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Henderson Park (Chehalis, Washington)

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Henderson Park
Henderson Park (Chehalis, Washington) is located in Washington (state)
Henderson Park (Chehalis, Washington)
TypePicnic, community assembly
Coordinates46°39′12″N 122°57′11″W / 46.65333°N 122.95306°W / 46.65333; -122.95306
Area1-acre (0.40 ha)
Established1962
StatusOpen
PathsSidewalks
TerrainFlat
PlantsRoses
FacilitiesChehalis government buildings

Henderson Park is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's South Market district and is a block northeast of nearby Recreation Park.

The 1-acre (0.40 ha) park hosts several buildings used by various city government divisions, most notably the Chehalis Parks and Recreation Department, and as a command center during emergencies in the city.[1]

History

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The plat for Henderson Park, described as having a "pretty clump of trees", was originally offered to the city in 1906.[2] The land was officially donated to Chehalis by the Henderson Lumber Company in 1908 but forgotten by the city until 1913, though the area was treated as a park by local residents.[3][4] The park was not formally recognized by the city until 1916.[5] Full ownership was given to Chehalis, by deed, in 1962.[6]

During its early history, the grounds had been used as an automobile stop, a market place, picnic area, and a playground.[7] At the end of 1916, the city commissioners, led by the actions of a local auto club, began to convert the land into a park for automobile travelers.[8] The grounds were slightly expanded in 1923 when the city authorized the purchase of nearby residential lots to add to the park.[9] Improvements, actual and planned, were begun in the mid-1920s and into the 1930s, first with a concrete concession stand in 1924[10] and the planting of Hawthorne trees the following year.[11] A log lodge, with an original footprint of 28 ft × 72 ft (8.5 m × 21.9 m), was introduced as a possible rest area for travelers in 1933. The lodge was planned to be modern for the times and was to contain a dance floor and host a large front porch. The combination rest area and recreation building was never constructed.[12][13]

Henderson Park, along with other recreation spots in the city, received a small Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant for improvements and the addition of playground equipment in 1937.[14][15] In early 1938, the Henderson Park Garden Club was first organized.[16] By the 1940s, the space began to be primarily utilized for the State Department of Natural Resources and then later by the Chehalis fire department and the Jaycees.[7][17]

A crab apple tree known as the Saunders Tree was replanted at Henderson Park in early 1968. The tree, originally located on Market and 4th Street, grew from a graft completed in 1870 by an unnamed Native American boy and Joseph Saunders, youngest son of the city's founding family. Due to a widening project on Market Street, a move of the tree was necessitated. The tree thrived at first but there was a lack of fruit and leaf growth as the summer season passed.[18] The pioneer tree, most likely part of the Saunder's family orchard on the Hillside Historic District, was reported to have died a year or two later. Cuttings were taken and planted at the Chehalis park system's office.[19]

Rose bushes were dispersed through the site during a transfer of plantings from the closure of the Chehalis Municipal Rose Garden but the roses did not flourish.[1] Beginning in 2009, the park's pumphouse is dressed as a gingerbread house during the winter holiday season.[20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Voie, Brittany (August 3, 2018). "More Information Surfaces About the Chehalis Municipal Rose Garden". The Chronicle. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Henderson Park". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. November 30, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  3. ^ "New Plat To City Is Filed". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 26, no. 16. October 9, 1908. p. 20. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  4. ^ "City Garbage Again Talked". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 30, no. 49. May 23, 1913. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  5. ^ "New Auto Park For Motorists". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 34, no. 25. December 1, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Henderson Park". ci.chehalis.wa.us. City of Chehalis.
  7. ^ a b "When City Departments Finish Asking For Henderson Space". The Daily Chronicle. May 31, 1961. p. 14. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Untitled". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. December 8, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "City To Buy Park Addition". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 9, 1923. p. 8. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  10. ^ "To Improve Parks". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. April 18, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "City's Parks Will Attract". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. May 15, 1925. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Walton League To Build Lodge In Chehalis". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 31, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "View Of Beautiful Lodge..." The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. June 16, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Chehalis Parks To Get $47,000". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 26, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "Park Improvements Under WPA Job Under Way". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 12, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  16. ^ "Henderson Park Garden Club Meets". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 8, 1938. p. 6. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  17. ^ "Hall Use Approved". The Daily Chronicle. September 20, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  18. ^ Olson, Elmer J. (October 12, 1968). "Days May Be Numbered For Pioneer Crab Apple". The Daily Chronicle. p. 4. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "Saunders's apple tree once Market landmark". The Daily Chronicle. June 29, 1976. p. B12. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  20. ^ Wenzelburger, Jared (November 29, 2019). "Festive Decorations Showcase the Holiday Spirit in Chehalis". The Chronicle. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  21. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (November 21, 2023). "Chamber of Commerce honors Terry Harris as grand marshal of 'Aloha Christmas' Santa Parade in Chehalis". The Chronicle. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
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