When one looks at a map of Topeka today, Gage Park lies almost exactly in the middle, and the park is certainly central to the pleasant memories of many Topekans.
Part of the park was designed by George Kessler, a famed landscape architect known for design of 49 parks in 23 states and two foreign countries. Some of his other work includes part of the University of Kansas campus, the Kansas City, Mo., parks and boulevard system, and the Lewis and Clark Exhibition Hall for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. His design for Gage Park was influenced by the City Beautiful movement that sought to overcome the negatives associated with large cities of the late 1800s by providing green, restorative areas for the citizenry.
When Kessler died in 1923, most documents and drawings from his St. Louis and Kansas City offices were destroyed or returned to clients. Rumor has it that an original ink drawing of Gage Park existed until the 1980s when it disappeared during a move of park offices. I've always hoped that someone who appreciated the beauty of Kessler's original ink over pencil drawing removed it for safekeeping and will return it to be displayed for all Topekans to see.
E. F. A. Reinisch, for whom the Rose Garden is named, translated much of Kessler's concept for the park into reality. Ornate flower gardens of the turn of the century included plantings featuring Navajo symbols and floral clocks. These are seen in old photos. One sees vestiges of that formality to this day in the Reinisch Rose Garden and at the Doran Rock Garden designed by Kansas State University in the 1920s.
As Topeka grew and the streetcar lines extended, the Topeka Zoo brought many more citizens to Gage Park. The zoo was one of the facilities that appealed to all, and does to this day. Of course the facilities, care and display of the animals has improved greatly since that day. Next time you visit the zoo, picture the entire parking lot as the swimming pool it once was, and the Helen Hocker Theater as the bathhouse for that pool.
I came to Topeka just as the Carousel in the Park project began. At that time, the carousel was a pile of dilapidated horses and unidentifiable parts in storage at the shop in Gage Park. The carousel had been close to being sold at auction. It looked to be a big challenge to restore, and when a volunteer fund-raising committee began working with city staff, most of us began to believe it could be a reality. This group raised more than $180,000 in private donations to match city dollars and restore the carousel.
What a process it was to restore something that old. Restored horses were delivered to Topeka two or three at a time by Will Morton of Denver in his old van. He would sleep in the van on his trip back to Colorado. I never asked him where he slept on his way to Topeka with the back end full of carefully wrapped animals.
The staff had its hands full too, working to make something built in 1908 meet modern safety standards without destroying the appearance of the carousel. If you look closely, you'll see they did a great job. You'll also see scenes of Topeka circa 1908, when Gage Park was in its infancy on the rounding boards overhead. The carousel preserves more than one part of Topeka's history. Two days before the carousel was to open, one of the park staff finished wiring the carousel just before an impromptu press gathering, only to find it ran backward! It was easily remedied, but we laughed about riding backward. Staff, contractors and volunteers worked right down to opening day to complete the carousel, in fact, the lacquer finish on the donor plaques was still damp as they were screwed to the carousel floorboards before the grand opening.
A 4-inch rain before the grand opening slowed the building construction so that landscaping was limited to wood chip mulch and portable planters. Compare that with the beautiful appearance of the area now. The later completion of the Hazel Von Rohr Victorian Garden transformed what once was a slimy, green eyesore into a beautiful complement to the carousel. It also led indirectly to the restoration of the Doran Rock Garden and improved accessibility for citizens of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
Gage Park has a way of building success on top of success. I'll never forget the shiver that ran down my spine the night of the Carousel Gala, the last fund-raiser for the project, held the night before the grand opening. As everyone strolled from the amphitheater, where we had just enjoyed a concert by Marshall's Band, toward the carousel, the overhead doors of the building rose and the brilliance of the lights on the carousel shone in the twilight from atop the hill. The Wurlitzer Military Band organ boomed out its music, and one felt like a child riding in the neighborhood Fourth of July Parade. You never wanted the feeling of wonder to end.
A career opportunity led me from Topeka before we could finish the Children's Party House renovation and creation of a broad pedestrian walkway lined with benches for resting, reading or playing through the Playland area to the south of AnimalLand. We had a vision of people of all generations and life experiences watching children play or playing themselves.
