Not many people know I designed and developed a major part of Maple Island Park. I started working on Maple Island Park in the early 1990's while it was in the beginning stage of the parks development. I was going to school as a Landscape Designer when a friend asked me to be on a committee, the Design Committee to be precise. George, the kids and I lived on the Musser Estate at the time caring for Laura Jane Musser and her property. I was also tending to Gordon Rosenmeiers Property.and to me, Maple Island was an extention to the two properties so I tried keeping the Maple Island property cleaned as well. Before it was a park, there were several older homes on the hill, a couple Boxelder trees, and lots of trash.. Because the property had been a park, a place to gather, in the early days of Little Falls development, the City obtained a sizable grant to develop the property back into a park. Shortly after I started the Design Committee, I was called upon to help with the park. A local nursery came up with some great plans that were implememnted, but I was asked to help with the rest of the park design. The Street Department worked with me to place large bolders in several different areas. It was pretty tough at times due to the Street Department not wanting to move bolders around like a couch in a living room. Many of them were moved multiple times as my plan was to plant flowers, trees and schrubs in the locations. We managed to get through it, so I started planting. The main areas I developed were by the bridge, the viewing area and along the man-made pond with the water spraying up..I also did plantings around the building, all of the benches and planted Maple trees throughout the park. I asked the Flower Club to get invloved and they went through their flower beds at home, devided their flowers and we had a few days of massive planting.
It was through "Maple Island" that i learned to love Little Falls. That is when my passion for my community started. I saw this ugly piece of property turn into a beautiful swan (park). I knew then that with a little hard work and care anything could be accomplished. For the next seven years my family and I volunteered our time to take care of Maple Island Park,. pulling weeds, planting flowers, and picking trash. It still holds a special spot in my heart.
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| This is one of the "bolder" areas. Each boulder had to be laid just right ro so I thought it did.. I was lucky I didn't end up with a bolder on me. |
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| This is another bolder area. It's been years since I worked on these flower areas. |
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| This is when we were working on the park several days a week in the Summer. It sure was pretty. |
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| Another bolder area. Many of these flower came from the wonderful Garden Club ladies. |
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| Picture of my daughters rollerblading |
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| Not sure where the fern came from. These flowerbeds were planted with Spireas. |
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| The water spray was put in to keep the slime out of the man-made pond. I guess I have never been sure on what to call it - little river. The City brought in brick yard clay from west of Little Falls for the base of the pond, then they placed a very thick, black plastic to hold the water. They didn't add the water spray at first, they were treating the slime with chemicals. |
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| The well is the onlything left from the original park. It was repaired and it got a top, but still sits in the same place for many more years to come. |
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