Edward T. Wilmes, a military veteran, lived in Fridley and died in the late 1980s. He worked most of his life to create the Islands of Peace, a park with accessibility in mind
The story begins when Wilmes obtained a lease agreement to use Gil Hodges Island, named after the famous baseball player. The park opened in 1971, and Wilmes donated the land to the city of Fridley.
Then in 1973, the Islands of Peace Foundation was incorporated and operated the area well into the mid-1970s. Around that time, liability concerns involving a drowning accident made it impossible for the foundation to continue to operate the park, and the land was transferred to the county of Anoka.
Those still alive after the turn of the century who knew Wilmes speak highly of him. He loved this park so much that he even buried his dog there. Look for a little gravestone near the entrance.
Since its creation in the 1970s, the park has had the attention of veterans' groups who have donated benches and even a stone monument at the park's entrance. The engraving states: A Tribute to the Men and Women who Served America in Time of War and Peace -- American Legion's Shaddrick-LaBeau Post 303.