The History and Future of Lithia Park
Ashland’s Lithia Park has been the crown jewel of the city for the past 100 years, drawing tourists from across the world and becoming the backdrop for many Ashland resident’s memories. Lithia Park has changed and evolved alongside the town, but has always been a source of pride for those who call Ashland home. Created in 1892, the park began as a small place for adults to gather for entertainment during the Chautauqua movement, which was popular in Ashland during the time. The park served as a standard community gathering ground until 1912 when John McLaren, the designer of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, was commissioned to turn Lithia Park into the manicured public space we know today. Over the 100+ years that the park has been around, the main use of the park as well as the attractions within it have changed. At different points during the park’s history there were donkey rides, auto camping, and served as a mineral spring resort. In the years following the re-design by John McLaren, interest in the mineral spring resort died out along with the Chautauqua movement, leaving the park unable to fund the upkeep which eventually led to it falling into disrepair. During this time vandals completely destroyed several of the park’s monuments and landmarks. In 1974 a historic flood ripped through Lithia Park which scoured much of the land which led residents of Ashland to vote for additional funding to be allotted to the park so that repairs and improvements could be done. Another terrible flood reshaped Lithia Park in 1994 and damaged large parts of downtown Ashland, leading the park to take on significant structural work to Ashland Creek including building bridges throughout the park which changed a large portion of the landscape, creating Lithia Park in the final form that we now know it.
Given the Lithia Park’s standing within the community and its fame on both a national and international level, it seems imperative to practice prudent planning efforts for the future of the park. Today 42 of Lithia Park’s total 93 acres are listed under the National Register of Historic Places, creating a special opportunity to preserve a piece of Southern Oregon’s history. City officials have found themselves in a special situation that requires them to plan for the long-term future of the park. In August of 2017 the Ashland City Council voted 3–1 to approve $230,000 in spending to create a 100 year master plan for the park’s future. After hearing the qualifications from different national firms, the city council awarded the contract to the Portland based MIG, Inc consulting firm along with other subcontractors including a local landscape architect Ken Cairn Associates. The MIG, Inc firm was chosen for the contract in part due to its experience creating large-scale master plans previously including the Luscher Farm Master Plan in Lake Oswego, the Dorris Ranch in Springfield and the Yosemite National Park. The firm also has experience dealing with historic places, sensitive natural resources as well as trail and park design, which made it all the more attractive to those tasked with awarding the contract to a firm.
Project manager Laurie Matthews of MIG, Inc has made it abundantly clear that their vision for the park for the next 100 years is not to revamp it or create any major changes, which is sure to create a sigh of relief for many residents of Ashland. In its proposal to the city, the firm stated that “we are not focused on proposing major new changes, but enhancing what resonates and changing things that will benefit the character and health of the park,” in addition they stressed the importance of planning the next 100 years for the park around what the community feels they need and what they envision the park to look like. Functionality and preservation is stressed in the proposal, the main focus is not to change what Lithia Park currently is, but rather the goal is to make it more accessible and useable by the residents of Southern Oregon so that it will continue to be the centerpiece of the city. Some of the goals outlined in the proposal are to address the lack of parking for disabled individuals, create a sidewalk along Winburn Way that will accommodate individuals who wish to walk their dogs through the park, which are currently not allowed to enter the park. Additionally, the plan includes the possibility of expanding the Japanese garden and will look into restoring some of the park’s more derelict monuments such as the Perozzi Fountain and returning the Abe Lincoln statue to the park grounds. The public has been urged to participate in the process during meetings at the Public Works Department as well as during a “drop-in” week where residents are encouraged to visit designers while they work on the project design. The firm hopes that at the end of the 18 month process, the city will have a functional 100 year plan that fully represents what the community feels will be best for the park as well as a comprehensive analysis of Lithia Park.
