St. Cloud State University theRepository at St. Cloud State Culminating Projects in History Department of History 8-1998 St. Cloud's Munsinger and Clemens Gardens: A Public Legacy Ann Marie Johnson Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/hist_etds Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Johnson, Ann Marie, "St. Cloud's Munsinger and Clemens Gardens: A Public Legacy" (1998). Culminating Projects in History. 9. https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/hist_etds/9 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at theRepository at St. Cloud State. It has been accepted for inclusion in Culminating Projects in History by an authorized administrator of theRepository at St. Cloud State. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ST. LOUD" MU SI RA DCL · MEN ' A P 'BU LEGACY by Ann Marie John on B.A .. ."!. loud 'talc niver. il y. t. loud. Minn om, 199 f The is Suhmittetl to the raduatc Facult of 1. 'loud State nivcr ·i1 in Panial Fulfillment of th e Requirement · for the cgrcc Mas er of Ans " l. loud, Minn· ·ota ugust. 199 ·nii the is submitted b Ann Marie Johnson in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of rt at . t. loud ' tatc Uni er it i hereb appro ed by the final evaluation committee. De, n . h H1I of Graduate and ntmuing tud ie T. CLOUD'. MU SI G · RA D CLEMENS GAR.DENS: A PUBLIC LEGACY Ann Marie Johnson This the is describes the history and e olution of the Munsinger and Clemens Gardens mun: ,;ipal gardens lo ated in outhcast t. Cloud along the east bank of the Mississippi River. During the early 1930 • Munsinger Garden v as established under the direction of the city's first park superintendent, Joseph Munsinger. Approximately half a century later, the Clemens Gardens were developed as a result of the inspiration of St. Cloud's present nursery supervisor, David Morreim, and the patronage of William lemen . a local entrepreneur. ince their inception, th e Mun inger and Clemens Gardens, two seemingly disparate gardens th at arc linked by site, design, and spirit have evolved to become one of the finest municipal garden in the nation. t. loud 's Munsinger and Clemen ardens have become an important part of the city's heritage. In the same way that p ram ids pro ide data on ancient gypt and gothic cathedrals disclo e information on the Middle Ages garden rev al insights about the cultures in which they were created and maintained. As gardens are considered one of the highest representations of civilization and culture, t. Cloud's gardens represent both the fine ans ofhorticulnire and garden de ign as well as th e community's interest in civic beautification and the dedication and horticultural kills of their creators. The hi tory of the Munsinger and ' lemens Gardens provides a cultural record of th e values and beliefs of its community and reflects the trPnd in American garden de ign during the twentieth century. ~ -~I Month ~roved b Resear h 'AJan t . Donovan L. Hofsommer iii A K WL · DGEMENT I gratefull acknowledge those who ha ca~ i led me in this endeavor. I would like 10 e press pan, ular thanks 10 David Morrcim, Julie Oicrkhising, Larry Haws, and Prentiss Foster of the t. loud Park Depanmcnt: John Decker and Lorie Fi cher of the Steam ounty Hist rical ociety; the lemens famil ; Roben W. Becker: Mary, Diane, a d he Dean ' ffice of cience and Engineering al t. Cloud tate Uni er it; : and Dono a L. Hofsommcr. William T. Morgan. and Alton C. Wolfer. TABLE OF CONTENT Page LI T OF FIG RES ............... ...................... ...... ..................... ...... .. ..... .. ... .... ........ ..... ......... ... vi INTRODUCTION Chapter I. A GARDEN H1 T RY ... ...................... ...................................................................... 3 11. ST. LOUD, MINN OTA .......................................................................... .. .. .. ......... 13 Ill. MUN ING ER ARDEN : A HIST RY OF THE ITE ................................ ....................................................................... 21 IV . M : DIRTH F 27 M R E .................... ................................................. 46 VJ. 52 VII. LEMEN RD - S: HI TOR FTIIE ITE ............ ........... ..................... .. ..................................................... 6 VIJI . L · ME : FORMAL , R EN . .. ............. ................... ...................... 69 IX . IA 7 x. L MEN ROE : RE T R , GA RD 4 XI. L MEN ARD : WHJTEG ROE XII. R : P RE I L ROE 9 XIII. E RD 97 103 RE REN E ' LI T OF FIGURE Figure Page I. De. ign for the gardens t Villa Lantc in Bagn .. ia, Italy by Vignola (1507-73) ...................................................... ................................. II 2. Painting of the palac · and garden: of Versailles hy Patel II 3. Lancelot .. apability" Bwrn' (1776- 3) t.lcsign for lhc gardens at Blenheim Palac in Oxfordshire. · ngland .................... ..... .. ...... ............... 