Our Final Chapter

This is the final chapter of our series on beautiful Manito Park according to the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”  by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc.

 

Today is the concluding paragraph from this great book.  The book is now out of print, but a few used copies are still available on Amazon.com and we’re certain they are in Spokane’s libraries if you are interested.

Thank you all for reading.  The current series of articles has been about all the various venues in Manito Park and this last article will act as the conclusion to this series.  In a few weeks, we will restart the series, so if you missed some of the chapters, please click over to www.ManitoPark.Org or www.ManitoParkOrg.blogspot.com to catch up on the missing chapters.

Thank you all for reading and for your comments and “likes” left on our Facebook account.

The Staff at ManitoPark.Org

This is the final chapter of our series on beautiful Manito Park according to the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”  by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc.

 

Today is the concluding paragraph from this great book.  The book is now out of print, but a few used copies are still available on Amazon.com and we’re certain they are in Spokane’s libraries if you are interested.

Thank you all for reading.  The current series of articles has been about all the various venues in Manito Park and this last article will act as the conclusion to this series.  In a few weeks, we will restart the series, so if you missed some of the chapters, please click over to www.ManitoPark.Org or www.ManitoParkOrg.blogspot.com to catch up on the missing chapters.

Thank you all for reading and for your comments and “likes” left on our Facebook account.

The Staff at ManitoPark.Org

 Manito Park has always been and remains Spokane’s favorite park.  It is the largest naturally wild, unspoiled tract of land within the city parks system.  Preserving the natural character of this open space has not always been easy.  Throughout its history, numerous proposals to establish commercial enterprises at Manito – including a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, booths selling souvenirs, and exhibits of all sorts – have been rejected.  The board’s position has reflected the desires of its founders, such as Francis Cook and Aubrey White, to preserve beautiful open spaces for outdoor recreation and to enjoy nature.  In recent years, a movement to create a master plan for Manito included adding huge parking lots and a multipurpose meeting center in an undeveloped natural area.  The city quickly experienced how deeply people felt about preserving their park’s pristine beauty; the plan was rejected.  A second plan, tailored to the public’s input, is now being followed.  The Parks Department faces an ongoing challenge of maintaining the beauty of the park while serving the changing needs and desires of a diversified public, all within budgetary constraints.  Supporters are fiercely protective of Manito; many individuals, garden clubs, service organizations and the Spokane Parks Foundation work to preserve and enhance its natural beauty.  Spokane is fortunate to have a park of this magnitude and magnificence in the heart of a residential district, and a public dedicated to its preservation.

The End.

 

Two more venues of Manito Park are explained

We are closing our series of articles about Manito Park and have been listing the various venues of the beautiful park according to the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”  by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc.

 

Today, we visit the last ones; numbers 11 and 12:

 

11.   UPPER MANITO PLAYGROUND:  Grading for the playground and softball field at the south end of the park in 1912 was in response to the 1907 Olmsted report’s observation that the park did not have an adequate play field.  Tennis courts and a bowling green were also built in the area.  A wading pool was added in 1920.  Charles Balzer, the first park superintendent, built the first playground equipment in two different locations at Manito.  After the park board was formed, playground development became a priority.

 

12.   GREENHOUSE AND STAFF FACILITIES:  Built in 1912, the basalt rock building directly north of the greenhouses serves as offices for the park horticultural staff and The Friends of Manito.  The Friends of Manito was founded in 1990 by John Dodson, then-Horticultural Supervisor of Manito Park, in response to a park showing signs of deterioration.  The Parks Department budget was insufficient to maintain and improved the park.  Over the years, this nonprofit group has acted as a partner with the Parks Department, contributing substantial funding towards improvements, preservation and park promotion, as well as educational gardening activities and programs (The Olmsted Series).  Their fall plant sale contributes over $20,000 a year.  In 1998 The Friends of Manito received the “Organizational Citation of Merit Award” – an award given annually by the Washington Recreation and Park Association, Inc. – recognizing these contributions. 

 

 

Today we explore 5 more venues at Manito Park

We are closing our series of articles about Manito Park and have been listing the various venues of the beautiful park according to the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”  by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc.

 Today, we visit numbers 6 through 10:

 

4.       LILAC GARDEN:  The lilac garden was conceived in the fall of 1941 when the Spokane Garden Clubs presented 60 lilac bushes to the city.  The garden, situated slightly southwest of the duck pond contains many varieties of lilacs, Spokane’s official flower.  Buffalo roamed this area when the zoo was in existence.

