A CHRONOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF COMO PARK ...

A CHRONOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF COMO PARK

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA

BY TIMOTHY V. GADBAN

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INTRODUCTION

What follows is a chronological illustrated history of Como Park, running from approximately A.D. 1845 through 2015. The majority of the dates are correct but my research indicated a few dis-crepancies in the very early history. All descriptions of physical features and human characters are correct as far as I know. Como Park (to me) is THE treasure of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is an odd park, an eccentric park, a well designed park and sometimes even a magical park. This book attempts to show how this mani-fest vision was set in motion over a century-and-a-half ago and has evolved into the place it is now and was intended to be: a huge attraction for lovers of nature, relaxation and recreation that is still free of charge and open to everyone. I would like to thank a few people who supplied me with leads, information, maps, pictures, encour-agement and inspiration:

Don Ganje, ASLA, St. Paul Department of Parks & Recreation

Anne R. Kaplan, PhD., retired editor, Minnesota Historical Society

Sharon Shinomiya, author of “Como Park History Tour”

Tom Stelter, manager of Como Park golf course 1964-1992

Chloe Sterk, great-granddaughter of Frederick Nussbaumer

Rich Arpi, research assistant, Ramsey County Historical Society

Don Varney, ASLA, St. Paul Department of Parks & Recreation

Robin Sherritt-Gadban, RN, my loving and patient wife (who instigated this project with her postcard collection of Como Park scenes from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s)

Also my thanks and appreciation to the St Paul Department of Parks & Recreation, the Minnesota Historical Society and the Ramsey County Historical Society for allowing me access to their ar-chives, specifically concerning Como Park’s history. Note: The photos used from the Minnesota and Ramsey County Historical Societies’ archives are indicated. All other illustrations are from my own photos, Chloe Sterk’s Nussbaumer collection, Tom Stelter’s collection, my wife’s postcard collection (scanned) or aerial photos and maps from the State of Minnesota archives (public domain). I often found that one clue would lead to several others and research was not the “straight ahead” task I originally thought it would be. All in all I would venture to guess that Horace Cleveland, Frederick Nussbaumer and LaMont Kauf-man would be very happy. Not only is their vision made manifest, but it is more beautiful and dura-ble than perhaps even they could have imagined. This has been carried through and made possible by many folks, from laborers to managers to city councilors and ward reps to mayors to park super-intendents to engineers to designers to philanthropists to volunteers, with care and love (and some struggle). And so to our story ...

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Early History

Legend has it that what we now call Lake Como was known to the native Mdewakanton Dakota peo-ple (pre-1840) as Medewaka, which roughly translates as “Mysterious Lake.” It was much larger and more shallow than it is today and was favored as a camp site for bands heading north to hunt game or harvest wild rice. Members of the Ojibwe tribe also made incursions into this area, which gave rise to occasional skirmishes and kidnappings. The topography of the area at this time consisted of rolling grassland dotted with hills, a few trees, swamps and shallow lakes. In the mid-1840’s one Charles Perry laid claim to a 160-acre area that included the lake and its sur-rounding land, which he and his wife Angelina used for farming and raising livestock. At this point in time the local settlers called it Sandy Lake. It was quite shallow (5 feet at deepest) and covered ap-proximately 120 acres (compared to today’s 68 acres). Perry’s barn and livestock shown below were probably located on the northeast shore.

By 1850 numerous European immigrants had begun to settle in and around “Pig’s Eye,” (which offi-cially became the City of St. Paul in 1849). By terms forced upon the native Dakota people under the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux (1851) they had to give up this land area for “cash payments” and relocate to assigned reservations along the Minnesota River. The fact that state and federal govern-ments reneged on this treaty and cheated the native people sowed the seeds for the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862. An ambitious real estate entrepreneur named Henry “Broad Acres” McKenty purchased Perry’s claim in 1856 and is credited with officially naming Como Lake in honor of Charles Perry’s parents, his friends who had emigrated from the Lake Como area in northern Italy. He built a house and cleared several lots on the lake’s east side to sell for the purpose of creating an early resort and car-riage-ride destination for the fast-growing city.

Angelina and Charles Perry

Minnesota Historical Society

Perry’s Barn and Livestock

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Jessamine Avenue (running along the southwest border of the park beside the railroad tracks) was named McKenty Street until 1960. On May 1st 1858 Minnesota became the thirty-second state of the United States.



He envisioned hotels and cabins along the shore and risked $6,000 of his own money to build a paved road from St Paul to Lake Como, that to-day is roughly the route for Como Avenue between Rice Street and Co-mo Lake’s southeast entrance. Lakes Johanna and Josephine were named after his wife and daughter respectively. McKenty built a home for his family on the east shore in 1856. The girl pictured in the foreground is his daughter Josephine.

McKenty’s Home with Josephine in front

The Aldrich Hotel

During the 1860’s there was a flurry of de-velopment around the lake and by end of the decade several hotels were in opera-tion. The Aldrich Hotel was located on the west side of the lake, south of today’s pavil-ion location, and featured a lookout tower, a bowling alley and a merry-go-round. This was the most successful hotel, but was de-stroyed by fire in 1881. The Como Hotel was built during the 1880’s at the south end of the lake. A Haine’s Hotel was also built but apparently burned down shortly after-ward.

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Elijah Edwards was a teacher, professor and administrator in several schools, colleges, and univer-sities; a clergyman in two Protestant denominations; a writer, poet, speaker and artist. Also he was chaplain of the Seventh Minnesota Infantry Regiment (1864-1865) at the end of the Civil War. Be-low is his sketch of the cabin he built by the lake, which illustrates the topography in 1864.

Pictures from that time show much activity on the lake: boating, picnicking, lawn bowling and walking in the summertime and skating and tobogganing during winter. At this point there was no Como Park as such, but that was about to change.


