Oral History Project
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Three Rivers Park District Oral History Project Consisting of twelve interviews, the Oral History Project offers insight into the early history of Three Rivers Park District. Different points of view are provided by former Park District Commissioners, Legal Counsel, Superintendents and employees. Topics include: establishment of the park system, parkland acquisition, system planning, park facility and trail development, nature and outdoor education programming, the growth in park visitation, the politics of park work, the development of natural resources preservation programs, and the Metropolitan Regional Park System. This project was funded in part from a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society. Interviews with Charles E. Doell and Clifton E. French are generously provided by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration as part of their “Living Legends in Parks and Recreation” program. Original audio interviews and transcripts are housed at: Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center 3000 Xenium Lane North Plymouth, MN 55441 763.559.9000 Interviewees Charles E. Doell, Contracted Employee, 1957 - 58 Charles Doell worked for the Minneapolis Park Board for almost 49 years, the last 14 years as Superintendent. In 1957, the Park District’s Board of Commissioners hired Doell to develop the Park District’s first system plan. This interview provides background into the parks and recreation field in the early part of the 20th century and the forces that led to the establishment of Three Rivers. Clifton E. French, Superintendent, 1961 - 1984 Selected as the first superintendent just four years after the establishment of Three Rivers, Clif French was charged with hiring the first team of employees, land acquisition, and determining funding for the growing park system. In this interview, Clif shares his philosophy of parks and recreation, the value of independent park systems, the park system role models that he looked to for inspiration, and how the park system developed and changed over a period of 20 years. C. Paul Lindholm, Board Member, 1966 - 74 One of first elected Board members, C. Paul Lindholm served with several of the initial appointed Commissioners appointed by the Minnesota State Legislature during the establishment of the system. Lindholm grew up in Maple Plain, where the first park in the system, Baker Park Reserve, was located, and had a first-hand view into the transformation of Baker Park Reserve from privately owned resort to publicly owned park. Donald K. Cochran, Employee, 1966 - 88 Hired by the Park District’s first superintendent Clifton E. French, Don Cochran served in several capacities including Director of Administration and Director of Operations. Cochran was intimately involved with all aspects of the fledgling park system including parkland acquisition, funding, park facility development and the integration of outdoor skills activities into established nature center programming. Kathlyn Heidel, Employee, 1968 - 2003 Kathy Heidel was hired as one of the first members of the Park District’s naturalist team. Over the years, Heidel gained a reputation for her vast store of natural and cultural history knowledge and her interest in birds and prairies. Kathy was known for her excellent teaching skills, encouraging and inspiring others to increase their own knowledge of the natural world. During her career, Heidel also became somewhat of a naturalist celebrity as a regular radio guest on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). David K. Weaver, Employee, 1971 – 1991 Originally hired to serve as a Wildlife Biologist for the Park District, Dave Weaver went on to serve as the Director of Natural Resources Management. In this role, Weaver was instrumental in developing many of the natural resources management strategies, policies and programs that are still viable today including prairie and wetland restoration, deer and goose management, Trumpeter Swan and Osprey restoration projects and the oversight of the Park District’s unique 80/20 policy. Raymond Haik, Legal Counsel, 1972 – 1988 Ray Haik, partner in the law firm Popham, Hiak, Schnobrich, Kaufman and Doty, was hired by the Park District as Legal Counsel in 1972. With a background in environmental law and involvement with park and wetland protection throughout the Twin Cities and the state, Haik was in a unique position to support the Park District’s efforts to acquire park acreage in the western suburbs before it was developed. Senator David Durenberger, Commissioner, 1973 - 78 In 1972, U.S. Senator Durenberger chaired the Metropolitan Open Space Advisory Board and was instrumental in bringing together seven metropolitan counties and three municipalities to create the Metropolitan Regional Park System. In 1974, Durenberger helped to secure a $40 million regional park bonding fund that provided funding to acquire additional regional park lands. As Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the Park District, Durenberger furthered a greater leadership role for the Park District as a major