 

5.       PICNIC SHELTER and PLAYGROUND:  In 1961 the Spokane Rotary Clubs donated a large picnic shelter near the 18^th and Grand entrance.  It contained fire pits, charcoal grills and picnic tables.  In the early 1900s, a channel of water from the present pond extended through this area to Grand.  At that time, there were entrances to the park from Grand at 19^th and 20^th, and a baseball field north of 19^th.  The popular sledding hill is east of the shelter, adjacent to Grand.  In 1998 an attractive and functional playground designed by Debbie Clem-Olsen, landscape architect for the parks, was constructed west of the shelter.

 

6.       DUCK POND:  The pond began as a larger body of water called Mirror Lake.  The spring-fed lake was always a popular site for year-around activities.  A basalt rock fireplace, built near the west end of the pond in 1955, is a memorial to Lt. Lawrence Rist, an Air Force officer killed in action during the Korean War. 

 

7.       PARK BENCH CAFÉ:  Built in 1923, the “peanut shack” sold snacks for park visitors and peanuts for the monkeys.  It is located at the intersections of Manito Place, Tekoa and Loop Drive, once the site of a natural pond.  A private vendor sells refreshments during summer months.

 

8.       LOOP DRIVE AND BRIDGE:  A scenic route through Manito Park is open during the summer months.  The arched stone bridge, built in the 1930s, reflects the architectural design of the early park buildings.

The Stories of Rose Hill and Nishyinomiya Japanese Garden

We have been visiting all the various venues of Manito Park, and here are sections 4 & 5 from the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”, by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc.

4.       ROSE HILL:   Situated on the hill West of the perennial garden, the formal beds contain about 1,500 rose bushes in over 150 varieties.  Old-fashioned roses border sections of the garden, reminiscent of the profusion of roses growing wild at the time Francis Cook named it Montrose Park (“mountains of roses”).  Manito Park is the site of many memorials, especially in the rose garden.  A pergola, composed of 14 Tuscan columns for climbing roses, honors the late professional photographer Erna Bert Nelson, a generous benefactor to Spokane parks.  The nearby sundial is a memorial to the two sons of Mr. and Mrs. R. Jackson Wortman.  Jacob J. Wortman died at age 15 after a lingering illness.  Ward K. Wortman, a fighter pilot in the Air Corps, was killed in action.  Numerous rose bushes have also been donated as memorials. 

 

John Duncan conceived the idea of the rose garden on Rose Hill and, before his retirement, planted some domestic roses along the hillside below.  However, the cooperative project between Spokane Parks and Recreation Department and the Spokane Rose Society did not materialize until Harold Abbott’s tenure as park superintendent.  In 1948 the Rose Society proposed a rose garden be established at Manito to serve as both a test garden and for memorial roses.  Two years later, they donated $500 to launch the project.  In 1998, for the eighth time, the showcase display earned Rose Hill the national All-American Rose Selections Award for Outstanding Maintenance.

 

5.       NISHINOMIYA JAPANESE GARDEN:  In 1961 Mayor Neal Fosseen and his wife, Helen, initiated a Sister City program between Spokane and Nishinomiya, Japan.  The concept of this Japanese garden emerged as a symbol of this relationship; Nishinomiya reciprocated by planting a lilac garden in Japan.  Following years of planning, fund raising, construction and landscaping, the garden was dedicated as part of Expo ’74.

 

This beautifully artistic garden, in the corner of Manito Park bounded by Bernard and 21^st, is sustained by the dedicated efforts of numerous individuals.  The Japanese community’s active involvement is led by Ed Tsutakawa, who chose the site and was instrumental in its early development.  Nagao Sakurai, former chief landscape architect for the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, designed the garden.  Before its completion, Mr. Sakurai suffered a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.  With the critical assistance of Polly Mitchell Judd (then-president of Spokane Federation of Gardeners) and Ed Tsutakawa, Mr. Sakurai continued supervising, with painstaking precision, from his wheelchair, until his deteriorating health forced his return to Japan.

We're Almost Done With Our Adventure

As we mentioned last time, our story, according to the book “Manito Park: A Reflection Of Spokane’s Past”  by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte of Tornado Creek Publications, Inc. is coming to a close.  Today’s article is almost the last and will begin the Bamonte’s account of the many different areas and features of our beloved Manito Park.