Winter Fun - Mid 1860’s Minnesota Historical Society

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By the late 1860’s St Paul was growing by leaps and bounds …. mostly because of its proximity to the Mississippi River. It was becoming one of the largest rail depots in the Midwest. The logging in-dustry was booming, as were farming and livestock, and the Twin Cities was now a railroad hub be-tween Chicago, Milwaukee, New York and California. Along with growth came commercial development, land purchase, taxation, and the need for public services. At about this time there was a growing awareness of the rapidly industrializing city and the need to set aside some land for public parks and recreation. This situation had occurred in older American cities (New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco). Of course this was always a politi-cal hot potato because it involved the expenditure of tax revenue. There were basically two camps: those that presented the case for public parks/recreation and those who deemed it a luxury bought at the expense of public services. Enter our hero: Horace W.S. Cleveland. Horace William Shaver Cleveland (1814-1900) was a remarkable man who devoted his working life to the aesthetic design of landscapes as they would affect people, regardless of their economic means, and draw them in to the beauty and healing power of nature. In his own words, “recuperation of soul and body from the exhausting effects of the wear and tear of life in the crowded marts of commerce” …. a timeless philosophy, ringing just as true in our own hectic twenty-first cen-tury! Cleveland was the protégé of Frederick Law Olmsted, perhaps the most famous and influen-tial American landscape architect of the nine-teenth century. Olmsted designed New York City’s Central Park (and many others) and was responsible for the dissemination of a philoso-phy that would reach far and wide …. to provide working people with a physical space that would be a respite from the grim realities of that indus-trialized era, before violent strikes and trade un-ions had secured basic rights for workers. These men were also personal friends and cor-respondents with the renowned poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, author of “The Song of Hiawatha,” from which many names for local places in Minneapolis were taken.

H.W.S. Cleveland Minnesota Historical Society

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1872 Cleveland is invited to the University of Minnesota by Dr. William Watts Folwell (its first president) to give a lecture on “The Application of Landscape Architecture to the Wants of the West.” It was so well received that the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce asked him to give a repeat performance the following evening for their city council meeting. After his experience in Chicago, where the city fa-thers had not heeded his pleas to preserve land for parks, he was quoted as saying, "If the intended site of a city is characterized by hills and valleys, or is in the vicinity of a lake, every effort should be made to preserve the picturesque effects." 1873 Based on Cleveland’s recommendations and growing pressure from its citizens, the Minnesota State Legislature authorized the purchase of a 260-acre area, including Lake Como and land to its north and west, for the sum of $100,000. For fourteen years very little was done to develop this tract of land due to a nationwide economic downturn. Luckily, against public pressure to sell it, the city fa-thers opted to hang on to this land. 1880 Horace Cleveland is hired by the City of Minneapolis to design Minnehaha Park and the system of parkways that became known as the “Grand Rounds,” a network of landscaped roadways that con-nect and encircle the Minneapolis lakes. He moved his business from Chicago to Minneapolis per-manently in 1886. Either through influence or direct involvement he is responsible for the conservation, purchase and/or basic design of: Mississippi River Boulevards (bluffs along the river in St. Paul and Minneapolis) Minneapolis Lakes Parkways (the “Grand Rounds”) Minnehaha Park and Parkway Como Park Phalen Park St. Anthony Park U of M Campus Lakewood Cemetery (where his body is interred) Riverside Park Powderhorn Park Loring Park Logan Park Cherokee Heights Park Summit Avenue Outlook Wirth Park and Parkway Wheelock Parkway

A prophetic quote of his to the city fathers, in reference to the first two geographic features on this list: “What I wish to urge upon your attention is that we have here a possession that is unique in its char-acter, comprising such elements of grandeur and beauty as no other city can rival and no wealth can create, and so situated with reference to the business and residence portions of both cities that if they will but unite in its preservation and development, it will constitute for all time the distinguishing features by which the great cities shall be known to the world.”

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These are conceptual designs that endure to this day. Without his influence and foresight, these ar-eas would not have been saved from commercial development. But perhaps more important was his philosophy that city parks should provide respite and solace for common people and the fact that he fought for this idea and brought it to such wonderful fruition, not just here but also in many other US cities. I am surprised that there is not a statue or monument in the Twin Cities dedicated to this man. However, the inscription on his humble gravestone in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis (which he designed) is probably what he would have preferred. 1881 In 1881 land was granted for a City of St. Paul convict’s workhouse to be built on the southern edge of the park, in the same location as the present-day community swimming pool. Although there was public disapproval of this location, the institution provided a convenient work force for early develop-ment of the park and surrounding areas. The building itself would remain until 1960. Because this location was opposed by the Park Board, the inmates were usually used for labor on specific pro-jects: crop growing or project construction, not for ongoing park maintenance.

1884 On the southwest shore the residential neighborhood of Warrendale is platted by Cary I. Warren for the purpose of creating an upscale residential area in proximity to the lake. COZY LAKE

WARRENDALE PLAT

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Today this area is bounded by Churchill Street on the west and Chatsworth Street/West Como Boulevard on the east. Some of the Victorian-style houses along West Como Boulevard were de-signed by Augustus Gauger, a nationally known architect, who designed private homes, churches and schools from approximately 1878 until the late 1920’s. He resided at 1183 West Como Boule-vard and designed Cary Warren’s personal residence at 1265. You can see these houses along this boulevard, maintained in excellent condition to this day.

1886 Horace Cleveland meets Frederick Nussbaumer (a native of Baden, Germany) while attending a bo-tanical conference in Paris, France. At the time, Nussbaumer was working as a gardener at the Royal Botanical Gardens in London, England, where he was involved with the design and upkeep of Kew Gardens. Impressed by his gardening and design skills, Cleveland persuades Nussbaumer to emigrate to St. Paul.

1183 West Como Blvd. - Gauger’s Home

1265 West Como Blvd. - Warren’s Home

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1887 A banner year in the evolution of Como Park: The St. Paul Board of Park Commissioners is formed. Horace Cleveland is hired to create a preliminary design for St. Paul’s parks and parkways

(including Como Park). Frederick Nussbaumer is hired as a gardener at Como Park. Cleveland would present the first conceptual design of Como Park in 1889-1890 and oversee road construction and some of the first landscaping on the west side, near the present-day Hamline-side picnic grounds. The topography and features of this area remain very similar to his original design. 1888 On June 15th, John D. Estabrook is appointed to be the first Superintendent of Parks for the City of St. Paul.

