July 9, 2010

Concept, fund-raising for first-in-the-nation

China garden approved

Planning and fund-raising efforts will begin for the first-in-the-nation Northern-style China garden at Washburn Fair Oaks Park in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board of Commissioners (MPRB) at its July 7 meeting accepted a concept for the garden and approved future fundraising efforts by the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society.

The MPRB has been working with the Garden Society and the Whittier Neighborhood to develop a concept for a garden since 2007. The Garden Society has also been working with the Minneapolis Sister City, Harbin, China, to aid in the financing and development of the project.

The garden is proposed for the southeast quadrant of the park. Enhancements may include an entry/gateway, seating, roofed structure, paths, bridge and plantings, while preserving and enhancing the views into and out of the park and ensuring its seamless integration into the entire park area. The Northern, or Imperial, garden style is noted for gradual sloping eaves in its architecture and its harmonious unity of architecture with nature. 

Through outreach efforts with Whittier Alliance and other local community groups and organizations, community support for the garden has developed. Because the garden will be a new installation for the park, additional community input will be sought through public meetings and the formation of a citizen advisory committee (CAC) during the planning stage, which will occur after funds have been obtained.

The Garden Society will undertake major fund-raising efforts, including operating costs. The Board approved a fundraising plan over a period of no longer than four years. Specific benchmarks are:

• Year 1 – 20 percent raised
• Year 2 – 40 percent raised
• Year 3 – 60 percent raised
• Year 4 – 100 percent raised

At the end of the third year, or when 60 percent of the goal is reached, the MPRB will initiate a CAC to discuss design of the site.

The 7.56 acre park is located in the Whittier neighborhood just across the street from the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts at Stevens Ave. and 22^nd St. E. The park was named for the William Washburn family’s estate “Fair Oaks” that once occupied the land. Washburn was a representative in Congress from Minneapolis and a U.S. Senator (1889-95).

CONTACTS:

Dawn Sommers
Public Information Manager
612-230-6407
dsommers@minneapolisparks.org

Janell Wojtowicz
Communication Specialist
612-230-6414
jwojtowicz@minneapolisparks.org

Ancient oak tree succumbs to time;

but the memories live on

300-year-old tree honored July 11, 2010

The ancient oak tree has stood sentinel over the Mississippi River Gorge in the Seward neighborhood for over 300 years. Generations of children have scaled its branches and families have picnicked in its shade. It has weathered Minnesota’s unpredictable and sometimes harsh seasons and the urbanization of Minneapolis.

But, alas, the centuries have taken their inevitable toll. The tree, the oldest known Bur Oak in Minneapolis, has died after being in decline for years.  

Seward neighbors will gather at Riverside Park on Sunday, July 11, to pay tribute to the tree. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. A ceremony at 7 p.m. will commemorate the tree through poetry, music and stories about the tree. The public is encouraged to bring personal reflections, photos or artwork, as well as refreshments to share. The tree is located along West River Parkway, about two blocks north of the Franklin Avenue Bridge along Franklin Terrace.

“To honor this living thing that towered above us in age and stature gives us a chance to touch and reflect on hundreds of years of our own history,” said Scott Vreeland, District 3 Commissioner with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). “It also helps us look forward and plant trees that may be the cause of reflection hundreds of years from now.”

The event is co-sponsored by the MPRB, City of Minneapolis, and a number of local community members. It will proceed rain or shine. Parking is limited, so the public is encouraged to walk, bike, use Met Transit or carpool.

“This extraordinary tree has been a natural treasure appreciated by generations of people who have lived and visited this part of the river of what is now Minneapolis,” said Cam Gordon, Ward Two Minneapolis City Council Member. “I am very glad that we, as a city and a community, are taking the time and effort to honor its death.”

"For me, honoring this ancient tree allows us to honor our connection the earth, right in the middle of our urban environment,” said Seward resident Rosemary Frazell. “I hope in celebrating the tree and all the many gifts it has given all of us, we will be planting seeds of gratitude that will blossom into continued work to respect this earth and its resources for the next hundreds of years."