We will begin the whole series again here in a few weeks and post them to both www.ManitoPark.org as well as www.ManitoParkOrg.blogspot.com.  Tune back in and catch up on some of the earlier chapters you may have missed. 

Here’s the beginning of our wrap-up:

A TOUR OF MANITO PARK TODAY – Parts 1 through 3:

1.       DUNCAN GARDENS:  The formal European Renaissance style gardens, directly south of the Gaiser Conservatory, were originally called the Sunken Gardens,  In February of 1941, they were officially renamed in honor of Park Superintendent John W. Duncan, who designed and began developing them in 1912.  During his tenure, the gardens contained many diversified plant species, including rose and perennial gardens.  A grapevine-covered arbor was located near the rose garden at the southern end (the gardens have since been extended farther south).  Over the years, the gardens have undergone a number of revisions.  In 1996, under the direction of Jim Flott, Horticultural Manager for Manito, and Debbie Clem-Olsen, landscape architect, the most recent renovation was completed.  At a cost of about $35,000, funded primarily through Friends of Manito and Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane, the ratio of floral gardens to lawn was increased.  A vibrant array of colorful annuals make Duncan Gardens a popular site for summer chamber music concerts and weddings, and provides a scenic backdrop for photographers.  The focal point of the garden is a large granite fountain, donated in 1956 in memory of Louis M. Davenport by his wife Verus and son Lewis M. Davenport.  Davenport was a longtime park supporter and park board member.

 

2.       GAISER CONSERVATORY:  Construction of the present greenhouses at Manito Park were completed in April of 1974, replacing those built on the same site in 1912.  The first greenhouses (moved from Liberty Park in 1904) were near the 20^th Street entrance to the park.  In 1988 the central dome was enlarged and dedicated to the memory of Dr. David Gaiser , longtime park patron and former park board member appointed by Mayor Neal Fosseen.  This popular attraction, which contains tropical, subtropical and temperate plant specimens from around the world, is open to the public, free of charge, year around.

 

3.       JOEL E. FERRIS PERENNIAL GARDEN:  This garden, established by John Duncan around 1940, is located directly north of the office building.  It was named in honor of a former park board member and popular civic leader following his death in 1960.  With over 300 plant species – all identified by markers – it is an ever-changing array of colors and textures during the growing season.  It is an informal counterpart to the Duncan Garden’s formal style.  A memorial bird bath fountain, located at the southeast corner of the garden, was donated to the park by Mr. and Mrs.  Alfred Hengen in memory of their daughter, Helen Hengen, a young Spangle aviatrix who lost her life in 1945 on her final flight for her pilot’s license.  The bird bath is in the center of the Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden.

Where did the Duck Pond come from?

The lake at Manito Park, called Mirror Lake during the Montrose Park era, underwent the first of many alterations.  The overall effect of these alterations was a reduction in its size to what is now the duck pond.

In the early days of the park, the spring-fed lake extended to the edge of Grand Boulevard.  The main body of water was at the present site, with a canal extending to the east.  This canal would almost dry up in the late summer, leaving an unsightly, mosquito-infested swamp.  At the west end of the lake, the water would seep into the nearby lots.  In 1912, in order to contain the water, a concrete wall, founded in bedrock, was built along the north and west sides of the lake.  Water from nearby springs was also diverted to the lake to keep the water level up.  Because of its proximity to the town, the lake had always been a popular place for children to swim, fish or canoe in the summer, and ice skate in the winter.  The changes enhanced the lake for those recreational activities.  Eventually the channel was filled in, and in 1974 a concrete retaining wall and deck were built along the northeast end.  By this time, the lake had long since become a duck pond.

Many changes in the vegetation have taken place around the pond over the years, but as can be seen from early photographs, it has always been a place of beauty, a dazzling jewel in the heart of the Manito neighborhood.  Sadly, in November of 1996, a severe ice storm devastated thousands of Spokane’s trees.  The storm took its toll at Manito – about 70 of the park’s trees were lost and more were damaged.  Neighbors reacted when the spring clean-up included removing numerous trees along the water’s edge.  Not all the trees had sustained ice-storm damage; some were already failing and further stressed by the storm.  The Park Department made the difficult decision to remove them all at once.  The once-serene beauty, with the weeping willows hanging over the water, had been severely altered.  But, as the old trees were removed, over 90 young replacements were planted, which will eventually restore a picturesque setting.  The ubiquitous screeching and quacking from a growing sea gull and duck population made quiet contemplation at the pond a near impossibility, but the enjoyment of feeding them continues to attract people from dawn to dusk.  [Ed note:  Consult the Spokane Parks & Recreation Department before feeding any of the gulls or ducks in Manito Park.  Recent developments have made feeding them dangerous to the birds as well as to the surroundings.]

