2021 Spring Newsletter

Later a double cottage was built for tourists that you could rent for $1.00 a night.. Elmer Hagemeyer was the Park caretaker. His family had a huge greenhouse just two blocks north of the park at the corner of Agate and Ottawa Streets. He had rose gardens everywhere and planted over 350 rose bushes and many, many trees

Because of the runoff from the hill behind the shelter house, the water was channeled into a lagoon just south across from what is now the children’s play area. It was the favorite place with a bridge across to the is land in the middle. It was both for fishing and especially for ice skating in the winter. The football stadium was - again built from rock quar ried from the property. It was constructed in 1934 for $7,000 during the “WPA” era.

In 1925, shortly after being named superintendent, the con struction of the swimming pool began and it was opened on July 25, 1925. About that time, Paola was having public dances at the American Legion Hall in down town Paola. By 1931, Hagemey er had constructed an outside dance platform next to the pool and on July 4, 1931 the first Sun rise Dance was held on the plat form , a tradition which contin ued throughout the years.

In 1947, Hagemeyer constructed the PlayMart Ballroom adjoining the pool area. This popular gathering place op erated for almost 40 years until the pool was sold in 1966. These were the beginnings of Wallace Park and later the new swimming pool and miles of hiking trails throughout the park and down along Bull creek Questions are often asked about the cannon at the en trance. The only newspaper clipping the museum has is that several cannons were given to parks in the area by the War Department in 1935.

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