Meldrum Bar Park History

In 1845, John and Susanna Meldrum arrived in Oregon City as members of the Hackleman-Buck wagon train as early pioneers of present-day Gladstone.
The Meldrums first settled in Linn City, a town located directly across the Willamette River from Oregon City. They eventually settled in Oregon City. John was a stone cutter and served two terms as a judge. In 1871, John Meldrum purchased the northern half of the Peter Rinearson Donation Land Claim. After setting aside fifty acres for his personal use, on which he built a house and planted a flourishing orchard, he laid out a townsite on the remainder.
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In 1919, about six months before his death, Judge Meldrum sold 39 acres of his land to his sister, Mrs. Mary Thompson, wife of David P. Thompson, Governor of Idaho, two-term mayor of Portland, Oregon, and minister to Turkey during the Harrison Administration. Soon afterwards, Mrs. Thompson announced in the Portland newspapers that she planned to dedicate all 39 acres as a public park in honor of her late parents, early pioneers in Oregon. Mrs. Thompson also noted that the land on which her parents’ current home stood was being sold and the house would be torn down. Her plan was to preserve the house's original rock foundation because each stone had been hand-chiseled and placed into position by her father. These foundation rocks were to be relocated to the park's entrance and formed into a new artistic gateway. Mrs. Thompson closed her announcement by saying that she "loved nature and did not want any of the large fir trees to be removed". She asked that the underbrush always be kept cleared and the grounds kept suitable for the enjoyment of all, and that her desire was for all the trees to remain undisturbed.
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Written history specific to when or by whom the community garden was established cannot be found. However, oral history dates the garden to be in existence for approximately 65 years.
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Courtesty of Gladstone Historical Society