Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 42: Redwood Falls Parks, 1916

It has become the fixed policy of many towns and of all large cities, also of states and the national government to acquire the ownership of tracts of special scenic value, in order to protect them from spoliation for commercial gain or the limited and exclusive use of private ownership, and maintain them as recreation grounds for the pleasure and welfare of all their citizens.

Although Redwood Falls is located central to the largest prairie area of Minnesota, in the edge of what was once known as the Great American Desert, extending many hundreds of miles across the territory of the middle West, its system of scenic parks and driveways is not equalled in variety of strikingly picturesque effects by any tract of its size.

This remarkable exhibit is the result of rock formations fixed during geological periods, ages before the earth was fit for the habitation of man, and to its location at the junction of the valleys of the Ramsey and Redwood river near to where the Redwood valley opens out into the deeply depressed bottom lands of the Minnesota.

Underlying beds of granite rock come nearer to the surface level of the country at this point than elsewhere so that both streams have a very tortuous and zig zag course as they have found or made their way over, between and through the immense rock ledges which they have uncovered and these streams are a continuous succession of rapids and waterfalls until they descend to about 200 feet below the surrounding prairie level.

The shelter of the valleys with their moisture from the streams and the frequent springs which formed deep ravines extending farther out into the higher lands gave protection in early times against the ravages of the prairie fires which swept and blackened this region at every fall season, and preserved a heavy growth of timber and abundant wild animal life which made this a veritable oasis in a desert prairie waste.

Lake Redwood Park. To preserve a considerable portion of this tract in the primitive condition as found by the white man would seem to be a sufficiently ambitious enterprise of this kind, but a closer observation of the extensive widening of the Redwood valley above the narrow rock gorge which extends under the river bridge disclosed that here was a natural basin for holding a water reservoir extending several miles up the river that would be a valuable addition to the recreational resources of the town. The building of a high dam for this purpose would not be producing an altogether artificial result, for it would be but reproducing a condition and appearance that existed at a still more primitive time at least thousands of years ago, before the torrents of the streams had ploughed their way through the rock barrier which then held the waters of the original Lake Redwood, which then, as now, rested so quietly along the winding course of the stream, with its shore line alternating with wooded bluffs and prairie slopes.

A rock crusher grinding the granite blasted from one side of the river, and a sand pit at the other side supplied materials which, mixed and cemented, was used to build the concrete dam for water power purposes.

The town purchased the land for overflowage, with an additional lakeside tract coming to within a block of a business street, equipped with boat houses, a public bath house and toboggan slide, with contract made with owner of the water power to maintain water at a specified high level. Redwood Falls now owns this Lake Redwood property of about 200 acres, which make liberal provision for outdoor summer and winter sports and recreation.

A flotilla of launches and row boats, a bandstand erected out in the lake, electric lighting of grounds for evening use, an additional park area three miles up the valley, where was built a large pavilion to accommodate picnic parties and excursionists, made this a popular resort until interest was diverted to other park development and to automobiling.

Redwood Falls Park. The next important acquisition to the scenic city park system was the original mill lot farther down the river containing the Redwood Falls, from which the town takes its name, and a considerable portion of the horseshoe bend in the river nearly surrounding a high wooded tableland and driveway overlooking the most picturesque portions of the stream. One rare feature of the tract is a nearly perpendicular northern slope, protected by its position and by foliage from the summer sun, supplied with moisture from rains, and exaporation from the stream below, kept cool by the underlying rock formation; all of which has induced the growth of acres of a thick cushion of mosses interspersed with lichens and ferns.

