Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mill ends-World smallest park


Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world located in the middle of Front Avenue, one of the busiest streets in Portland. Unbelievably, the park only measured 452 square inches, barely two feet across.


Fagan wrote a popular column called Mill Ends (rough, irregular pieces of lumber left over at lumber mills). He used this column to describe the park and the various "events" that occurred there. Fagan billed the space as the "World's Smallest Park." The park was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1948 . He continued to write about activities in the park until he died in 1969.


The Guinness Book of Records granted it the title of "world's smallest park" in 1971. After Mill Ends officially became a city park on St. Patrick’s Day in 1976, the park continued to be the site of St. Patrick's Day festivities. Over the years, contributions have been made to the park, such as the small swimming pool and diving board for butterflies, many statues, a miniature Ferris wheel (which was brought in by a normal-sized crane), and the occasional flying saucer. The events held here include concerts by Clan Macleay Pipe Band, picnics, and rose plantings by the Junior Rose Festival Court.

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