 23rd Street, on the right when traveling east.

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The marker is found on the fence paralleling the railroad tracks. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2400 Montana Avenue, Billings MT 59101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The People's Mansion (a few steps from this marker); The Iron Horse Comes To Billings (a few steps from this marker); St. Vincent Healthcare (within shouting distance of this marker); Black Gold (within shouting distance of this marker); All We Need is Some Water (within shouting distance of this marker); Billings: The Father and the Son (within shouting distance of this marker); Northern Cheyenne Tribe (within shouting distance of this marker); How Billings Got Its News (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Billings.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

2. Parks for the People Marker

The marker is located farther down on the fence line

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 10, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.