A park nursery is established on the southwest corner of the park, bordered by Hamline, McKenty (now Jessamine) and Beulah Lane. It is stocked with trees and shrubs that supply the City of St. Paul. 1890 The West Picnic Grounds are created on the west side of the park. This area (directly east of Ham-line Avenue, between Como Avenue and Midway Parkway) remains much the same topographically as Cleveland’s original design, which included oak trees mixed with the wild native woodland areas. 1891 After working for three years as a gardener for St. Paul Parks and part-time guard at the St. Paul workhouse, Nussbaumer is hired as Superintendent of Parks for the City of St. Paul. He would hold this position for thirty-one years, during which time he would develop Como Park into the jewel of St. Paul. The primary man-made features of the park were created under Nussbaumer’s direction and exist to this day.

Nussbaumer’s vision for Como Park included many pathways for walking, ornate floral gardens, topi-aries, exotic tropical plants, facilities for boating on the lake and provision for year-round outdoor recreational facilities.

There was a “Banana Walk” (aka “Palm Avenue”) of exotic tropical plants that was located approximately where the road into the golf course from Lexington Avenue currently runs, between the far side of the large hill across from the Pa-vilion and the entrance to the golf course. These plants were stored in greenhouses over the winter until the Conservatory was built.

Minnesota Historical Society Banana Walk (aka Palm Avenue)

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1892 Como Lake Drive is built along the lake’s east shore, following a plan originally drawn up by Horace Cleveland. Also built are a road around Cozy Lake (see 1884 map) and two roads that are now named Kaufman Drive and Nussbaumer Drive. Landscaping in the area now occupied by the Hamm’s Waterfall (across from the Pavilion) included a water grotto.

Nussbaumer’s residence with an attached steam-heated greenhouse is completed on Dec 1st. Tropical plants could now be protected during the winter months.

F. Nussbaumer Chloe Sterk


To quote Nussbaumer, “A successful or ideal park must provide facilities for recreation and, to a cer-tain degree, objects of attractiveness in horticultur-al displays-especially so in the high northern lati-tudes where, on account of the long, bleak winters the floral decorations in public parks excite special admiration . . . . the great mass of the people enjoy flowers. They also pay for the parks. While the chief and all-predominating feature of an ideal park lies in its recreative qualities, let no confusion oc-cur. Attractions introduced for a special purpose of drawing a crowd are foreign to the meaning and intent of true park management. Nothing should be introduced, nothing permitted, which would have a tendency to lessen its value and useful-ness as a recreation ground for all classes of peo-ple: a safe and decorous place, within easy reach of the people, of a city by trolley car, at reasonable rates of fare, or other modes of conveyance, where families with children, sick or convalescent persons, the nature-loving enthusiast and the fru-gal workman alike may find a visit to it refreshing, restful, profitable and beneficial to soul and body.”

Como Lake Drive Water Grotto

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1893 The St. Paul City Railway service is extended to Como Park, to a point near the present-day north-east corner of Lexington Parkway and Como Avenue, then considered the entrance to the park. This made affordable public transportation available, and Como Park quickly became a favorite des-tination for the general public. To meet the growing need, park administrators appropriated funds for restrooms, drinking fountains, a waiting room and a refreshment stand.

They also saw that there was a need for picnic areas, playgrounds and recreational fields (for base-ball, football and tennis).

The first boat house and docks are built on the southwest side of Como Lake. This became a favorite summertime activity where one could rent a rowboat for ten cents an hour.

The first lakeside pavilion is erected on the west side of the lake in the same location as today’s pavilion. It had broad verandas, refreshment stands and a large hall. 1894 The first known version of “The Gates Ajar” is constructed, a topiary copied from a design Nuss-baumer had seen in Germany. These were located approximately 150 feet east of the (later in-stalled) Schiller monument and were smaller in scale than the size of the present-day gates.


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A channel is dredged between Cozy Lake and Como Lake to facilitate a passage for boating and a footbridge is built for pedestrian traffic. The footbridge is visible in the foreground of the photo be-low. A stone-and-brick bridge is also built for traffic to cross the channel on the old route of Lexington Parkway. This bridge is visible behind the footbridge in the upper view and is still standing just southeast of the present-day golf course clubhouse, as shown below.

1894

2014


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1895 The Lily Pond (also known as the “The Aquari-um”) is built. The first footbridge was con-structed of wood, and the pond populated with large Amazonian water platters and lilies, com-monly referred to as Victorian water platters (like the present-day ones in the moat outside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory extension during the summertime). To grow these, the water was heated from boiler runoff in the nearby park superintendent’s house.

The “Floral Parterre” gardens are created, modeled after formal garden designs that Nussbaumer had seen and cultivated in Europe. These gardens incorporated walking paths and were located in an area to the south and slightly east of the Con-servatory. If you were to stand in front of the Schiller monument and gaze south to-ward the Mannheimer Memorial (see 1905 & 1906) you would have seen these or-nate flower gardens. This turned out to be a huge seasonal attraction for visitors.

A pump house is built on the northern shore (between Como and Cozy Lakes) to help maintain the lakes at a stable wa-ter level. Also, Como Lake is dredged to an average depth of nine feet, when it had been only two to four feet deep in many places. Millions of gallons of water are pumped into the lakes to maintain wa-ter levels. Picnic tables and drinking fountains are installed in the west picnic grounds, one of the first areas to be graded and seeded per Horace Cleveland’s original plans. By this year 14-1/2 miles of drives and 22 miles of walkways have been constructed in the park.


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1896 The Schiffman fountain is installed. Donat-ed by Dr. Rudolph Schiffman (a wealthy member of the original Park Board), it was the first fountain installed at Como Park. Based on a design Schiffman had seen in Barcelona, Spain, it featured a cast-iron mermaid holding a seashell from which the water spouted. The fountain remains in its original location, next to Lexington Avenue just south of the Pavilion parking lot. Before Lexington Avenue was rerouted in the 1980’s it was surrounded by a roundabout that connected four park drives. 1897 The first enclosure of what might be considered a “zoo” was created after three deer were donated to the park. A year later a couple of goats were added, then an elk and another deer. Later a few bison were donated. The animals were kept in two enclosures: a deer park and a buffalo park.


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1898 It was agreed that streetcar service be extended through the park (see map). Initially Nuss-baumer resisted this idea, but the park board agreed that this would allow people to travel through the park on a trip that went from St. Paul to Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. In return the St. Paul City Railway company agreed to build a new station and necessary bridges, in-stall electric lamp posts along park drives and donate $30,000 toward construction of a new lakeside pavilion. The streetcar line was extended through the park to link up with the line that went from the Ryan Hotel in St Paul to Lake Harriet in Minne-apolis. This became a very popular journey at that time, traveling through parks and neighbor-hoods of the Twin Cities. Where the streetcar line entered the park (near the present-day streetcar station location) an open-sided refreshment stand and waiting room is built and then operated by one Jacob Barnet.

