County Farm Park

Last updated
County Farm Park
County Farm Park August 2013 28 (Outer Loop).jpg
The Outer Loop trail at County Farm Park
County Farm Park map.png
Map of County Farm Park
Type Public park
Location Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coordinates 42°15′21″N83°42′22″W / 42.255713°N 83.706036°W / 42.255713; -83.706036
Area141 acres (57 ha)
Created1972
Operated by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
StatusOpen all year
(daily 8am to dusk)

Nelson Meade County Farm Park is a 141-acre public park in eastern Ann Arbor, Michigan owned by Washtenaw County and operated by the county's Parks and Recreation Commission. [1] Consisting of a mix of woodlands, fields, and gardens, the park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and is a popular local destination for gardening, hiking, jogging, and biking. [1] [2] [3] The park has been county land since 1836, although for the majority of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was used as the county's poorhouse (complete with a working farm) and then as its infirmary. [2] In 1972, the site began transitioning to parkland with the creation of community gardens, and over the next couple decades various trails and a perennial garden were created. [1] [2] Since 2000, the park has experienced significant ecological restoration efforts, including the removal of invasive plants, prairie restoration, and the creation of a wet meadow during the restoration of Malletts Creek. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Background

The County Poor House in 1874 Washtenaw Co. Poor House & Insane Asylum, Pittsfield Tp. Mich.jpg
The County Poor House in 1874

The land that now constitutes County Farm Park was bought by Washtenaw County in 1836 from local resident Claudius Britton for $1,200. [1] [7] In order to comply with an 1830 Michigan Territory law requiring every county in the territory to construct and operate a poorhouse, Washtenaw County opened the County Poor House on the site in 1837. [1] [2] The Poor House was home to a diverse group of impoverished people, including those with physical and mental disabilities, injuries, illnesses, and those who were transient or simply unlucky. [7] The Poor House was operated by a "keeper", a local man with a background in agriculture who lived on site, while his wife was expected to cook for the residents. The Poor House was intended to be a self-sustaining working farm on which the residents covered their living expenses by growing and selling crops and livestock, although such sales never covered all of its costs except for a few years during the Civil War. The farm consisted of gardens used for growing vegetables and grains, orchards of apple, peach, and pear trees, and livestock including pigs, cattle, sheep, and chickens. [2]

The fitness trail, originally known as the Parcour exercise trail County Farm Park August 2013 31 (Fitness Trail).jpg
The fitness trail, originally known as the Parcour exercise trail

In 1917, the original Poor House building was replaced by a brick hospital known as the Washtenaw Infirmary. [1] In the 1930s, the advent of modern welfare led to a shift in institutional emphasis from sheltering the poor to serving those who needed continual medical care but could not afford it. [2] The Infirmary continued to operate until 1967, when it was required to either modernize or close. [1] In 1971, the Infirmary was finally closed after county officials concluded that it would be too costly to modernize, and the building itself was torn down in 1979. After the closure of the Infirmary, Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital considered moving to the site, but eventually decided on relocating elsewhere. The county then contemplated building a new courthouse on the grounds of the old Poor House before the land was turned over to the county's Parks and Recreation Commission for the creation of County Farm Park. [2]

The roots of the modern park itself go back to 1972, when Project Grow began gardening on eight acres of the site while the abandoned Washtenaw Infirmary building was still standing. [1] In 1976, the Parcour exercise trail (now the fitness trail) was constructed as a jogging and exercise trail in the mold of European fitness courses. [1] [2] [8] By the 1980s, the Project Grow gardens and the exercise trail had been joined by a woodland trail and a perennial garden on what was at the time 127 acres of park land. [2] In 1991, the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center was built on the site of the old Infirmary, at the northeastern corner of the park. [1]

In 2013, the park was formally renamed "Nelson Meade County Farm Park" to honor the contributions of Nelson Meade (1927–2018), the commissioner of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, upon his retirement. [8] [9] [10]

Features

Britton Woods Nature Area

Britton Woods County Farm Park August 2013 32 (Britton Woods).jpg
Britton Woods

County Farm Park contains the Britton Woods Nature Area, an 18-acre forested area named for Claudius Britton, the last private landowner of what is the modern park who sold the land to the county in 1836. It contains both upland and floodplain tree species, including upland oak, hickory, and cherry trees as well as floodplain maple, ash, ironwood, and hornbeam trees. [1] Numerous species of wildflowers grow in Britton Woods, but the white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) and Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) are the most common. Other native flowers, including Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens), False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), and Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum), are also part of the ecosystem. [4]

Together, the trees and wildflowers found in Britton Woods are representational of the wooded areas that existed in the Ann Arbor area before it was extensively settled. [1] Ongoing ecological restoration takes place in the woods, which includes activities such as prescribed burns and the removal of invasive species such as honeysuckle (Lonicera) and buckthorn (Rhamnus). [4]

