Ashland's Jewel: Lithia Park

Often referred to as “The Crown Jewel of Ashland,” Lithia Park is a 93-acre area of beautifully maintained lawns, ponds, gardens, a playground and tennis courts, as well as rugged hiking trails—all centered on scenic Ashland Creek. (click to read more)

The need for a city park in Ashland came originally with the demand for camping space for visitors to the annual Chautauqua, which was started in 1893.  Proposed as a formal park by the Women’s Civic Improvement Association in 1908, the first section of the park opened with a few acres located on the site of the abandoned water-powered Ashland Flouring Mills which stood at what is now the entrance to the park on the Plaza.  An additional 45 acres were acquired and annexed into the park in 1909.

The scheme for the park as it exists today was laid out by John McLaren who is best known for his design for Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.  A bond issue was passed in 1914 and the city retained him to plan a landscape which featured open areas with lawns, gardens, and ponds.  Lithia
Water was piped into the area near where the bandshell stands today. An early feature of the park, opened in 1915 was its auto camp, an early motel of sorts, that provided accommodations for the adventuresome motorists of the day.

Chet Corry was appointed superintendent in 1937.  The many plantings by the WPA that he supervised improved the landscaping of the park entrance and beyond.  In time, the trees planted over the years—both native and foreign species—have matured into an excellent arboretum.  Many trees are identified with information plaques.

Features of Lithia Park have come and gone over time—a zoo, for example—and the park has survived two devastating floods in 1974 and 1997.  Ashland is as proud of its centerpiece as it was in 1911 when the city, with a population of 3,500, was one of the few West Coast communities with its own city-owned park.  It has voted consistently to ensure the park’s continuance. 

wb  4/2008

Sources for this article include Ashland, the First 130 Years  by Marjorie O’Harra, the City of Ashland, and the Southern Oregon Historical Society.