Early map showing streetcar line and Cozy Lake

Streetcar line


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1899 More than one million people visit Como park this year, with 40,000 reported in a single summer day. The Commercial Club fountain is donated and installed in the present-day location of the Hamm’s Waterfall. It is still there, though inactive, just north of the falls.

1900-1901 A barn and blacksmith shop are built in the southwest corner of the park, near the intersection of McKenty Street (later renamed Jessamine Avenue) and Hamline. This barn houses horses and equipment for park service. A 1902 inventory lists nine horses, ten wagons and four bobsleds as well as metalsmithing equipment. 1902 The boat house on Lake Como is replaced with a large side-gabled frame building and a wooden landing.

A picnic pavilion is built in the west picnic grounds with benches, tables, a kitchen, fireplace and chimney, all surrounded by a ten-foot porch.

Ramsey Co. Historical Society

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1903 A stone footbridge is built over a park drive on the north side of Cozy Lake. This bridge survives in-tact to the present day and is located on the bridle path that runs through the golf course at the top of a raised natural berm (known as “The Hog’s Back”) between the present-day clubhouse and Mount Como. The top photograph was taken circa 1903, the bottom one in 2014.

Ramsey Co. Historical Society - F.L. Wright 1903

2014

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1903 – 1904 The William S. Hewett Company from Minneapolis is hired to build two bridges. The first, Bridge #L-5853 was the footbridge that would be the entrance to the park over the tracks at the streetcar stop. The second, bridge #92247, carried Lexington Parkway traffic over the tracks. It is located about 50 yards to the northwest of bridge #L-5853 and is functional to this day. It is somewhat unique in that it is wider (53 ft.) than it is long (47 ft.)

Bridge #L-5853 - Footbridge Entrance to Como Park

Bridge #92247 - Lexington Parkway

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Both of these bridges are among the earliest examples of the “Melan Arch” design, which incorpo-rates a steel-frame skeleton covered with reinforced concrete. This design was first introduced in 1892 by Austrian engineer Josef Melan, promoted in the U.S. by an engineer named Frederick von Emperger and used by the Hewett engineering firm for their designs.

The aerial photo below, by the lake’s southwest corner (dated 1923) shows both bridges in proximity to the streetcar station.

BRIDGE #92247 BRIDGE #L-5853

STREETCAR STATION

LAKE COMO

STREETCAR TRACKS

Streetcar Route: Bridge #92247 (Lexington Pkwy) behind Footbridge #L-5853 (circa 1905)


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1904 The wooden footbridge across the Lily Pond is replaced by one made of stone, with iron pipe rail-ings.


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1905 The streetcar station (at Como and Lexington) is built, using stones picked up from the surrounding area. It still stands (refurbished) in its original location.

If you walk around just east of this area you will find one of these streetcar power cable poles still standing.

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1905 (cont.) A new lakeside pavilion is constructed in its present-day location. It will be rebuilt in 1992, based on these original architectural drawings.

Minnesota residents of German descent donate a statue of the great German poet/playwright/philosopher/social activist Johann Friederick “Fritz” von Schiller (1759-1805) to the park. Nuss-baumer chose the location, and a public celebration was held at its installation. It remains in that lo-cation (refurbished) to this day (see 2013).


1905 2013

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1905 (cont.) A formal Japanese Garden is installed on the north bank of Cozy Lake. Once again, Dr. Rudolph Schiffman makes a significant donation to the park. Schiffman was originally from St Louis and at-tended the World’s Fair there in 1904. The Japanese exhibit included a 150,000-square-foot tea garden. When the fair concluded Schiffman purchased a number of trees, plants, shrubs and sculp-tures and hired the designer, Yukio Itchikawa, to come to St. Paul, find a site for the garden at Como Park and help with its design. Itchikawa selected a site on the north shore of Cozy Lake. Apparent-ly, the short-lived Japanese Garden here was quite the splendor, where tall bamboo gates opened onto a lush oasis of waterfalls, exotic plants, a small island, sculpted stone lanterns and a huge ele-phant topiary. In 1906 substantial damage to the shore plants was done by heavy rainfall and high water in Cozy Lake. After 1909 these gardens are not listed in park reports, and it is a mystery as to their demise. All that remains today are three stone lanterns that are presently located in the Ord-way Memorial Japanese Garden, just east of the Conservatory. (See 1979)

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Japanese Garden (cont):

Original entrance to the Japanese Garden

Elephant topiary in the Japanese Garden Minnesota Historical Society

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1906 The Mannheimer Memorial fountain is erected at the top of Peony Hill, on the south end of the floral parterre gardens, where it stands to this day. It was dedicated to the memory of Robert Mannhei-mer, a prominent local businessman. Originally there was a marble fountain at the center of the per-gola, designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert. Only the fountain pedestal remains today. The original brick-and-marble stairway from the memorial descended to a pathway in proximity to the Lily Pond, still in use today.

A classic pergola (with Doric columns) is built across from the entrance to the pavilion.



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1907 An extension is built from the lakeside pavilion out into Como lake. On the top level this has a cov-ered performance space at the end that can fit 2000 people and is used principally for band perfor-mances. Underneath this covered space is a level that is used in winter as a warming house and boat storage area.


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1909 The Nelumbium (Lotus) Pond is built around a natural depression in the area now in front of the Conservatory (later known as the Frog Pond), using gray limestone that was transported from New-port, Minnesota. 1910 Because of the increasing number of automobiles bringing concertgoers to hear music performed at the pavilion, a graded parking lot is created across the lake from the pavilion, close to Duck Point. (Ref map on page 48) 1911 Two baseball diamonds are created in the northwest area of the Hamline picnic grounds. These exist to this day. 1912 A bronze bust of the famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is erected on a granite stand just to the west side of Lexington Park-way and south of the pavilion. Donated by the Sons of Norway, Nordkap Lodge, it is dedicated on May 19 before a crowd of over 1,000 people.


