Named for former Mayor Leslie J. Gove, who served from 1936 - 1946 and again in 1955 for only two months. Gove was Mayor during the time the park property was converted from undeveloped land to a housing development for war workers. When the property was approved for the development of a fifteen acre park in 1960, councilman Fred Towner was instrumental in getting the park named for Mayor Gove. Mayor Gove's family members were early pioneers in the area, who moved here in 1875. They farmed north of Auburn and put in the first water system in the area, giving them running water from a source on the West Hill to their back porch. The park was dedicated in 1966. The 20-acre park has rolling mounds and meadows with 100 cherry blossom trees given to us from our Japanese Sister City, Kasugo, Japan, which is now part of our newly formed city called Tamba, Japan.
2016 is the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Auburn, Washington. Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation, auburntourism.com, and the WSGA are hosting the Auburn Geocaching Adventure 2016 - 20 caches placed in Auburn. The geocaches highlight some areas of historical significance, some parks, and some areas of general interest in Auburn. We hope you enjoy visiting the Auburn area, learning about its history and viewing its progress into the 21st Century.