implementing agency in the new regional park system. Timothy Marr, Employee, 1973 - 2006 Tim Marr, Park District Engineer, witnessed the Park District’s evolution from parkland acquisition and park development to the era of rehabilitation and enhancement. Marr was involved in dozens of park projects including the planning of park roads and parking lots, construction of the 70-meter ski jump at Hyland Lake Park Reserve, the development of lighted cross-country ski trails and snow-making facilities and the construction of the largest rubber dam in the United States at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. Judith Anderson, Commissioner, 1975 - 1992 Deeply committed to citizen involvement, Judith Anderson began her relationship with the Park District in 1973 when she organized the Hyland Lake Park Reserve Citizens Committee. A year later, Anderson was elected to the Park District Board of Commissioners and served for the next 18 years. With a passion for parks and the environment, Anderson focused on outdoor education as a method of encouraging understanding and appreciation of nature’s resources. Douglas F. Bryant, Superintendent, 1986 – 2008 Serving as the Park District’s third Superintendent, Doug Bryant is probably best known for his focus on park development. His accomplishments include the development of an extensive regional trail system, acquisition and development of several regional parks, innovative play structures, swim ponds, construction of administrative and maintenance facilities, golf-course expansion, and improvements to cross country ski trails. Bryant also worked diligently to develop strong relationships with the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission, Hennepin County, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, and local municipalities. David J. Dombrowski, Commissioner, 1988 - 2002 David Dombrowski served the Park District Board of Commissioners for 14 years, eight of which he served as Board Chair. Known as a strong leader as well as an advocate of parks, Dombrowski helped to raise awareness among state legislators of the need for parks and open space while working to secure funds for park acquisition and development. Under his leadership, the Park District acquired Historic Murphy’s Landing, Gale Woods Farm, and the Salvation Army/Silver Lake Camp property now called Silverwood Regional Park. Charles E. Doell Former Superintendent for Minneapolis Park Board Narrator Clifton E. French Former Superintendent for Three Rivers Park District Interviewer and Doctor Ben Wright Historian for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Interviewer October 31, 1983 CF: The American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration has been developing the program it calls Living Legends in Parks and Recreation. The purpose is to record the history of the parks and recreation movement through interviews with leaders in the field and recording these interviews on videotapes. For videotaping today, October 31, 1983, in Anaheim, California, we have as our guest Mr. Charles E. Doell, Superintendent of Parks Emeritus of the internationally renowned Minneapolis Park System. After working for almost forty-nine years for the Minneapolis Park Board, the last fourteen years as Superintendent, Mr. Doell retired in 1959. Following his retirement, Mr. Doell began another phase of his highly productive career. He taught on a part-time basis for several years at Michigan State and Texas Tech Universities. He authored a valuable text and many articles on the parks and recreation administration in the field and did park consultant work on a variety of assignments. My name is Clifton French. I am Superintendent for the Hennepin County Park Reserve District in Minnesota. Minneapolis is located in Hennepin County. With me today to share this pleasant experience with interviewing Mr. Doell is Doctor Ben Wright. Doctor Wright is a historian who is retained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to write a history of the Minneapolis Park System. His assignment was to write a sequel of Theodore Wirth’s book which covered the first sixty years of the Minneapolis System. So Ben Wright’s job was to write from essentially the end of World War II to 1978. It is interesting to note that this year, 1983, is the 100th Anniversary of the Minneapolis Park System. On the left you’ll see [looking at maps] the first plan of a Park System for the City of Minneapolis which was developed by Professor H. W. S. Cleveland back in 1883. At the same scale one hundred years later you see the Minneapolis Park System as it is today. Charlie, you started to work for the Minneapolis Park System in 1911, so for almost forty- nine years you worked for the Minneapolis Park System. Next May you will be ninety years old. Your years have covered most of the growth and development of the System. Won’t you tell us a little bit about when you started to work for the Park System? What was your first job? How old were you and things like that? CD: Clif, you said 1911, I thought it was 1913. CF: Well, according to Ben Wright’s history, it was 1911, but let’s not argue about that.