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1914-1915 The 60,000-square-foot Conservatory is built, fulfilling Nussbaumer’s ambition to have a permanent greenhouse structure that could house not only perennial flowers but also tropical plants, on a year-round basis, to be put on display for the general public. Nussbaumer and the Toltz Engineering Company of St. Paul collaborated on the design. Nussbaumer’s talents as a designer and drafter were put to good use, as was his knowledge of the large glass-and-steel conservatory at Kew Gar-dens in London, where he had worked. He visited other large glass botanical conservatory buildings in Baltimore and Pittsburgh to hone his ideas for the design. The foundation was graded and leveled by local workhouse inmates, and the building itself was pur-chased as a prefabricated kit from the King Construction Company in New York, who also super-vised the installation. The total cost came in somewhere around $65,000, the equivalent of approxi-mately $1.5 million today. When this was completed, several old greenhouses (that had been used for winter plant storage) were demolished.


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Conservatory (con’t)

Finished building in 1916

Nussbaumer’s Drafting Tools Chloe Sterk


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1917 A “comfort station” is erected in the west (Hamline) picnic grounds to provide restroom facilities. Although refurbished, it retains its original design and is still in use today. Playing fields beside the Hamline picnic grounds are named Hodgson Field after Larry Hodgson, St. Paul mayor, poet, journalist and noted baseball expert, also referred to by his pen name, Larry Ho. (See 1940)

1918-1919 There is very little new activity in the park due to U.S. entry into World War I. (Thanks to both my grandfathers for their service and survival .. paternal in the army, maternal in the air corps)

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1920 Many recreational activities started to get into full swing … winter band concerts and ice skating among them. A horse racing track and a hockey rink were also constructed and maintained. These activities continued for several years.

Winter Carnival celebrations

Street dances

Dogsled races



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1921 An electric pump is installed in a new pump house to maintain water levels in the lakes. 1922 Frederick Nussbaumer retires from his position as St. Paul parks’ superintendent. During his tenure most of the prominent features in the park were created and still endure.

Real estate developer and former Lieutenant Governor Thomas Frankson buys both the park admin-istration office building and the superintendent’s residence and moves them to lots in his new hous-ing development on Midway Parkway, just west of the Hamline Avenue park entrance. The old su-perintendent’s house is now at 1427 Midway Parkway (top left) and the old park administration office building is next door at 1431 Midway Parkway (top right). At 1349 Midway Parkway (bottom photo - on the northwest corner of Hamline and Midway Parkway), Frankson built his personal residence. Upon inspection, you will notice some period design similarities.

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1923 Como and Cozy Lakes are drained in an attempt to find and fix leaks in the lakebeds. Over the years, millions of gallons of water had been pumped into the lakes, yet levels continued to decline. Draining Cozy Lake and the north arm of Como Lake, though beneficial, did not eliminate the prob-lem completely.

Earl L. Finney briefly succeeds Nussbaumer as St. Paul parks superintendent.

1924 George Nason is appointed St. Paul parks superintendent. Under Nason’s supervision a network of roads and parking areas are constructed to handle the increasing amount of automobiles that people were driving to the park. He continued in the spirit of Nussbaumer to “maintain the park as a refuge for the human spirit amid the beauty of nature.” He arranged many diverse and popular activities …. don’t forget there was no TV, and radio was in its infancy. These included pavement dances, horse races, dog races, tobogganing and ice skating races.

1925 The north end of Como Lake is drained and cut off. If today you look at the north end of the golf course from Hoyt Avenue, you can see the depression where the north end of the lake used to be.

NORTHERN END

(NOW DRIED UP)

PAVILION

SCHIFFMAN FOUNTAIN

FLORAL PARTERRE GARDENS

COZY LAKE

DEPRESSION

CONSERVATORY

Aerial photo (1923)

CHANNEL FROM COMO LAKE TO

COZY LAKE WITH LEXINGTON

PARKWAY BRIDGE (SEE 1894)

NEW LAKE SHORELINE

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1925 (cont.) After this Cozy Lake gradually dries up.

This is the first year for the renowned flower shows at the Conservatory.

The wall around the Nelumbium lotus pond (in front of the Conservatory) is rebuilt to retain water better, and the surrounding terraces are re-graded.

1926 The streetcar station is converted to house administrative offices, although it still included a waiting room and public toilets.

A border of perennial flowers is added to the floral parterre gardens just north of the Mannheimer Memorial.


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1927 In the Conservatory a sunken garden is built in the west section of the building. Tiled stone path-ways throughout the building are also installed. 1928 Clearing and grading is started for the Como Park golf course. By this time Cozy Lake has dried up for the most part, and the northern section of Como Lake has been cut off. (See 1925) 1929 A semi-circular pergola (known as the Excedra) is built on the northeast side of the Frog Pond, using funds donated by W.E. King and John Cable. This feature (refurbished) still stands.


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1929 (cont.) A large granite bullfrog (from the Oliver Crosby Stonebridge estate and gifted by Fred Crosby - see 1937) is added to the Nelumbium lotus pond. Henceforth, this pond would become known simply as “The Frog Pond”.

Frog at the Stonebridge estate

Now in her new home!

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1929 (cont.) A 32-acre area of playing fields is created along the southern border of the park on an old gravel pit. These are named McMurray Fields after William McMurray, a philanthropic local businessman who had donated to many local causes and charities. Softball and soccer players still heavily use this area in the summer and fall, while rinks for skating, ice hockey and broomball are erected during the winter months.

The Como Municipal Golf Course officially opens with a nine-hole course, most of it locat-ed in the area previously occupied by Cozy Lake. A ticket for nine holes costs 25 cents.

Tom Stelter

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1930 Over one hundred animals (primarily local species) are now a part of the Como Zoo. The area is ar-ranged with pathways and aligned cages. 1932 William Lamont Kaufman begins his 33-year tenure as superintendent of St. Paul parks. Once again St. Paul appoints a superintendent who is willing to “carry the torch,” in the spirit of his predecessors, for the common man ….. “recuperation of soul and body from the exhausting effects of the wear and tear of life in the crowded marts of commerce” …. free of charge and “you can step on the grass.” Several significant features were added to the park during his administration, most notably the east and west gates and the Joyce Kilmer Arboretum.


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1932 (cont.) The “Fern Room” is added to the Conservatory.

Nine more holes are added to the golf course.

