Missoula’s 1st Island Park – 1935 deed
The Article below is from the Missoulian Sentinel Centennial Edition of 1960:
Missoula’s 1st Island Park
The following is a quote from an article about the Rotary Club in Missoula that appeared in the Missoulian-Sentinel Centennial Edition of 1960:
“The Rotary Club has supported many community projects. In August 1935 the club presented the city with a deed to the island property under the Higgins Avenue Bridge and expressed the hope that the city would improve the land as a municipal park. The park was to be named for Rotarian Dr. Morton J. Elrod.”
The same page on which the above quote appeared has two photos of the Island Park, with the following caption:
“Island Park Considered in 1920s”
“The idea of an Island Park under Higgins Avenue Bridge was considered seriously in the 1920s by various individuals in the Garden City, and proposals for it were made as early as 1887. The first step toward its realization was the construction in 1938 of the scenic bridge shown at left in both pictures.
“The bridge was constructed three years after the Missoula Rotary Club deeded the island to the city for park purposes.
“In 1948 through the efforts of many civic-minded residents topsoil was spread, architectural drawings were made, spruce trees and gladiola bulbs were planted and Island Park, named Memorial Park in honor of Missoula’s war dead, was well along toward finally becoming a reality.
“But late May of that year the Clark Fork River at its spring peak swept over the island and washed away much of the new topsoil and the newly planted trees, stopping the park plan just when it appeared it would be a great success.”
An article taken from the pamphlet called ‘Missoula RiverFront Bike Tour’ appears below:
18. Caras Park Before 1985 the area known as “Caras Park” was called “Island Park.” The name came from the fact that a braid of the Clark Fork River used to flow around the north side of the park making it a literal island in the river. The old Island Park included a pavilion, ice skating rink, trails, a bandstand and plantings, many of which were washed away in floods during the early 1900’s. When the Higgins Avenue Bridge was re-built 1961-62, the north braid of the river was filled in with soil from the main channel. Four and a half acres of the new land was dedicated to remain a city park. In 1985 the park was renamed “Caras Park” after the Caras family who helped the city obtain the new parkland and helped fund its development.
Below is a link to an article that appeared in the Spokesman Review in 1967, regarding plans for the City’s Island Park: