At one time, the bungalows were well-maintained, the grounds were manicured and the property was brightly illuminated with a series of wrought-iron lamps on rock-and-concrete pillars.
Today, the paint is peeling, the grass is losing ground to weeds, the lamps are gone and only eight of us live quietly in what was once a bustling community. It's no wonder curious kids turned Allen Park into a de facto spook alley.
On weekends during the summer months, their antics became an evening ritual. Around 10 p. Then, as if responding to a signal from the earth's magnetic field, they would surge down the long driveway and past the main house that guards the entrance. It was a game. Ignoring "No Trespassing" signs, the kids would try to see how far they could venture in before they were detected.
One evening during my first summer in Allen Park, I witnessed this cycle over a couple of six-packs with Ruth Price, the granddaughter of Allen Park founder Dr. George A. Allen, and Ruth's husband, Glen Becker.
We sat in the dark on lawn chairs, not far from the back of the main house, drinking beer and waiting for the show to start. Glen waited until several intruders were almost parallel with our concealed spot. Then he opened up with a blast of his signature salty language through an electronic megaphone.
The kids shrieked as if being confronted by the ghost of Dr. Allen himself, turned around and skittered pell-mell toward the front gate. For the most part, these interlopers did little damage. However, my neighbor came out one morning to find his Toyota 4-Runner's rear window shattered. On many nights, I've woken up to the sound of tires squealing and horns blowing. And, late one night, Glen intercepted a group of troublemakers who had hijacked the trailer holding my small sailboat and were gleefully wheeling it down the driveway toward East.
Allen had a passion for exotic birds and compassion for those least likely to afford his services. During the Great Depression, that included a lot of people. He never turned anybody down that needed him to come to their house. When her father acquired this land, she said, it was a small farm. The Allens—Dr. George, his wife, Ruth, and three children—moved into the barn near the west end of the property. She said she wanted her last child to be born on this property.
In the meantime, Scandinavian craftsmen were building an imposing log home for them nearby. Eskelsen," she said. And he was an immigrant. But he knew how to build log houses. In the s, the Allens built a series of winding paths along Emigration Creek in the expanse of property east of the log house. They planted trees and shrubs and created nooks with benches and tables where visitors could rest. They built fountains. They added cages and nesting boxes for Dr.
Allen's growing collection of rare pheasants and other exotic birds. Every Sunday, the property was opened to the general public. Mary Rose remembers a sign out on East that said, "Visitors Welcome. With cash in short supply, the family found other creative ways to develop the property. They welcomed truckloads of soil discarded by nearby building projects. They also convinced street construction crews to dump unwanted road material in Allen Park.
That's how the road got built. Meanwhile, Dr. Allen was already making a name for himself beyond the boundaries of his nascent community. In , author J. Cecil Alter included him in a collection of biographies of local community leaders, citing his involvement "with nearly every important civic movement in recent years. Among many other things, Alter gave Dr. Allen credit for conceiving the idea for the Salt Lake Zoological Society. He was its president when it broke ground for the Hogle Zoo.
To generate interest in the new zoo, Mary Rose said, her father could be quite a showman. And people would [ask], 'Hello, doctor, where did you get that? From time to time, Dr. Allen would also keep zoo animals on the property. Amy said the list included an elephant, a chimpanzee and several reindeer. This is the first time in roughly half a century Allen Park will be available for city residents to use. Neighbors say high school and college students, claiming to look for the dwarves who are rumored to live there, frequently trespass in the area.
The park, located on East across from Westminster College, hosts several historic buildings and pieces of artwork. It was one reason why nearby residents pushed for preservation. Special Collections, J. Allen Park founder, Dr. Allen, and wife Ruth. David Hampshire. More slideshows. Sarah Arnoff 25 images. Pro-gun rights rally - Saturday, April Sarah Arnoff 14 images.
Ray Howze 7 images. The park features "a vibrant and mature urban forest, home to peacocks, squirrels and other wildlife," city officials said. Emigration Creek also runs through the park space.
Mendenhall said there are plans to create a long-term preservation plan for the park over the next few years. David Amott, executive director of Preservation Utah, said the group plans to work with the city to help restore, interpret and program Allen Park for "the present moment and for years to come.
KSL homepage. News Coronavirus. Southern Utah. Sports Utah Jazz. BYU Cougars. Utah Utes. Pac Hotline. Utah State Aggies. Weber State Wildcats. Real Salt Lake. High School. Brandview Brad DeBry Law. Minky Couture. Salt Lake Chamber. U of U Health. MountainStar Healthcare.
0コメント