The utility of the water power resources at this point has had an important part in the development of this part of the state. Here, at the Redwood Falls, was built, by the United States government during the fifties, in reservation days, the first saw mill for the only supply of lumber for this region at that time. A few rods above this was later built the first grist mill in the upper Minnesota valley. A little later, still farther up stream, a second flour mill was erected, and this was followed by a third flour mill, which utilized the rapids around the bend below the Little Falls, making four improved water power sites within the village limits, all within a range of one hundred rods of each other. Most of this waterfall has now been combined by construction of a concrete flume extending along the bluff from near the upper level of Lake Redwood to a secluded corner of Redwood Falls park, where a small but neat, unpretentious building at the river's edge contains a modern, up-to-date power plant supplying light and heat and power to four towns for the varied industrial and household uses to which electricity can be applied.

It is doubtful if any other city of any size owns a tract so ruggedly picturesque adjacent to its business section and surrounded by its near resident districts, as the Redwood Falls park.

Alexander Ramsey State Park. Extending out from the town down the river, to its junction with the Ramsey valley, is a larger park area purchased by the state of Minnesota and known as the Ramsey state park. The Redwood river enters this tract on the east, through a deep rock gorge with massive granite walls, while Ramsey creek tumbles along its tortuous course from the west over beds of boulders until it plunges over the perpendicular rock precipice known as the Ramsey falls, about the same height as the Minnehaha.

The water basin at the foot of the falls, nearly surrounded by towering masses of granite to which cling mosses and vines, and the red cedar trees with their rich evergreen foliage, the deep gulch below the glens above, all surrounded by extremely abrupt surfaces of wooded hills and bluffs, make a setting for a waterfall scene that is rarely equaled.

The different levels of the park, from the low bottom lands to the high exposed portions, the varied soils and sub-soils and exposures to all points of the compass, have given growth to so many species of plant and flower and vine and bush and tree that it is a veritable botanical garden of wild plant life.

It is still within the memory of old settlers that elk, deer, bear, lynx and buffalo, as well as many smaller animals had their home in this vicinity.

All shooting is prohibited in the park and within the city limits, many bird houses built, roomy enclosures for deer and elk and other provision made for the return of wild animal life.

The park contains large deposits of sand, beds of gravel and heavy clays and unlimited supplies of granite in various stages of decomposition, providing the best materials for roadbeds and surface finishing, while there are nearby deposits of lignite coal, pure white kaolin, iron ore, paint rock and cliffs of cream white clay and other deposits of geologic and commercial interest.

Easy Access to Parks. The scenic city parks cannot be "improved," as is usually necessary with city park development, as their chief attraction will always depend on the policy of their present management to preserve them unchanged, except to provide that its features shall be easily accessible by maintaining the several miles of winding driveways and river crossings which have been constructed to reach, by easy grades, all levels and extremities and to extend the system of foot paths to the otherwise inaccessible portions.

roads, while all roads are usually good in this section during the outing season of the year. It is within a five-hour ride hy train or an easy auto trip from the twin cities.

Passing through here is one of the main routes through the state from the cities to the Dakota line, which is a part of the "Black and Yellow Trail" extending from Chicago through Minnesota and the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Yellowstone park, which will become the most popular scenic auto route of the northwest.

The success of any public enterprise which is not distinctly commercial in its character is the result of co-operation of publicspirited citizens. A considerable number of these have contributed necessary assistance toward the development for public use of the scenic city parks, but each succeeding generation in Minnesota will be deeply indebted for what will become the most notable scenic attraction of the state.

First, to Dr. J. G. Rhieldaffer and family, who owned the Ramsey park tract for over forty years without revenue. During this time they made no restriction on its use for recreation purposes, and never allowed it to be despoiled, even by pasturing, so that a riotous growth of wild flowering plants blooming from the earliest to the latest growing season covers nearly its entire area.

It is seldom that so long a continued private ownership of a tract of this kind has resulted in so great a public benefit, for it easily could have been put to such use as would be disastrous to its park value. It passed to state ownership at a very moderate estimate of price, the entire purchase cost of the Ramsey park being slightly more than $4,000.00, being about the same amount as paid by the city of Redwood Falls for the Lake Park area.

Dr. Rhieldaffer was a prominent early resident of St. Paul contemporary with Governor Ramsey, and of the same type of sterling character and public spirit, and was a state official before coming to Redwood Falls.

