Gallup Park

Gallup Park
View of the Huron River in the park
Location	Washtenaw County, Michigan
Coordinates	42°16′22″N83°41′32″W / 42.27278°N 83.69222°W / 42.27278; -83.69222
Area	69 acres (28 ha)
Designated	April 21, 1958 (1958-04-21)
Operated by	City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Facilities	Canoe livery
Website	www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/Pages/Gallup.aspx

Gallup Park is a park on the Huron River in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Gallup Park is the busiest park in the Ann Arbor parks system, and features multiple amenities including a canoe livery, universal-access playgrounds, and a public boat launch. The park's pathways form a major component of the Border-to-Border Trail, a multi-use trail that spans Washtenaw County.

Location

Gallup Park is located on the Huron River at Geddes Pond, an impoundment of the river created by Geddes Dam. ^{[1] [2]} The 69-acre (28 ha) park contains a series of artificial islands in Geddes Pond, with bridges between the islands creating a 1.65-mile (2.66 km) trail loop that connects both sides of the river. ^[3]

The longest pathway in Gallup Park carries the Border-to-Border Trail for 3.25 miles (5.23 km), from Mitchell Field upstream to Geddes Dam downstream, parallel to the tracks of the Michigan Line. ^[3]

Gallup Park connects to multiple adjacent parks along the Huron River, including Mitchell Field, Furstenburg Nature Area, and Parker Mill County Park. The park borders the Nichols Arboretum and Huron Hills Golf Course, but access is obstructed by the Michigan Line railroad tracks. ^[4]

Most of the park is located within Ann Arbor city limits, except for its eastern entrance, which extends into Ann Arbor Charter Township. ^[5]

Amenities

The Gallup Park canoe livery operates in tandem with a sister facility upstream at Argo Park, renting boats for local use on Geddes Pond and one-way trips on the river. The canoe livery building also features event space, a cafe, and year-round restrooms. ^[6]

Entrance to the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden

A butterfly garden was created in the park in 1989, supported by the Ann Arbor North chapter of the Rotary Club. The Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden supports a habitat for butterflies and hummingbirds, whose population peaks in the fall. ^[7]

Gallup Park serves as a habitat for multiple species of birds, especially in a meadow of sedge on the north side of the river. Species present in Gallup Park include the willow flycatcher, downy woodpecker, and the prothonotary warbler. During the winter, additional species of waterfowl are often seen in the park, including the common merganser and other species of ducks. ^[8]

Gallup Park is home to multiple works of art. The largest artwork on display is Canoe Fan, a monumental sculpture by Victoria Fuller installed in 2015. Other sculptures installed in the park include larger-than-life concrete figures of animals found in the park, including a Canada goose, a painted turtle, and a muskrat. ^[9] In addition to its permanent art installations, Gallup Park hosts an annual temporary art installation, "Embracing Our Differences Michigan," since 2022. Embracing Our Differences Michigan focuses on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion, presenting artworks from local and national artists of all ages. Gallup Park is its largest site, with additional installations at parks throughout the Ann Arbor–Ypsilanti area. ^[10]

History

Entrance to Gallup Park from Huron Parkway

Gallup Park is located on Geddes Pond, an impoundment of the Huron River created by Geddes Dam. Detroit Edison operated Geddes Dam for hydropower in the early 20th century, in coordination with three other dams on the Huron River: Barton Dam, Argo Dam, and Superior Dam. By the late 1950s, Detroit Edison was no longer interested in operating the dams, and offered them to the City of Ann Arbor. Detroit Edison sold the four dams to the city in 1963 for a total of $400,000, equivalent to $3.1 million in 2023. ^{[11] [12]}

A parcel of land upstream of Geddes Dam was purchased by the city in 1955, and designated as "Gallup Lake Park" in 1958. The original 14-acre (5.7 ha) site on the south side of the river was overgrown and marshy, with a large population of wildlife. The site was only accessible from the back of the adjacent Huron Hills Golf Course, separated by the main line of the Michigan Central Railroad. ^{[13] [14]} Construction began slowly, using surplus landfill from building projects around the city, including the construction of Mary Markley Hall in the late 1950s. ^[1]