About the Tree

According to Ralph Sievert, director of MPRB’s Forestry Division, the tree’s estimated year of germination is 1677, making it approximately 333 years old. Just think, the tree was around in 1680 when Father Louis Hennepin found what he named St. Anthony Falls.

Theodore Wirth, Park Board superintendent (1906-35), wrote in his 1941 book, Minneapolis Park System, that the tree was “estimated by various botanists to be all the way from 150 to 700 years old….”

Today, the tree stands 44 feet. It was recorded at 58 feet in 1941, but has lost branches due to weather damage, age, etc. Its diameter is 51.25 inches and circumference is 161 inches. Its average canopy spread is 36.5 feet; it was recorded at 66 feet in 1941.

There’s still time for the public to pay homage to the tree as it won’t be removed by the Park Board until the fall, at which time a new Bur Oak will be planted. The Park Board is looking into opportunities available to utilize portions of the tree for art or other purposes. Wood chips from the tree will be placed around the new tree and in Riverside Park to benefit the next generation of trees.

Trees are a highly prized natural amenity in Minneapolis. Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits, the city’s exceptional tree canopy contributes significant benefits, such as improving air quality, protecting water, saving energy, and improving economic sustainability.

Minneapolis has been recognized as a Tree City USA by The Arbor Day Foundation since 1979. Each spring the MPRB recognizes National Arbor Day with a citywide tree planting celebration. The MPRB has also received many awards for its Forestry program, including the National Arbor Day Foundation Arbor Day Award of Excellence and Award of Merit from the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture.

This year MPRB Forestry will plant over 4,000 trees citywide to replace trees that have been lost due to storms, Dutch elm disease, Emerald Ash Borer, and other causes. Since 1974, the MPRB has planted over 211,000 trees in Minneapolis. The Forestry Division cares for nearly 200,000 boulevard trees on 1,078 miles of streets.

For more information about the ancient oak tree visit:

http://sites.google.com/site/theancientoaktree/

CONTACTS:

Dawn Sommers
Public Information Manager
dsommers@minneapolisparks.org
612-230-6407 (office)

612-221-9155 (cell)

Janell Wojtowicz
Communication Specialist
612-230-6414 (office)
jwojtowicz@minneapolisparks.org

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“History of Lakewood and Minneapolis” presentation, or guided tour of Lakewood’s historic chapel. As a service to the community, Lakewood has produced an educational presentation that takes you through more than 125 years of Minneapolis history and life. Founded in 1871, Lakewood is almost as old as Minneapolis, which was incorporated just four years earlier. Today, Lakewood is rich with local history and museum-quality art and sculpture—including the stunning mosaic interior of the Memorial Chapel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Lakewood is offering to give this presentation or organize a guided tour to interested community and social groups at no charge. We’re happy to host your group in Lakewood’s Memorial Chapel, or we can bring the presentation to your group’s meeting site.

 

If you are interested in learning more or scheduling a showing or tour, please call Lakewood at 612-822-2171. We look forward to sharing Lakewood’s many treasures with you.

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All Hennepin History Museum members receive free admission to the Stevens house in Minnehaha Falls Park

Historic John H. Stevens House
Birthplace of Minneapolis

 

Originally located near St. Anthony Falls, the Stevens House was home to Col. John H. Stevens and is believed to be the first home built west of the Mississippi in Minneapolis. Stevens had permission in 1850 to occupy the site, which was part of the Fort Snelling military reservation, in exchange for providing ferry service. It was common for Dakota Indians to camp outside the home-also taking advantage of a great falls location.

 

The house has been relocated twice since 1850. Thousands of school children helped move the house in 1896 next to Minnehaha Park, and in 1982 it was moved into the park. The museum opened to the public in 1985.

Inside, visitors can can experience the rich history of the house through displays that show the Stevens family and other early Minnesotan families who occupied the house.

 

It is rumored that at this site, the name Minneapolis was first suggested.

 

For more information:

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