Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview, WA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The following information has been obtained from the signage in the park:

"Lake Sacajawea Park was designed in 1922 by S. Herbert Hare with the assistance of George Kessler and J.C. Nichols. All three were nationally known for their contributions to the developement of Kansas City and the Kansas City parks system. The men agreed to guid Mr. Long in his vision for the planned city of Longview as a personal favor. The crescent shapped, 1 1/2 mile long park features a narrow body of water with several islands, sloping bankds and recreational greenways. The lake was excavated and transformed from Fowler's Slough, which drained the river valley floor. Built by West Lake Construction Company under contract with the Long-Bell Lumber Company, work began on May 17, 1924 by dredging the slouth to a greater depth. Three and four horse teams pulling scrapers were used to shape the contours of the long park around the lake. Much of the work on the lake and the park surrounding it was completed by the spring of 1926. The Longview Daily News sponsored a city-wide contest in 1925 to formally name the park, which had been named after the farmer who had owned the property along the banks. Over 650 names were submitted. Judges selected Sacajawea after the legendary Shosone woman who served as an interpreter while accompanying Lewis and Clark on their celebrated expedition of 1804. Four persons submitted the winning names, and the first prize of $25.00 was divided among them. The character of th epark bears the influence of the romantic, landscape gardening style, with its curvilinear, gently undulating forms and its picturesque, natural appearance. The park is intersected by three artierial avenues and a foot bridge, dividing the park into five sections. At each bridge crossing, the shape of the lake narrows with its banks forming a degree of closure within each section of the lake. The treatment of the land forms in each section varies in pattern and character. An abundance of plant species gives the park a rich, spatial character. The dominant tpes are deciduous and coniferous trees, shrubs, and hedgerows. A canopy of tall trees rings the park along the edges of the boulevards, alond with a gravel path system that runs around the lake and through the park."

Street address: Between Nichols and Kessler Blvds Longview, WA USA 98632 County / Borough / Parish: Cowlitz County Year listed: 1985 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Landscape Current function: Landscape Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/08/2022 SeabeckTribe visited it 08/23/2020 ThrYar visited it 02/02/2014 Devil Hunter visited it 09/16/2012 ornith visited it 03/25/2011 Queens Blessing visited it

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