Natural History. Stewardship. Sustainablility.
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. However, after Hartley died, things began to go wrong. Rezoning eliminated the farm's profit margin and it began a steady fall into abandonment that culminated in the city claiming it and turning it into an urban park in 1941. The map shown is of the farm from the 1918, the year of peak activity. Click on the green dots, each of which links to a different old photograph of farming activities or landscapes from the time.
For a closer view of the map, click here