Amtrak's Wolverine train passing through Gallup Park in 2003

Geddes Dam failed in the summer of 1968 following a major rainstorm, draining Geddes Pond and diminishing the population of wildlife in the park. Funding to repair the dam was secured in 1971, and repairs to Geddes Dam were completed in 1973. ^[15] While Geddes Pond was dry, plans were drawn up for improvements to the site, centered on the principle of "return to the river." The designs emphasized the role of water in the site, with a series of artificial islands in the middle of Geddes Pond connected by bridges. ^[16]

Major earthworks, including the construction of the islands, were completed while the pond was dry, with a second phase of improvements completed after the pond was refilled in 1973. These improvements included a wooden bridge over the river for cars, and a series of footbridges between the islands. ^[1]

The 1976-vintage one-lane timber car bridge deteriorated substantially in the 21st century, and was demolished in February 2024. A replacement bridge was expected to be completed in the summer of 2024, but was delayed. ^[17] A new bridge opened in October 2024, providing additional space for pedestrians and cyclists and retaining a single car lane. ^[18]

Namesake

Memorial rock at the north entrance to Gallup Park, dedicated to Eli Gallup

Eli A. Gallup (1891-1964) served as the Superintendent of Parks in Ann Arbor for over 40 years, from 1919 to 1961. Gallup was born in Macedon, New York, and studied forestry at the University of Michigan, graduating with a master's degree in 1916. During his four decades of service to the City of Ann Arbor, Gallup personally directed projects that resulted in the creation of the Ann Arbor parks system as it is known today. Gallup was known for his personal flair and his conservation of scarce resources, and his initiatives resulted in the creation of Ann Arbor icons such as The Rock. ^[19]

A memorial to Gallup stands at the north entrance to the park. Gallup's intense interest in unusual boulders inspired the memorial, a boulder of dark granite fused to a smaller piece of white limestone. The boulder, excavated during the construction of Huron Hills Golf Course, was found in a maintenance yard after his death, and dedicated in his memory. ^[20]

References

1. Shackman, Grace (2021). "Huron River Renaissance: Ann Arbor Rediscovers Its River". Ann Arbor Observer (City Guide ed.). Retrieved 2024-03-19– via Ann Arbor District Library.
2. "New Bridge OKd For Gallup Park". The Ann Arbor News. May 4, 1976. Retrieved 2024-03-19– via Ann Arbor District Library.
3. Welcome to Gallup Park (Map). City of Ann Arbor. Archived from the original on 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
4. Stanton, Ryan (June 13, 2022). "After train crash, Ann Arbor weighs need for pedestrian underpass". MLive. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
5. "Parcel Number: I -09-36-220-010". Ann Arbor Charter Township. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
6. "Parks & Places: Gallup Park Livery". City of Ann Arbor. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
7. Athan, Tim (August 19, 2013). "August 2013 Question Corner: Gallup Park Butterfly Garden". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
8. Berger, Juliet (Winter 2019). "A Treasure for Birds: Gallup Park" (PDF). Natural Area Preservation News. Vol. 24, no. 4. City of Ann Arbor. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
9. Stanton, Ryan (August 7, 2015). "Grand opening celebration today for public art along Huron River". MLive. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
10. Polich, Deb (July 18, 2023). "creative:impact - Students complete Embracing Our Differences". WEMU . Retrieved 2024-03-29.
11. Fulton, Doug (October 26, 1970). "Flood Washed Away Decade Of Dam Plans". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved 2024-03-20– via Ann Arbor District Library.
12. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 2023-11-30. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
13. "Gallup Lake Park: Recent History" (PDF). City of Ann Arbor. 1973. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
14. "Name City Park For Eli Gallup: Geddes Pond Peninsula Honors Superintendent". The Ann Arbor News. April 22, 1958. p. 15 – via NewsBank.
15. "Dam Project FInished". The Ann Arbor News. March 10, 1973. p. 3 – via NewsBank.
16. Schlain, Jan (August 23, 2017). "Return to the River". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
17. Stanton, Ryan (February 15, 2024). "Emergency demolition begins on Gallup Park bridge". MLive. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
18. Longoria, Ana (October 24, 2024). "Gallup Park bridge reopened to the Ann Arbor public". WEMU. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
19. "Retired Parks Department Head, Eli Gallup, Dies At Age Of 73". The Ann Arbor News. June 25, 1964. p. 21 – via NewsBank.
20. Rueter, Anne (July 1982). "Gallup Park". Ann Arbor Observer. Vol. 6, no. 11. pp. 35–41 – via Ann Arbor District Library.

External links

• Official website
• Media related to Gallup Park at Wikimedia Commons