Parks are ingrained with personal meaning. The playgrounds that live in the memories of generations of people are the soul of our communities. Today, the Fargo Park District is an over 2,100-acre system consisting of local and regional parks, playgrounds, golf courses, biking and walking paths, nature parks, campground, river parks and complexes. Take a step back in time to discover how our park system got its start.
Fargo Parks History and Milestones
- In 1910, the Fargo Park District started with only one park. Fargo's population was 14,000.
- Island Park was the first park in Fargo. Lindenwood is the second oldest park in Fargo.
- Dill Hill got its name from Dill Hall, the building that sat atop the hill built in 1908.
- Lindenwood Campground was established in 1921.
- Lindenwood Park saw a number of amenities added in the 1920's. Water was provided in 1921, benches in 1923 and the picnic grounds were added in 1924.
- In 1922 a caretaker was housed at Lindenwood Park with a small police force for the campgrounds, then called the Tourist Camp. Some of the police force was mounted and some drove motorcycles. The police force traveled from Lindenwood Park up to Oak Grove.
- In the summer of 1934, The Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp constructed the main road, toilets and shelters at Lindenwood Park. The main shelter at Lindenwood today is an original shelter built by the CCC.
- In 1938, a plaque was placed outside what is now home to the Fargo Park District offices to commemorate the place whereon September 4, 1883, Generals Grant and Sheridan stopped in Fargo with a party enroute west to drive the Golden Spike which completed the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- In 1955, the Fargo Park District sold a portion of Lindenwood Park in order for Interstate 94 to be built. The money from this sale was used to construct the winter sports arena known as the Coliseum.
- First Board Members were elected October 11, 1910.
- First Board Meeting was held on November 1, 1910.
- Gladys Johansen became the first woman elected to the Park Board in April of 1966.
- Edgewood Golf Course opened in 1926. It cost $0.25 for three times around the 5 hole course.
- Construction began in 1964 on a 9 hole golf course at El Zagal. August 1965, El Zagal Public Golf Course was opened
- In May 1976, construction broke ground for the Prairiewood Golf Course.
- On June 15, 2016, the Fargo Park District reopened a completely renovated El Zagal Public Golf Course after construction on a city levee project caused the course to be closed for a year. The renovated course became the exclusive course in the region to offer FootGolf. FootGolf is a dynamic combination of soccer and golf which gives people a new and fun alternative to swinging clubs.
- In 1939 the original Island Park Pool was built through the Federal Government's Works Progress Administration. The pool was originally located where the Scherling Complex Tennis Courts stand today.
- In the 1950's the lifeguard staff at Island Park put on an annual water show. They had clown acts, synchronized swimming, diving and dancing.
- On a Tuesday in July 1956, there was an attendance record set of 4,022 swimmers at Island Park Pool breaking the record set the Monday before of 3,757.
- In 1958, admission at the Island Park Pool was 10 cents for children under 12 or $4.00 for a season ticket. 12 to 18 year olds were 15 cents or $5.00 for a season ticket. Adults were $0.25 or $7.00 for a season ticket.
- November of 1958 the Harry Howland pool was completed. It was located at the southeast corner of the Red River Valley Fairgrounds, near Broadway and 17th Avenue North
- In 1977, the current Island Park Pool was constructed at the corner of First Avenue South and Seventh Street and incorporated an art deco-style portion of the Fargo Arena as the backdrop for diving boards.
- In 2021, the Northside Recreational Pool was officially renamed the Roger G. Gress Northside Pool after longtime Fargo Park District Executive Director Roger G. Gress. The construction of the outdoor pool was one of Gress' first major projects as Parks Director in 1997.
- The Linden Woods, the park’s charming original name, became simply Lindenwood Park, a place for tourists to camp (thanks to running water in 1921 and the addition of horse and motorbike mounted police in 1922), a lovely picnic and leisure spot for locals (due to benches and picnic areas being added in 1923-24), and home base for a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp (men constructed the main road and toilets and shelters in summer 1934). The main shelter is an original shelter built by the CCC.