During the planning for renovation of the area south of AnimalLand, one city council member let me know that we were removing his all-time favorite toy from the park when we planned to remove the old tunnels and roller slide. I explained that this home-built toy had indeed been popular, but was a liability that had to come out before someone was injured. He seemed unconvinced.
Sometimes, fortune smiles. Working with the Topeka Community Founda-tion was just such an occurrence. While planning to celebrate its 10th anniversary in the community, the foundation executive director contacted us about creating a playground as its gift to the community. After working with members, I thought we had dashed their hopes for the tree house play area they hoped to create. They seemed receptive to considering Playland as an alternative, and after design and presentation to the council for matching funds, Playland came to be. There are plenty of smiles, picnics, photos and fun being generated on any warm day in this part of Gage Park and its safe to say that the loss of the roller slide was balanced with a number of appreciative parents who applauded the removal of the attractive nuisance.
Gage Park has a history of creative, one-of-a-kind play opportunities, like AnimalLand. Such is the case with the rocker toys found in the park to this day. These semicircle toys built by staff in the 1960s feature seats on both ends of a rocking fulcrum and thrill the riders with a sense of danger as they rise and fall. Although they disappeared briefly from the park in the 1980s, they were renovated and continue to be popular, if all the ruts are an indication. I can attest to the impossibility of tipping them over no matter how hard they're rocked (a good parks person has to test these things, for public safety). The most likely injury is to the feet of concerned adults who approach to "rescue" their little ones from having so much fun when the rocker get to rocking.
One of the special places in Gage Park is an area most people never see. The Civitan Camp has provided citizens with different abilities the chance to recreate and enjoy an outdoor experiences for many years. Thanks to former director of parks and recreation Dave Graversen's vision, and staff that continues to flesh out the details, Civitan Camp will soon enjoy a modern, new building that better meets the need of the program. The playground area created by the Civitan Club many years ago out of love and concern will soon include a home worthy of its service. They would welcome your help putting the finishing touches on the building.
What a great thing it was to see the Doran Rock Garden become accessible to all Topekans in the mid-1990s, without destroying its character. The men and women of the parks division made that possible with painstaking work to lay slabs of red rock from the foothills of Colorado. When we bemoan the loss of craftsmanship in this day and age, we need only look at Gage Park to see the work of modern day artisans. You have the chance to enjoy their efforts which blend so nicely with the handiwork of 60 years ago.
We received some unusual telephone calls from time to time about happenings in Gage Park. I'll never forget the lady who had been "dipping her toes" into the Rock Garden pond early one spring. While it seemed a little early given the cold water temperature, we refrained from laughing when she asked if we could try to find her purse and clothes in the pond. Without asking how those fell in while cooling her feet, we took the information and tried to help. I always wondered what the people in the field thought when they received that request for help from the office staff.
We learned never to discount any citizen reports, no matter how unusual they seemed, including the one about disfigured rabbits scaring picnickers one day. We listened somewhat incredulously to a description of misshapen rabbits harassing park visitors. Upon further investigation, we learned this sometimes happens with rabbit populations, and the folks from the KU Museum of Natural History removed all the offending bunnies from the park. It does cause one to rethink former President Jimmy Carter's story about a rabbit attack doesn't it?
I was proud of the role our park staff played in all the big occasions in Gage Park, such as when we designed and built the Children's Zoo in house. I still chuckle remembering a goat trying to eat Betty Lou Pardue's dress as she did the 5 o'clock news live from the Children's Zoo grand opening. Of course, she handled it like a pro and hardly missed a beat. The staff enjoyed a good laugh.
One of the saddest occasions ever had to be the day of the Tropical Rain Forest fire. Watching the keepers and all the staff who cared so much deal with their grief while working to protect the facility and collection from the cold temperatures and high winds of that cold fall day brought a tear to the toughest person's eye. All Topeka cared that day.
It has been said that the measure of remarkable accomplishment is the clamoring of the public to claim a piece of it. Gage Park is such an accomplishment, for it is the one park all Topekans claim as theirs. Happy anniversary Gage Park.
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