Lafayette County WI Archives History - Books .....McKellar Memorial Park 1976
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 28, 2008, 10:39 pm

Book Title: A History Of Blanchardville, Gem Of The Pecatonica

McKellar Memorial Park

    Mrs. Archibald McKellar and her family donated about four acres of land
along the eastern limits of the village for park purposes. The upper part of the
area was in a high, dry location and the lower portion was a depressed area and
extended down to the river. It required drainage.

    The deed was given to the village in 1930 and plans for the park were
started. A Business Men's Association was organized with the following members:
Harold Ostrum, Dr. Milton Stuessy, Melchior Schiesser, Carlton Chandler, LeRoy
Steensland, Henry Erickson, Walter Gould, Wm. McGuigan, Victor Jacobs, Ed
Thompson, Harry Disrud, Ed and Howard Jorenby, Allie Sardeson II, and Homer and
Verne Marshall.

    This organization obtained a bulldozer from the county and had a portion of
the hill hollowed out for an amphitheater. Stone and cement seats were placed
into it. The excavated dirt was thrown over the depressed area and leveled off.
Then it was tiled for good drainage.

    The land which comprises the west part of the park was purchased from the
Gunderson sisters for the purpose of enlarging the park area.

    Mr. Knut Nesheim, a skilled cabinet maker and carpenter who was born in
Norway, built a log cabin in memory of the Sons of Norway. In 1958 Robert
Watrud, Jr. and John Schiesser, under the guidance of Boy Scout Leader Clifford
Lien and Michael Myer, a stone mason, built the fireplace in the cabin.

    A swimming pool and a water fall were made by the Works Progress
Administration (an agency which was set up in 1935 to provide Federal funds for
worthwhile projects).

    Trees were planted by the Business Men who also built the first bath house.

    The Garden Club built both shelter houses. They donated the first one in
1940 and the second one in 1954. The club also maintains a beautiful flower garden.

    In 1954, the Lions Club built the restrooms in the upper part of the park
and in 1975 the village built the restrooms in the lower area.

    The new bathhouse was built in 1958 and it was constructed by donated labor.

    In 1961 park lights were set up with funds from the Business Men, the
school, other organizations and the village. New lights were added in 1975 with
Federal Revenue Sharing Funds.

    Four acres of land on the eastern border of the park were purchased from Art
Juve in 1966 for $1000; also in 1966, the Business Men donated $500.00 for a
shelter to house the barbecue pit. In 1967 the swimming pool was cemented.

    The Business Men and the village made a trailer camp along the Pecatonica
River in 1969.

    In 1970-71, the Stanley Gallagher family donated a basketball court in
memory of Daniel Gallagher who was killed in the Vietnam conflict.

    A children's fountain in the form of a hippopotamus was erected in the park
in 1973 by the Jaycees and Jaycettes.

    The Ellingson family donated a new fountain in 1975 in memory of Duane
Ellingson.

    In 1975 the Jaycees donated a speaker system.

    An electric scoreboard was donated by the school and the Business Men bought
bleachers from the school and gave them to the park.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from

A History of Blanchardville, Gem of the Pecatonica


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