The Woman’s Relief Corps of St. Paul dedicate a grove of trees in honor of the “Grand Army of the Republic of Minnesota and the Bi-Centennial of George Washington’s anniver-sary.” This memorial plaque is mounted on a rock on the east side of Lexington Parkway, just opposite the Estabrook Drive entrance. 1933 The East Gates are erected at the Como Avenue park east entrance by Fred Truax and W. LaMont Kaufman, using limestone bricks from the demolished Ramsey County courthouse. The old court-house cornerstone was included in the north gate. It is interesting to note that the old courthouse was designed in 1895 by Edward Bassford, and the gates were designed by his son, Charles Bass-ford, who at this time was the city architect for St. Paul. The gates bear all the earmarks of a WPA project.

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1934 The Longfellow zoo in Minneapolis closes and its 195 animals are donated to the Como zoo.

1935 Monkey Island is built in the zoo, using limestone quarried from Dayton’s Bluff. This was another WPA project in the park.

Note: The WPA (Work Projects Administration), which operated from 1935 until 1943, was a pro-gram initiated under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration during the Great Depression (aka “The New Deal”). It provided federal funds to create employment for unskilled workers on a large scale. Minnesota is full of WPA projects that exist to this day. Many of their projects are characterized by designs that use rough hewn rocks in their structures.



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1936 Using WPA labor, the Alfred Joyce Kilmer Memorial Fireplace is erected on the southwest end of the park. This was dedicated to Kilmer, a poet and soldier who was killed in action in France in 1918 (the last year of the First World War). It was designed by then parks superintendent W. LaMont Kaufman, who was a member of the Joyce Kilmer American Legion post (which donated the funds). He was assisted by Fred Truax, Commisioner for the Department of Parks. The stones used were from the old St. Paul city hall, which was demolished in 1933. This photograph shows Kaufman and Truax in front of the fireplace (also called “the Dutch Ovens”) with their initials clearly visible on the chimneys.

A memorial Joyce Kilmer Arboretum (also designed by Kaufman) lay to the west of the fireplace. A cascading waterfall and pond were constructed as a WPA project between what was then Como Ave and the streetcar line. The rocks and pond depression can still be seen today between the pe-destrian paths that lead east from the southeast corner of Hamline and Como Ave (was Horton Ave).

TREES by Alfred Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.


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1936 (cont.)

Cascade waterfall, 1936 Ramsey Co. Historical Society

Kilmer Arboretum entrance, 1936 Ramsey Co. Historical Society

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1936 (cont.) The Zoological Building is built using WPA labor, based on a design by St. Paul city architect Charles Bassford, who had designed the east gates in 1933. The zoo building’s design style, known as “PWA Moderne,” was widely used during this era.

The cages in front housed lions, tigers and wolves among other animals. This building now houses administrative offices and the cages would be considered cruel for captured wild animals in this day and age.

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1936 (cont.) Three large limestone fire rings are built on the southern edge of the west picnic grounds. Now re-furbished, they remain functional.

1972

2015

Chloe Sterk

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1937 The west gates (at Midway Parkway and Hamline) are installed using the large brick gates, donated by E. E. Engelbert, originally built for the Oliver Crosby Stonebridge mansion on the Mississippi Riv-er Boulevard in St. Paul. The plaque on the right column facing (see enlarged view) describes this.

Note: Unfortunately, the Oliver Cros-by Stonebridge mansion was demol-ished in the fall of 1953, after failed attempts to turn it into the Governor’s mansion or a center for the perform-ing arts. It was built in 1916 and de-signed by architect Clarence John-ston (who also designed the Glen-

sheen mansion in Duluth). The 28-acre estate (bordered by St. Claire Ave, Mississippi River Boule-vard, Mount Curve Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue) was then broken up into 70 lots for private de-velopment. Had this estate survived a few more years, it probably would have been put on the Na-tional Register of Historic Places and saved. According to noted architectural historian Larry Millett, Stonebridge was “without a doubt the greatest private estate ever built in the Twin Cities.”

See http://activerain.com/blogsview/3720153/discovering-stonebridge-the-lost-mac-groveland-estate-once-considered-for-the-governor-s-residence for a more detailed description.

Gates originally at the Stonebridge mansion entrance

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1938 A large octagonal barn designed to house livestock is added to the zoo, along with a limestone wall and fence that surround its perimeter. This building is still in use today as a hooved animals shelter. Also built is a restroom facility and the limestone retaining wall along the service drive on the north and west edges of the zoo.

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1938 (cont.) A strip of land between Union Street (now Como Avenue) and Gateway Drive (now Nagasaki Road) at the south end of the lake is acquired and added to Como Park property.

The bandstand extension and pergola (across from the entrance) are removed from the Pavilion.

Aerial photo (1947)

GOLF COURSE

OCTAGONAL BARN (AT ZOO)

COMO AVENUE

STREETCAR TRACKS

NEW AREA ADDED TO PARK

CONSERVATORY

KAUFMAN DRIVE

WORKHOUSE

PAVILION

DUCK POINT

HODGSON FIELD

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1940 A plaque dedicated to the author, teacher, conservationist and humanist Dietrich Lange is mounted on a stone and placed at the southeast corner of Midway Parkway and Estabrook Drive. This was done by the students of Mechanic Arts High School where Lange had been a principal and inspira-tion to the school body. Several acres of woods around this stone are designated as The Dietrich Lange bird sanctuary in his memory. Also this year, a memorial is erected and dedicated to the memory of Larry Hodgson (died 1937), the namesake of Hodgson playing fields. (See 1917) Hodgson was a newspaper reporter and col-umnist, writing at different times for the Minneapolis Times and the St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press. He commonly wrote under the pen name "Larry Ho." The name came about when he had written his first feature article for the Times. He was signing his name, "Larry Hodgson," but his pencil broke af-ter the first "o." The city editor, James Gray, reportedly said, "Better let it go at that–'Larry Ho’.”

He served two nonconsecutive terms as St. Paul mayor from 1918 to 1922 and from 1926 to 1930.

