The History of  Hartley Park

Hartley Park's history is long and varied.  When G. G. Hartley began to purchase land for a farming enterprise at the end of the 19th century, the land of the park was unpopulated mixed forest on the outskirts of the city of Duluth.  Hartley grew both his dairy and produce businesses into one of the most lucrative farms in Minnesota.   After Hartley died, however, things began to go wrong, and rezoning eliminated the farm's profit margin, it began a steady fall into abandonment that culminated in the city claiming it and turning it into an urban park in 1941.

When you see the cursor as a pointing finger, wait a bit & you'll get some information about that area. Then when you click there, you'll get a close up view of that area-a window to the past.

Click HERE to return to the Natural History page

 

Click for information on:

Hartley Family

Hartley History Time Line

The Dairy

Soap Box Derby

 

 

 The derby race track was completed & first used in 1962The farm buildings here were removed a year or two after the 1939 airfoto was taken.You can still see the quarries, but the forest and its critters have reclaimed the ski trail.You can see the root cellar today: follow the trail up the stairs seen along Hartley Road Trail.The boulder fence is still there. Some foundation remnants remain after the buildings were removed a year or two after the airfoto was taken.The neighborhood planted Victory Gardens during the Second World War.The farm buildings near the present HNC building were removed a year or two after the 1939 airfoto was taken.

Any weird stuff happening here? contact the webtech @ LadyHawlke Design Company arr c2004