Larson Hill & Park

Larson Hill and Park. . In 1937, the city of Brookings started a new system of garbage collection. This was a free service provided by the city and continued until December 1960. The first city dump was located at the present site of Larson Hill, which is best known for sledding in the winter months. This first landfill was an open dump for city and county residents. This meant that everything was dumped there, including dead animals and even a world war two P-51 Mustang fighter plane the university had acquired but no longer needed. The Mustang was probably the best fighter of the world war two era, and now it would be worth thousands of dollars. However, it's buried under the sledding hill somewhere. From time to time, to control rats born at the dump the city would hire professionals. They would place poison animal meat, usually dead horses, around the dump. During this time, children were not allowed in the dump because of the hazard of the poison., In preparation for the construction of the new hospital, the city purchased 160 acres of land 2 miles south of the city in 1960. The new landfill was opened in May of the same year and was located just south of the current softball complex. Just before Christmas 1975, the Park and Recreation Board was given approval to purchase approximately 2 acres of land adjacent to the sledding hill for additional park space. In September 1980, Dale Larson, president of Larson Manufacturing announced that his company would provide one half the funds needed to develop a 17-acre park near the Larson complex. In February 1981, the city received a matching federal grant to begin developing what has become Larson Park., Brookings Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department , Allyn Frerichs Trail System, Sponsored by: Homestead Do-it center · Clites Electric