2015 Spring Newsletter

History of Wallace Park and Hagemeyer Family Wallace Park was named for James E. Wallace. His obituary is extremely interesting - Mr. Wallace came to 1BPMB JO BOE XBT FNQMPZFE CZ .JUDIMFS %FQBSUNFOU TUPSF VOUJM XIFO IF XBT FMFDUFE UP UIF Pď DF PG Clerk of the District Court. He served in that capacity for a short while and then began in the drugstore busi OFTT .S 8BMMBDF IBE UIF NBOBHFNFOU PG UIF ĕ SFXPSLT FYIJCJUJPO FBDI ZFBS BOE JO XIJMF QSFQBSJOH UP TFOE VQ B TLZ SPDLFU JU CVSTU JO IJT IBOE JOĘ JDUJOH B WFSZ QBJOGVM XPVOE *U XBT HFOFSBMMZ LOPXO UIF DPMPSFE MJHIUT JO ĕ SFXPSLT XFSF DPNQPTFE PG EFBEMZ QPJTPO BOE UIF TMJHIUFTU CVSO XPVME TPNFUJNFT SFTVMU JO EFBUI )JT PCJUVBSZ HPFT PO UP TBZ i IF RVJFUMZ MFę UIF DSPXE BOE XFOU UP UIF ESVH TUPSF XIFSF IF BQQMJFE JDF XBUFS UP UIF CVSO " EPDUPS XBT DBMMFE JO BOE .S 8BMMBDF DPNQMBJOJOH UIF QBJO XBT UFSSJCMF XBT HJWFO DIMPSPGPSN ć JT OPU QSPWJOH CFOFĕ DJBM BO JOKFDUJPO PG NPSQIJB XBT NBEF XIJDI BMMBZFE UIF QBJO CVU FWFOUVBMMZ UISFX IJN JOUP spasms and could scarcely be held by those in attendance. About 4:00 in the morning he was taken home in an insensible condition from which he never rallied and died that day, July 4, 1884 at the age of 38. No one in the county was better known or more universally liked than Jim Wallace, his whole-souled, genial nature drawing about him lasting friendships and his untimely death deeply deplored”. #Z BOE XIFO UIF $IBVUBVRVB $JSDVJU XBT QPQVMBS FOUFSUBJONFOU JU CFDBNF OFDFTTBSZ UP ĕ OE B more convenient location than the old fairgrounds at Walnut Grove about two miles north of town. A tract of land consisting of twelve acres on the south side of the city, owned by Mrs. James Wallace and thirty acres ad KPJOJOH JU XFSF QVSDIBTF CZ UIF DJUZ GPS UIF TVN PG *U XBT ĕ STU OBNFE i4PVUI 1BSLw BOE MBUFS DIBOHFE to Wallace Park in memory of James E. Wallace. by LuAnne Debrick

In 1915 the shelter house was built with B HFOFSPVT HJę PG . " 4DISPFEFS ć F Comfort Station was built of native TUPOF JO *U IBE B TUPOF ĕ SFQMBDF rest rooms and comfortable furniture GPS WJTJUPST UP UIF QBSL ć BU TBNF ZFBS the membership of the Congregational Church had disbanded and they decided to use the money from the sale of their church property to build the caretaker’s home – all buildings being constructed of native stone. Elmer Hagemeyer was the ĕ STU PDDVQBOU PG UIBU IPVTF

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Mr. Hagemeyer was elected superintendent of the park in 1925. Underbrush was cleared, picnic tables and benches were built, and walks leading down to the lagoon which had a rustic bridge leading across to an island JO UIF NJEEMF XFSF TPPO DPOTUSVDUFE *O UIF TVNNFS UIF MBHPPO XBT ĕ MMFE XJUI BMM TPSUT PG CFBVUJGVM XBUFS MJMJFT and in the winter was a favorite place for ice skaters. A kitchen was built in 1928 for public use having two burn FS IPUQMBUFT BOE BMM OFDFTTBSZ LJUDIFO ĕ YUVSFT " ESJOLJOH GPVOUBJO XBT TJUVBUFE BU UIF FBTU FOE PG UIF 4IFMUFS House. Later a double cottage was built for tourists. )PXFWFS NPTU PG VT HSPXJOH VQ JO 1BPMB JO UIJT FSB BTTPDJBUF 8BMMBDF 1BSL XJUI &MNFS )BHFNFZFS ć F )BHF meyer family originated in Westphalen, Germany. In 1852, Elmer Hagemeyer’s father, Charles Hagemeyer came to the United States. He could speak no English but soon mastered the language and became an exemplary member of society. He and his wife, Elizabeth Teekenbrook raised ten children.

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