John Duncan initiated other changes at Manito Park during his tenure.  As previously stated, during this stage of the park’s development, he gradually incorporated some of the recommendations from the 1907 Olmsted Brothers’ report.  When Duncan retired in 1942, he was designated Superintendent Emeritus of the Park System, and Harold T. Abbott was hired to replace him.  The Park Board minutes credited Duncan with “creating one of the finest series of gardens in the country out of barren rocks, lakes and bogs.”    Following his death on January 21, 1948, at age 83, the minutes again reflected on Duncan’s contribution, as follows, “(he) always had an eye to the practical as well as the beautiful.”

The remaining articles will wrap up our reporting of the park’s founding, creation and changes throughout the years.   All of the information reported in this series of articles came from a book by Tony Bamonte and Suzanne Schaeffer Bamonte entitled, “Manito Park:  A Reflection of Spokane’s Past”.  The book is now out of print, but a few used copies are still available on Amazon.com and we’re certain they are in Spokane’s libraries if you are interested.

Thank you all for reading.  The next series of articles will be about all the various venues in Manito Park and will act as the conclusion to this series.  We will then restart the series, so if you missed some of the chapters, please click over to www.ManitoPark.Org or www.ManitoParkOrg.blogspot.com to catch up on the missing chapters.

Thank you all for reading and for your comments and “likes” left on our Facebook account.

The staff at ManitoPark.org.

What happened after E.C. Balzer left?

Last week, we read a report issued by the Park Improvement Board stating all the reasons that Mr. E.C. Balzer was not a fit Park Superintendent.  This week we find out what happened after the release of that report.

Following the presentation of this report, a motion was made and immediately passed by the board to accept the recommendations and notify Balzer of their findings.  Throughout the previous year, correspondence from the board to Balzer had been of a terse and somewhat demanding nature.  Four months after the improvement committee submitted their report, the board called for Balzer’s resignation.  He submitted it to them on December 23, 1909, as follows:  “Gentlemen:  I hereby tender my resignation to go into effect on the first of the year or as soon as possible thereafter as Superintendent. “  Although early news accounts relay a story of a congenial departure from his position, park board correspondence suggests otherwise.

During this same time frame, Aubrey White met the assistant park superintendent for the Boston parks system, John W. Duncan, at a park convention in Seattle, and they struck up a friendship.  On January 3, 1910, White received a telegram from John Duncan stating, “Will accept offer as per letter of the 24^th.”  As prearranged by White, following Duncan’s acceptance of the offer to be superintendent of the Spokane park system, he was to report to work “not later than March 1^st, 1910.”

John Duncan became one of Manito Park’s best known figures.  He served as Spokane’s park superintendent for 32 years, retiring in 1942 at the age of 77.  Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, he moved to Boston with his family when he was a boy.  He learned the nursery trade from his father.  Although White and the Park Board Commission gave the appearances of seeking someone with a technical education to replace Balzer, there is no record in the available archives indicating Duncan had ever received a formal education.

After taking over as superintendent, Duncan spent the first couple of years primarily doing maintenance and cultivating a nursery at Manito Park.   The nursery bordered the present Duncan Gardens to the East.  By 1912, it had 212,000 plants, which would be planted in the various city parks.  Over the years, the nursery contained assortments of flowering and ornamental trees, shrubs, and various experimental trees and plants.

During Duncan’s tenure as superintendent, he made a number of trips to the eastern states to gather ideas from established parks in larger cities.  His first was in 1912, a year in which a new wave of changes happened in the park.  Old greenhouses and superintendent’s house were torn down and a new greenhouses built; the upper level at the southern end of the park was graded to create a level ball field, tennis courts, bowling green, and playground (to which a wading pool was added in 1920); and, of greatest interest to Duncan, work began on the formal European-style gardens.  He transformed the sunken dirt pit into a masterpiece, which received national acclaim.  In 1941, the year before Duncan retired, the park board honored his years of fine service as superintendent by renaming the Sunken Gardens to the Duncan Gardens.  This garden has undergone numerous transformations over the years, the most recent being in 1996.