The moving spirit behind the park project has been H. M. Hitchcock, whose hard work, enthusiasm and unselfish devotion have been important factors in making the park possible.

The legislative campaign for establishing the Ramsey park was directed by Senator Frank Clague, representing this district. His long service in the legislature was of such a character that he held some of its most responsible official positions. His persistent record of opposition to extravagant appropriations gave his recommendation weight. Senator Clague 's advocacy, with the loyal co-operation of Representative Jos. R. Keefe in the house, secured a practically unanimous vote for the purchase and improvement of Ramsey park in the session of 1911. During the succeeding sessions unreserved support of maintenance appropriations have been given by Representatives C. M. Bendixen, Albert Hauser and by Senator Potter, all of them advocating as a fortunate privilege, especially to those of this prairie section of the state, to provide so close at hand this minature duplicate of the rugged scenes of the west and of the forest reserve of the north.

The greatest personal obligation, however, for the pleasures of the park are to Commissioner Jos. Tyson, who enthusiastically devotes his chief interest and most of his time to this project. He has proven himself an expert in road construction, which has been the most difficult, but the most necessary part of his job, and this has been splendidly accomplished without any payment for high priced professional engineer's service. From early hours to late during the working season, he has closely superintended every improvement, and it is a marvel to those of good judgment of this work that so much has been accomplished with so little expenditure. A small annual payment is allotted by the state auditor for Mr. Tyson's services, but they would be just as freely given without any payment, and could not be more so with several times the amount. Under his administration, the purposes of the park are being realized with the attendance, frequently to hundreds and on special occasions, thousands of visitors. It is due to Mr. Tyson's management that Ramsey park is becoming the most popular and the most liberally utilized of any of the small investments that Minnesota has made.

Indian Legend. The utility and attractiveness of this portion of Redwood county had a determining influence over much early history of unusual interest pertaining to the development of this part of western Minnesota, beginning with the occurrence which gave origin to the name of the Redwood river.

The name is a translation of the Indian word Tchansayapi, the only name by which the river was known up to the territorial days of Minnesota, and is the name still commonly used by the* Sioux Indians now living in Redwood county.

It is generally supposed that the name Redwood was chosen because of the abundant growth of the red cedar trees, which rooted themselves in the rock crevices and is one of the characteristic features of the locality.

Inquiry of the state historical society secures the statement that the Indians named this river because of the growth of the red willow or, as the Indians called it, kinnikinick, which grew more plentifully here than elsewhere, and they valued this highly for its bark which they gathered and dried and smoked.

The pleasing effects of this use of the plant was not entirely imaginary for it has a soothing effect on the nerves. There has been extensive use of this plant as medicine and the chemist has analyzed it and extracted from it a fine white crystal effective in the relief of rheumatic and neuralgic pains, but its medicinal' value was doubtless learned from the Indian medicine man.

Either one of these two views of the origin of the name of Redwood river seems sufficiently plausible to be accepted, but neither one is true according to a legend that is told among the Indians who should be the best authority on this question.

The name Tchansayapi, like many other Indian names, was chosen because of an important event and this occurred many years, probably many generations before the white explorer had ventured to the upper Mississippi or Minnesota valleys.

It is a natural supposition that here was one of the Indian's most happy hunting grounds, but this is more than a mere conjecture for the story that is told relates that this locality was so highly prized by both of the principal tribes who occupied this northwest territory, the Sioux from the west and the Chippewa's from the north and east, that there was a spirited contest between these two Indian nations for the possession.

At a certain time during this period of conflict, as a scouting party of Sioux Indians passed through the woods along the stream they marked trees with spots of red paint as a guide to a larger band of warriors who were to follow.

In commemoration of their success in finally securing undisputed possession of this region, the Sioux Indians christened the river with the name Tchansayapi, the word probably coined for this use, which being interpreted in the light of its origin, means the river by the trees painted red.