- A 140 foot high ski jump was built in 1935 west of a farm, now Trollwood Park.
- On October 28, 1938, the 10-acre Trefoil Park was dedicated. The park is named for the Boy Scout Troop known the "Trefoil Club" who helped organize the park’s construction in the mid 1930’s.
- In 1978, the Lindenwood bike bridge was installed.
- A new walking lift bridge was installed over the Red River in 2013 at Lindenwood Park.
- In 2016, the Fargo Park District teamed up with River Keepers to install an Adaptive Launch at Lindenwood Park. The Adaptive Launch is fully ADA compliant, allowing for a wide variety of users to enjoy the benefits of non-motorized water sports on the Red River.
- In 2018, the pedestrian bridge over the Red River at Oak Grove Park was replaced with a new lift bridge. The lift bridge ensures the bridge is out of order for shorter periods of time surrounding flood events.
- In 1951, there were 12 parks and nearly fifty years later in 2010 the Park District had 94 parks.
- In 1957, at Lewis and Clark, Washington School, Goldenridge site and Chaney Field the Park District installed ice skating rinks, hockey rinks and playgrounds.
- Mickelson Park and Fields were originally called North Parade playgrounds until 1952 when the fields were renamed for P.E. Mickelson, a prominent Director of Phy Ed in the Fargo Public Schools. P.E. Mickelson was a swimmer, referee and organized the FM Softball Association in 1932.
- In 1958, the Fargo Park District used money from the sale of part of Lindenwood for the construction of Interstate 94 to construct the winter sports arena known as the Coliseum.
- Mickelson Park and Fields originally held were toboggan slides and hockey rinks on the early site. In 1954 the first lights were installed at Mickelson. Mickelson Fields groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 1965.
- Built exclusively for American Legion baseball, Jack Williams Stadium received rave reviews when Fargo Post 2 first hosted the American Legion Baseball World Series in 1983. Legion officials and fans were awestruck again in 1992 when nearly $100,000 worth of improvements and additions to Jack Williams Stadium could be seen at Fargo's second World Series. The stadium has hosted several postseason tournaments at all amateur levels.
- The Fargo Coliseum opened for business in 1968 and was a state of the art facility for the time. The Fargo Coleisum had two locker rooms, one referee room, skate shop, rental skates, seating for 3200 fans and quickly became the place to go for skating events in Fargo.
- The Fargo Coliseum was the home of The Fargo Blazers a local amateur team and the FM Sugar Kings a junior hockey that was made up of many of the best local talent in the area.
- The Coliseum hosted the first state tournament outside of Grand Forks in 1971/1972. Fargo South lost to Grand Forks Central 6 to 1.
- The Coliseum hosted the National Bantam Tournament in 1990/1991. Moorhead played in the finals and players like Matt Cullen, Jayson Blake and Ryan Kraft went on to play professional hockey.
- In the late 1990’s the Name was changed to the John E. Carlson Coliseum in honor of the long time Fargo Park Board member John Carlson.
- In 2016, the Park Board voted to renovate the Coliseum for $4.5 million. When the renovated Coliseum opened in 2017, the rink was again a state of the art facility offering a regulation rink of 85 ft. by 200 ft., 7 locker rooms, training room, referees room, seating for five hundred and full Wi-Fi access in the facility.
- The Fargo Park District offices are located in the old Northern Pacific Passenger Depot which was built in 1898. In 1975 it became the first Fargo building entered on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Fargo Park District satillte offices and art classes are located at the Robert D Johnson Red Center. The Robert D Johnson Rec Center is located in the former Emerson Smith Elementary School, which was built in 1930. The building was purchased from the Fargo School District on July 1, 1996.
- The iconic fountain at the entrance to Lindenwood Park was donated by the American Legion in 1972.
- Fargo's smallest park today is Ole Tangen Park with only .076 acres and the largest developed park is Lindenwood with 89.61 acres.
