OurLaurelhurst.org is a community resource for the Laurelhurst neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Content on this site is user-contributed and does not represent an official communication of the Laurelhurst Neigborhood Association (that's what http://www.laurelhurstpdx.com is for).

Laurelhurst Park

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1 History
- 1.1 Pond Inhabitants
2 Facilities
3 More to Discover
4 Related Links

[edit] History

The pond at Laurelhurst Park

All of Laurelhurst had once been a part of William S. Ladd's Hazel Fern Farm. The portion that would become Laurelhurst Park contained a spring-fed pond in a low-lying area and a tall grove of fir trees. This had served as a watering hole for cattle, as well as being a favorite swimming spot for people in the area.

In 1904, as part of the City Beautiful movement, the City hired famed landscape architecture firm the Olmstead Brothers, who subsequently created what became known as the Olmstead Plan. This plan consisted of a giant circle of parks and walkways encircling the city, to restore some of the nature that modernization and rapid expansion had destroyed.

From this plan, the City began purchasing areas to turn into parks, including Mt. Tabor park.

When plans for Laurelhurst were being drawn up, the area around the pond was determined to be too costly for development on account of its swampy condition, and was laid aside as "Ladd Park".

While not a part of the original Olmstead Plan, the City recognized the opportunity to add another significant piece of property to the plan after initial platting of the Laurelhurst neighborhood designated the area around the pond as a neighborhood park.

In 1909 (or 1911?) the City purchased the 30 acres containing and surrounding the pond from the Ladd Estate Company for $92,482.10 (about $1,950 per acre less than the company had originally paid for the land).

In 1912, Emanuel Mische, Portland's park superintendent from 1908-1914, used Olmsted designs to create the park, based on his experience as the longtime horticultural expert for the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm. His plan included several distinct sections - the concert grove, Firwood Lake, children's lawn, plateau and broad meadows, picnic grove, and Rhododendron Hill. Workers were hired to deepen the pond into a 3-acre lake. A 'play park' was developed between Oak and Stark Streets. The boys were to play on the south side, the girls on the north side, and general games were to be held in the eastern block. The park's comfort station building was added in 1914 and a series of paths and sidewalks were lit by electric lights in 1915.

Also around 1912, name of the park was changed from Ladd Park to Laurelhurst Park (and what was then called "Williams Park" to Mt. Tabor Park).

Suffragettes (and their supporters) pose for a photo in Laurelhurst park circa 1912

Laurelhurst Park is a perfect example of the City Beautiful Movement in landscaping. In 1919, the park was named the most beautiful park on the west coast by the Pacific Coast Parks Association.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Rose Festival Queen's Coronation took place in the Laurelhurst Park pond on floating boats and decorated rafts. The event drew thousands of onlookers who were attracted to the music, dancing, and pageantry. In the 1950s, Easter Sunrise Services were held, drawing thousands of people.

In 1915 Laurelhurst Park's walks were paved and lit, and a concert in the park attracted 32,000 people, the largest crowd ever gathered for such an event in Portland.

In 1916, a severe increase in unemployment, brought extra funds to hire men for various public works projects, including to pave Mt. Tabor Park's roadways as well as a new stretch in Washington Park, and to dig a lake in Laurelhurst Park.

This was also the year that a sales brochure was put out to tout the benefits of living in Laurelhurst, prominently featuring the park. Hence the title of the brochure: Laurelhurst and Its Park.

Thanks to the efforts of the Portland Historical Landmarks Commission, in February 2001 Laurelhurst Park was named to the National Register of Historic Places, the first city park ever listed on the national register.

Laurelhurst Park was the site of several dog poisonings in July, 2003, leading to the formalization of leash requirements and off-leash areas in the park.

[edit] Pond Inhabitants

In the park's early years, the pond was patrolled by a white swan named General Pershing (for his militant attitude). He forbade anyone to approach the edge of the lakeshore. In later years a black-beaked, black-toed swan named Big Boy was lake marshal. A man known only as Mr. Martinson fed Big Boy every day for 15 years. Mr. Martinson taught Big Boy to nod his head and honk "Hello!" More recently, Portland Parks & Recreation held a Duck Round-up in Laurelhurst Park. They were trying to reduce the overpopulation of drakes because the males were killing females by pecking them as part of a mating ritual. Laurelhurst Park's ideal duck population is ten male/female pairs. In 1987, the normal duck population was at 120, with seasonal visitors sometimes boosting numbers over 200. Aside from the deaths of so many female ducks, PP&R wanted to reduce the duck population in order to clear up the murkiness from the lake water. The adopt-a-duck movement was unsuccessful because the company hired to catch the birds was unable to trick those crafty creatures into their traps.

PP&R tried many measures in their quest for clear water. In 1990, the City wanted to kill 10,000-20,000 catfish, carp, and black crappie fish because they, too, were stirring up sediment on the lake's bottom. The water smelled bad because of the overcrowding. Animal rights activists won a restraining order to keep PP&R from killing the fish en masse. PP&R Director Charles Jordan decided that killing ALL of the fish might be a mistake, so he issued a call to all anglers. The Oregon Bass and Panfish Club responded and tried to deplete the fish population to no avail. Even today, thousands of fish make their homes in the lake, along with the full quota of ducks and turtles, who show themselves on sunny days.

[edit] Facilities

The Laurelhurst Studio is located in the park.

[edit] More to Discover

Document:National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for Laurelhurst Park makes reference to a 1909 Park Report that contains mention of the inclusion of Laurelhurst Park (then Ladd Park) for inclusion in the Olmstead Plan. There are a number of later references to Laurelhurst being part of the original Olmstead Plan, but at least one indication by the Portland Parks Department that there is no such reference. Any such references would be an interesting addition to this page. The original Olmstead report was presented on December 31, 1903.

The Inventory Nomination Form for Laurelhurst Park itself has a great deal of additional information not yet incorporated on this page.

Semenax review Proextender review Provestra review