12 4. Central Park in Ne York it by John a hmann ...................................................... 12 5. Map f St. I ud. lv1inne. ota in I 56 .. ...................................................................... 18 6. entral (Barden) Park ................................................................... ............................ 19 7. Empire Park 19 Hester Park 20 9. Po,tal card 25 10. Linc t.lrawin g of the H. J. ndcn,cn Sa, Mall in St. I ut.l, 1 1inne. ota .............................................................................................. 25 I I. Plan fc r River<;ide Park h Phelp Wyman. a Minneapolis Lant.lscapc rchi1e ·1 .............................................................................................. 26 12. Line <.Ira wing of Mun :.. inger Garden~ by K. 01. on .................................................... 40 13. Liculcnani Joscp'1 Mun :..i ngcr 41 I . Munsinger Garden' ii Pool 42 15. Mun ingcr art.Jen's Rock Garden ................................................................................ 43 16. Mun singer Gardens ' Log Cabin ................................................................................... 44 17. Southern ent.1 of l\foni.inger :miens .............. .. ...................................................... .. .... 45 I . Munsinger arden:.. .................................................................................................... 50 19. Po. tcard of Mun ingcr Park ........................................................................................ 51 20. Granite trough. in 1un ingcr Garden~ 61 vi 21. Munsi nger Garden with Gazebo by Bela S. Peth co .... .................................... ..... ......... 61 22. Mun. ingcr Garden. • Lily Pool ...... ................... .. .. ...................... ........ .. .. .. .... ....... .. ....... 62 23. Munsinger Gardens ...... ... ......... ................... ... ... ...... .... ........ ..... .. ... .......... ........ ...... ... 63 24. Path in Munsi nger Gardens .. ... .. ................................ ............... ............... .. .. ................. 64 25. St. Cloud Times map of Clemens and Munsi nger Gardens 68 26. German -made postcard hawi ng the home of Earl D. and Fritz Cro ............................................................................................. 68 27. · lemens Fonnal Garden 72 2 . Virginia lerncn. Ro),c Gar<lcn ................................................................................... .. 0 29. Stanley Park, an "It ali an garden" by Thomas H. Mawson. in Bl ackp I, England ......... .................. ................................................................. .. 30. A th rctical garden ci ty propt . ed hy Ebeneezer Howard for Lcu.:hwurth. · ngl:md ............................................................... .. .......................... 31. Janney ranc Fountain ............................................................. ................................... 2 32. Bo1anical Gardens 'cnce .............................................................................................. 83 33. Clemen R l rca ard n vi \ cd from the out h ...... ........... ....... .... ........... .......... ... 87 34 . len1cn · White Garden ............. ......... ............................. ...... ...... .......... ....................... 91 35. White Garden al • i ·inghur ·1 astle in Kent, ·ngland .................................................. 92 36. lcrncn Perennial Garden vi ewed from the Treillage Garden ......... ..... ...... .... ............... 95 37. lemcns Perennial '.mien fount:1in ...................................................... ....................... 96 3 . icw o the Clemen:- Tr ·ii lagc Garden from the southeast c rncr .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. ...... .... ... .. I 00 39. 'O,c lemen. Gardens .................................................................................................. 101 40. Hil l. id Garden ................... ........................................................................................ 102 I TROD CTION Garden: a pica of ground for tlrr rultil'llfilln of herbs. plants. fmits. flowers, or ,·egt'lables: a rich, well· cultivated spot or tract of cv1111t1)·: a place for public e11joy111e111.1 For centuries. garden designers have ,haprd. molded. and coerced nature into living works of an for human pleasure. Throughout the hi ·tory or ci ilit..llion. the va ·1 majority of pleasure garden have been the spcdal pri ilcge of the