Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 11/18/2004

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T'rds a~on, along '~Vnth be removal oft. he Indians ~om the area m 1 $$6, turned tlhe village Into a ghog town. A plaque ~nds m memory of the v~llage at the Wayside Park about 2 .miles west o£ Misz-issi?p~ West Re~onai Park on Hi'_Z~way 10. The village e,x-'~2ded for a greater dis'~mce than the limits of the Wayside Park, tJnough. The western ~ge e, fthe town was marked by OLiver KeLly's farm, about 4 or $ rmies wes~ of Mississippi West Ileg4onai Park in Elk River. T2is farm is s~ll s'~_nding and is in operancrn by the Minnesota H2aoncaI $ocie~.'. The eastern ~ge of Itasca ViIlage is located at the present day Pears~ ~rm. nZms farm un!izes the agr-~cult-~rai fields that are located on the west side o£Traprock Strt~ that the Husbys haYe rent~ out. ,klthough the rea of Mississippi We~ Ra~onal Park was no~ thou_~_ht to be pax of Itasca V~age, fine ox can t.-aveters and the Indians were sure to have traversed this land. In the late. i .%00's, Mississippi West tke~monal Park's properr? was sect!ed and ~rmmg practices were star,ed by the Foster family t~Larson, 1991). In 1943 the n~ts of ownership were purchased bythe Husbys (H. Husby, 1995). In 1975, a~er ye~s of raising dan-Y carrie and agricultural crops (1948 -. 1964), Mr. and Mrs. Husby ,~aJJ~ their pr~ert-y, to the ?~noka Count,,' Board of Parks and Recreation for D=X-ure park development. Today the Husbys ~-mtmue to can-y oux a~ive roles m establishing, and maintaining non-natJ, ve ~assiands and x~ stands. Norther Foster's or Cioquet Islands were aver brought into a=mdcubaral produc*don and remain as nanve r%odmlain fore~..An area north of Traprock Street was rnmed for m~ nan2zal gavel content. Tae mmmg of the land began prior to the Husbys purchasing the land. This area was never brou_~__,ht under a--°-~cutmral produc~aon and toda? is reverting to a natural oak woodland-br,~mhJand corr~-nurnty.