County Farm Nature Area

Fox Hollow Prairie County Farm Park August 2013 09 (Fox Hollow Prairie).jpg
Fox Hollow Prairie

The County Farm Nature Area consists of the non-wooded remainder of County Farm Park, which was used for agricultural purposes before the park was established but has since been renaturalized with fields, hedges, and groundcover. The old field succession habitat is home to a multitude of different animals, including many bird species, rabbits, pheasant, woodchucks, and skunks, as well as the occasional fox or deer. [1]

In 2009, the Fox Hollow area of the County Farm Nature Area was planted as a prairie through a partnership between the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project. The process of planting the prairie was straightforward, consisting simply of raking the ground, removing loose materials, and then sowing the land with seeds collected from Buhr Park's wet meadows. A wide variety of seeds were used in the planting, including yellow coneflower, Ironweed, prairie dock, Indiangrass, sneezeweed, and switchgrass, as well as various varieties of goldenrod, beardtongue, black-eyed Susan, and milkweed. [5]

Malletts Creek

A tributary of Malletts Creek within the park County Farm Park August 2013 11 (County Farm Creek).jpg
A tributary of Malletts Creek within the park

Malletts Creek is a tributary of the Huron River and the most substantial waterway in the City of Ann Arbor at a length of 4.7 miles (7.6 km). [11] [12] A tributary of Maletts Creek flows through County Farm Park, and in 2011 and 2012 a portion of this tributary within the park was converted into a three-acre wet meadow with native vegetation. [6] [12] [13] The conversion was part of a larger Malletts Creek restoration project that cost $2.8 million and resulted in the accidental death of an excavator operator, although it was successful in mitigating the threat of erosion to the creek and reducing the amount of phosphorus that flowed through it and into the Huron River by 25 percent. [6]

Gardens

County Farm Park has a wide variety of different gardens, including an octagonal perennial flower garden, a "native grasses display" on the Outer Loop trail, and a "Kids & Trees" nursery near the children's playground. [14] It also includes the Project Grow Community Gardens, which consist of 84 total plots in two sections available for rental by individuals. [15] Project Grow's gardens at County Farm Park constitute the oldest and largest part of its network, which in total consists of 15 individual sites and over 350 separate plots throughout the Ann Arbor area. [15] [16] The Project Grow gardens at County Farm Park have been in existence since 1972, when they emerged as a direct product of the environmental and community gardening movements of the 1970s, although they were also substantially influenced by the world war-era tradition of "victory gardens". [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Ann Arbor is a city in and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States. The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the fifth-largest city in Michigan. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor is also included in the Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area and the Great Lakes megalopolis, the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washtenaw County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Washtenaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat and largest city is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw County comprises the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is home to the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, and Concordia University Ann Arbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexter, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

The City of Dexter is a city situated in Washtenaw County, Michigan, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was recorded at 4,500. Residential areas in Dexter include the original settlements along the Baker Road, Central Street, and Dexter-Ann Arbor Road corridors, as well as newer subdivisions and condominiums in both the eastern and western parts of town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan</span> Charter township in Michigan, United States

Pittsfield Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 34,663 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Township, Michigan</span> Charter township in Michigan, United States

York Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,708 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huron River</span> River in Michigan, United States

The Huron River is a 130-mile-long (210 km) river in southeastern Michigan, rising out of the Huron Swamp in Springfield Township in northern Oakland County and flowing into Lake Erie, as it forms the boundary between present-day Wayne and Monroe counties. Thirteen parks, game areas, and recreation areas are associated with the river, which passes through the cities of Dexter, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Belleville, Flat Rock and Rockwood that were developed along its banks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hieftje</span> American politician

John Hieftje is an American politician who served as the 60th mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hieftje began his political career in 1999, when he was elected to the city council for Ann Arbor's 1st Ward as a Democrat. He was first as Mayor in 2000, and was re-elected in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet meadow</span>

A wet meadow is a type of wetland with soils that are saturated for part or all of the growing season which prevents the growth of trees and brush. Debate exists whether a wet meadow is a type of marsh or a completely separate type of wetland. Wet prairies and wet savannas are hydrologically similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buhr Park</span> Park in Michigan, United States of America

Buhr Park is a 39-acre public park in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho San Antonio County Park</span>

Rancho San Antonio County Park and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve are a conjoined public recreational area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the northwest quadrant of Santa Clara County, California. The County Park is bordered by Los Altos with some parts of the eastern part of the County Park in western Cupertino. The Open Space Preserve is on the west side of the County Park, also bordered by Los Altos Hills, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, and the Permanente Quarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinckney State Recreation Area</span>

Pinckney State Recreation Area is a Michigan state recreation area in Dexter, Sylvan and Lyndon Townships, Washtenaw County and Putnam and Unadilla Townships, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) and sits at an elevation of 922 feet (281 m). The park is connected to the nearby Waterloo State Recreation Area by the 35-mile (56 km) Waterloo–Pinckney Trail. Pinckney State Recreation Area is open for year-round recreation including hiking, fishing, swimming, hunting and a variety of winter sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor District Library</span>

The Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) is a public library system that serves the residents of the Ann Arbor, Michigan school district. The Downtown Library, located at 343 South Fifth Avenue, was dedicated in 1957 and had building additions in 1974 and 1991. AADL also includes four branch libraries: Malletts Creek, Traverwood, Pittsfield, and Westgate. At the beginning of the fiscal year of 2021–2022, the library reopened for full service after a year of vestibule service during the COVID-19 pandemic. 8,403 new library cards were issued during the fiscal year, and AADL saw a total door count of 909,101. The library's system holds over 480,000 materials - including books, DVDs and Blu-rays, CDs, audiobooks, tools, art prints, language materials, and more. These materials saw almost 5 million checkouts in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The library also offers access to databases and Libby, an online source of ebooks and audiobooks. While these numbers don't fully compare to pre-COVID-19 numbers, they're approaching an equilibrium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marra Farm</span>

Marra Farm, a 4-acre (1.6 ha) plot of land in Marra-Desimone Park, South Park, Seattle, Washington is one of only two historic agricultural parcels inside Seattle city limits that retains an agricultural use today; the other is Picardo Farm.

The Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail is a partially constructed non-motorized trail in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The trail is planned to cover approximately 35 miles (56 km) from Livingston County to Wayne County along the Huron River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks in Colorado Springs, Colorado</span>

There are a wide range of recreational areas and facilities in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parker Mill</span> United States historic place

The Parker Mill, also known as Parker Mill Park or Parker Mill Complex, is a mill located at 4650 Geddes Road, east of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The mill is a well-preserved example of a small-scale grist mill operation that was once common in Michigan. The mill and nearby Parker House were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Michelle Regalado Deatrick is an American politician, activist, and poet. Deatrick serves as the elected National Chair of the Democratic National Committee's Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis, which she founded in August, 2019. Deatrick also served as a surrogate and 2020 Michigan co-chair for the Bernie Sanders campaign. She served in the Peace Corps in East Africa, and as Vice Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Elected to the Democratic National Committee in 2016, she was also elected Midwest Representative to the DNC Women's Caucus in 2018. Deatrick was the Special Projects Director in Michigan for the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, and stumped for Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was a policy analyst at Stanford University. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and holds Master's degrees from Harvard University and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Deatrick is also a member of UAW Local 2320 and serves as a delegate to her regional labor federation. She serves on the board of directors of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. In addition to her political career, she has won several national poetry fellowships and awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malletts Creek</span> River in the United States of America

Malletts Creek is a stream in Washtenaw County, Michigan. A tributary to the Huron River, much of Malletts Creek's watershed lies within urban or suburban areas. Approximately 40% of the land within the creek's watershed is topped with impermeable surfaces. As a result, the stream exists in an extremely impaired state, and testing sites on the stream monitored through the "Adopt-A-Stream" program continuously indicate the streams poor quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ward-Meade House</span> Historic house in Kansas, United States

The Ward-Meade House is a historic house in Topeka, Kansas. It was built in 1870 for Anthony A. Ward and his wife, née Mary Jane Foster. It was inherited by their daughter Jennie, who lived here with her husband John Meade, an engineer for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It remained in the Ward-Meade family until 1961, when it was acquired by the city of Topeka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mooreville, Michigan</span> Unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Mooreville is an unincorporated community in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within York Township. As an unincorporated community, Mooreville has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "County Farm Park". Washtenaw County . Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shackman, Grace (October 1986). "The County Poor House". Ann Arbor Observer: Then & Now . Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ Daily, Shelley (February 5, 2010). "Diverse residential neighborhoods, Burns Park, the Big House and The Arb are mainstays of Central Ann Arbor". AnnArbor.com . Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Meader, Rick (May 15, 2013). "County Farm Park's Britton Woods is a native plant must-see". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Brush, Andy (April 5, 2009). "Fox Hollow Prairie Planting". Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Biolchini, Amy (May 9, 2012). "Controversial restoration of Malletts Creek 'substantially complete'". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "The County Poor House". Ann Arbor District Library . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "County Farm Park". Washtenaw County. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ Leary, Margaret (December 22, 2013). "County Renames Park for Nelson Meade". The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Nelson K. Meade (obituary)". The Ann Arbor News . July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Malletts Creek Restoration Project". Washtenaw County. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Berg, Nicole (September 30, 2011). "Malletts Creek stream restoration and construction begins". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  13. ↑ Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. "Malletts Creek Stream Walkover Survey" (PDF). Washtenaw County. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ "County Farm Park Gardens". Washtenaw County. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "County Farm". Project Grow Community Gardens. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Project Grow's Mission Statement". Project Grow Community Gardens. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.