Dietrich Lange

Larry Hodgson

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1942 - 1948 There is very little new activity in the park due to the U.S. entry into World War II. (Thanks to my fa-ther and uncle … navy and air force respectively, for their service and survival.) 1949 A four-acre site adjacent to the Como Zoo with midway-style attractions and rides opens to the pub-lic. This will later become known as “Como Town” (see 2005.) 1951 The Gates Ajar are relocated to their present-day location on a hillside to the west of the pavilion. These gates are approximately four times the size of the original Nussbaumer topiary and include wrought-iron gates, also salvaged from the Stonebridge estate. 1953 The Como-Harriet streetcar line is dis-continued and tracks through the park are removed. There is some contro-versy because the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company was accused of “losing money,” and the decision was made to buy buses for public transpor-tation. Although the use of private au-tomobiles had risen dramatically, the streetcar system was still functioning efficiently as a transportation system. Certain key figures stood to gain a large profit by purchasing GMC buses and scrapping the streetcar system.

Gates Ajar with Schiffman Fountain in the background

Intersection of Hamline and Como (circa 1950)

Minnesota Streetcar Museum

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1954 The Northern Pacific Railroad donates retired steam locomotive #2156 to the City of St. Paul and it is put on display beside the Como Park zoo area. This locomotive was a 4-6-2 type built in 1909 and saw extensive service as a passenger hauler. It was removed in 1980 and currently awaits res-toration at the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

NPR locomotive #2156 coming through the west gates on Midway Parkway

On display beside Como Park zoo


Vern Wigfield

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1954 (cont.) The St. Paul Humane Society builds its headquarters near the park maintenance buildings. The road in front is named Beulah Lane in honor of Beulah Bartlett, the executive director from 1923 to1963. 1955 – 1956 New park maintenance facilities are built on the southwest corner of the park (corner Hamline and Jessamine). If you look closely on the east side of the building, you can see how it was built around the old blacksmith’s shop. (See 1900-1901)

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1957 John Fletcher is hired as the first director of the zoo. The city council wanted to close the zoo, but a citizen’s committee successfully opposed this move. 1960 Although it had been repeatedly condemned and considered an eyesore, the workhouse is finally demolished and removed.

McKenty Street (bordering the south edge of McMurray Fields) is renamed Jessamine Avenue. 1962 The original Como public swimming pool is built at a cost of $161,000 on the site where the work-house was originally located. In June hailstones from a summer storm inflict heavy damage on the glass in the Conservatory, forc-ing the facility to close for the first time. Fiberglass panes are used as replacements, and the Con-servatory re-opens in October.


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1965 On June 13th a sub-mariner’s memorial is dedicated to World War II submarine veterans. It is a full-size mounted torpedo. On the north side of the pedestal is a bronze plaque that lists the names of those who served on the U.S.S Swordfish, which was lost near Okinawa in 1945. On the south side of the pedestal is another plaque that lists all 52 U.S. Navy submarines lost during the course of World War II.

In 1965 W. Lamont Kaufman steps down as St. Paul Parks Superintendent, following a tenure of 33 years. After Frederick Nussbaumer, he had the most influence as regards the features, roads and layout of the park. Bernard L. Edmonds is appointed Superintendent of St. Paul Parks.

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1967 The Hamm Memorial waterfalls are dedicated in June following a $43,000 donation by the Hamm family for this purpose. William Hamm Sr. was founder and president of the Hamm Brewing Compa-ny and, after 1895, was an active member of the park board for many years.

1969 The Primate House opens in the Como Zoo and is immediately a fascinating attraction for humans. The monkeys and gorillas, although housed in rather primitive era-style cages, are extremely well treated.

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1972 Bernard Edmonds retires and Robert Piram replaces him as St. Paul Parks Superintendent. 1974 The Conservatory is added to the National Register of Historic Places. 1979 A Japanese Garden is built on the east side of the Conservatory with funds donated by the Ordway family (in memory of Charlotte Ordway). In keeping with the tradition of St. Paul and Nagasaki as sister cities, the plans to build the gardens are offered as a gift and master designer, Masami Matsu-da, comes from Nagasaki to supervise the installation. Three of the lanterns used in the new design were salvaged from the original Japanese Garden on the shore of Cozy Lake (see 1905).

1981 A “Como Park Master Plan” is drawn up to minimize the effect of automobile traffic through and around the park. The plan includes the removal of several roads near the Pavilion and the Schiff-man fountain roundabout, a major overhaul to the golf course and re-routing Lexington Avenue to its present location around the pavilion and past the golf course.

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1982 The bronze bust of Henrik Ibsen (see 1912) is stolen from the park and disappears. 1983 The picnic shelter buildings on the west side of the Hodgson playing fields (see 1917) burn down. 1985 Alfred and Willette Sterk’s children donate a plinth commemorating their parents’ 50th wedding anni-versary. This is located by the pedestrian pathway just north of the pavilion and east of Lexington Avenue.

Note: Alfred Sterk was an influential Assistant Superintendent of Parks in St. Paul and the grand-son of Frederick Nussbaumer.

Chloe Sterk

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1986 – 1987 Lexington Parkway is rerouted from running in front of the pavilion to its present-day location.

The golf course closes for extensive renovations and a new clubhouse is built. (See maps below.)

Present-day configuration

Old configuration

Lexington Parkway

Hoyt Ave H

amlin

e A

ve

Location of Old Clubhouse

Tom Stelter

Location of New Clubhouse

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1989 The two Melan arch bridges at the old park entrance, near the Streetcar Station at Como and Lex-ington (see 1903-1904) are placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1991 The Ordway Japanese Gardens are modified and expanded under the supervision of Masami Matsuda, the original designer. (See 1979) He added a Japanese-style tea house and garden, along with rock formations and additional trees, all in keeping with the traditional style and mood of the original gardens.

1992 The Como Park Pavilion is rebuilt, based on the original architectural designs created in 1905, with-out the lakeside bandstand extension. 1993 The Conservatory undergoes extensive renovations.

A commemorative bench is installed and a tree planted to the memory of the famed local Socialist and union activist Bill Brust. This is located just to the west of Estabrook drive, where it converges with Nason Place.

Japanese garden entrance (1905) Teahouse (2015)

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1998 Robert Piram retires and Victor Wittgenstein replaces him as St. Paul Parks Superintendent. Originally built in 1917, the “Comfort Station” on the west picnic grounds is refurbished. A new butterfly-shaped picnic shelter is built on the west side of the Hodgson playing fields (near Midway Parkway), replacing the one that burned down in 1983.

A memorial plaque is erected at the south end of the Frog Pond in memory of Don Juenemann, a St. Paul housing inspector who was killed in the line of duty.

