East Park
A natural gem in the heart of Mason City, East Park has evolved with the times.
Originally a farm, the park was established when a 40-acre plot of land was sold to the city for $10,000 by the Dunham family in 1909.
The park has grown in size since, with the addition in the 1950s of the area at the northwest end where the sledding hill and deer pen are now, a gift from the MacNider family.
Today, the park encompasses about 57 acres. Des Moines landscape gardener F. E. Pease was hired by the city in 1919 to come up with a design concept for the park.
East Park, as envisioned by Pease, included winding walkways, “lovers lanes,” promenades, flower gardens, tennis courts, a pavilion, a central fountain and flagpole, playgrounds, a bath house just east of the confluence of Willow Creek and what was then known as Lime Creek, a shelter for skaters, an island and a lily pond.
SIDE NOTE: The name of Lime Creek was changed to the Winnebago River just before the 1962 premier of the Music Man as it did not seem fitting that of all of the waterways going through "River City" none were actually a named river.
In 1915, Mayme Denison Keeler gave $2,000 to the city to establish Denison Field in memory of her father, Owen T. Denison, at the south end of the East Park where the Prairie Playground is now. She wanted to create a playground for children with tennis courts, a running track, baseball field, sand boxes and a wading pool.
Before this bridge was erected and other improvements were made in the park an annual event took place. Just downstream from this spot a tug of war between the Junior and Senior classes of Mason City High School was held.
Mason City High School tug-of-war between the junior and senior classes held at East Park, Mason City, May 21, 1956.
Wouldn't you like to see some of the old traditions come back. This would be fun to watch.