1999 The stolen bust of Henrik Ibsen is re-installed. It was discovered in a Robbinsdale video store (dressed in a baseball cap and t-shirt) and subse-quently claimed and restored.

New picnic shelters

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2000 The Cafesjian’s Carousel opens near the Conservatory and Como Town. This classic merry-go-round started operation at the State Fair in 1914 and in 1988 was to be sold at auction. “Our Fair Carousel” (a non-profit formed by Peter Boehm and Nancy Peterson) moved to purchase and re-store it, primarily using funds donated by Gerard Cafesjian who was an executive at West Publish-ing.

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2001 A footbridge that runs between the Lily Pond and the Gates Ajar is built over Lexington Avenue. You might recognize the Melan arch design, originally used in the entrance footbridge by the Street-car Station.

The Streetcar Station is restored, remaining true to its original design. It now functions as an office and meeting place for District 10, a museum and a space that can be rented for private functions.

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2001 The Conservatory is officially renamed The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory after a donation of $7 million by the McNeely family in her memory. 2002 Victor Wittgenstein retires and Bob Bierscheid replaces him as St. Paul Parks Superintendent. 2005 As a result of the McNeely donation, a large glass Visitor Center is added to the Conservatory on the west side, along with a new orchid display, fern room and bonsai display.

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2005 (cont.) The Global Harmony Labyrinth is built and dedicated on August 21st to commemorate the fiftieth an-niversary of the St. Paul-Nagasaki sister city relationship. This was designed by Cynthia McKeen and is located just east of the Lily Pond by the Lexington Avenue footbridge.

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2005 (cont.) The revamped Como Town amusement area (adjacent to the Como Zoo) opens with new rides, at-tractions and activities for kids of all ages.

On October 1st a memorial cairn is placed at the east end of the Lexington Avenue foot-bridge in the memory of City of St. Paul coun-cilmember Jim Reiter, whose district encom-passed Como Park.

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2006 A “Tropical Encounters” exhibit is added on the west end of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Visi-tor Center. A large stone sculpture called “Constructing Friendship” by Michael Sinesio is installed just outside the West Gates on the northeast corner of Hamline and Midway Parkway. The “Paisley Perch” bench by Peter Morales is placed by the ballfields on the northwest corner of Lexington and Jessamine.

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2008 Bob Bierscheid retires and Mike Hahm replaces him as St. Paul Parks Superintendent. The old streetcar bridge that went over Beulah Lane (originally constructed in 1898) is rebuilt over what has now become a footpath and bicycle trail.

2009 The original community swimming pool is demolished.


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2011 After falling into ruin and being vandalized, the Joyce Kilmer fire-place (see 1936) is re-built and dedicated on May 19th. It is intended to be used as a gate-way and gathering place for the Como Woodland and Outdoor Classroom. 2012 On June 9th there is a ceremony (Sakura) marking the “Gift of Trees” from sister city Nagasaki and the people of Japan. St. Paul is one of 20 U.S. cities selected for this gift. Twenty cherry blossom trees are planted on each side and around the Mannheimer Memorial steps and there is a dedica-tion ceremony attended by Japanese representatives and dignitaries from the State of Minnesota and the City of St. Paul. Traditional Japanese dances are performed.

Note: This date marks the 100th anniversary of the gift of cherry blossom trees in Washington DC from the people of Japan to the people of the United States.

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2012 (cont.) Also on June 9th the new community swimming pool is opened to resounding praise and rave re-views. It is a state-of-the-art facility that provides families with a low-cost, fun summertime activity. 2013 The bronze statue of Friederich von Schiller (see 1905) is refurbished and re-installed at a ceremony on May 11th.

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2013 (cont.) The Lily Pond is restored, using much of the stone from the original (see 1895). Although there is a raised waterfall on the north end, the design remains true to the original size and shape, including the stone footbridge. A pergola is installed along the northwest side, along with cherry blossom trees at the foot of the stairs going to the Mannheimer Memorial.

Stonework on the tall east wall of the frog pond is restored as are the pergola and small waterfall there.

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2015 Gateway Drive (through the East Gates) is renamed Nagasaki Road. A small ceremony on April 20th celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the sister city relationship between St. Paul and Nagasaki. Mayor Chris Coleman has some eloquent words stressing the need for harmony and understanding between people that is exemplified by this relationship.

Several other streets are re-named: Horton Avenue between Lexington Avenue and Hamline Ave-nue is renamed Como Avenue; Como Avenue west of Lexington Avenue (to the swimming pool) is renamed Wynn Avenue. The #L-5853 footbridge that was once the original entrance to the park over the streetcar tracks (see 1903-1904) is restored with funds from several foundations, the city of St. Paul and the Minnesota Historical Society. This bridge was dangerously close to being demolished, but its survival was championed by the park board when it was discovered that the steel frame had enough structural integrity to ensure a full restoration. Following are photos of the bridge in its transition.

Before (2013)

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2015 (cont.)

During (2014)

Fully restored (2015)

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2015 (cont.) The Conservatory celebrates its 100th anniversary, adds a Victorian garden on the west side and pays homage to the original “Palm Walk” (see 1891) by planting exotic tropical plants along the walkway leading to the entrance.

Victorian garden

“Palm Avenue” (see 1891)

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THE FUTURE OF COMO PARK

As this publication goes to press, there are several improvements and/or additions in the near future for Como Park. They are listed as follows by the St. Paul Department of Parks and Recreation: Spring 2016

Planting of trees along Estabrook Drive. Fall 2016

Installing formal gardens in front of the Conservatory’s Marjorie McNeely wing.

Road construction for improved traffic flow around McMurray Fields and the Community Pool. Let us hope this glorious park is still thriving in 2115. This publication © 2015 by Timothy V. Gadban [email protected] BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bass, Patrice “The Early History of the St. Paul Park System, 1872-1907.” May, 1997 Bergerson, Roger “First Como Settler Didn't Stay Long.” Park Bugle. May 20, 2013. Ganje, Don “Design Guidelines for the Treatment of Como Park’s Historic Landscapes” February, 1997 Schmidt, Andrew J. “The City Itself a Work of Art:” - A Historical Evaluation of Como Park for the City of St. Paul. December, 1996 Shinomiya, Sharon “Como Park History Tour: With More Details.” May 4, 2009

A CHRONOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF COMO PARK ...

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